Posts Tagged ‘pen and ink’

Thinking in Grey

Saturday, November 3rd, 2012

Thinking in Grey, Sherlock fan art by Amy Crook

Thinking in Grey, Sherlock fan art by Amy Crook

Copic markers have four kinds of grey — warm, cool, neutral and toner. I used warm and cool greys to put in all shading here, giving the whole image a muted effect like an old photo. You might recognize the pose from last week’s bookmark, which was sort of practice for this bigger piece, though of course I widened the view quite a bit.

Thinking in Grey, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper, nfs (sold).

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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N is for Negative Space

Thursday, November 1st, 2012

N is for Negative Space, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook

N is for Negative Space, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook

The texture on this one is really subtle; with the red watercolor a very dense and intense tone, the red glitter gel pen nearly vanishes unless it’s at the right angle. I really enjoy the big red shark-fin shape at the bottom, and the deceptive simplicity of this particular letter. Perfect for a Nelson or Natalie or Norbert!

N is for Negative Space, 5″x5″ watercolor stick and glitter gel pen on paper.

N is for Negative Space, detail, by Amy Crook

N is for Negative Space, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the shining glitter catching the sunlight, giving the whole image a bit of a bluish tint to it. Below, the N is hanging out with next week’s O to spell out every toddler’s favorite word – NO.

N is for Negative Space & O is for Origami, framed art by Amy Crook

N is for Negative Space & O is for Origami, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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Sherlock Bookmark 5

Saturday, October 27th, 2012

Sherlock Bookmark 5 by Amy Crook

Sherlock Bookmark 5 by Amy Crook

I couldn’t resist drawing up one of the iconic scenes from A Study in Pink, where Sherlock’s laid out on the couch solving his “three patch problem.” I’m inordinately fond of my Sherlockian stick figure cartoons, I must admit, but my lovely readers are, too, since he’s already sold!

Sherlock Bookmark 5, 4.875″ x 1.875″ pen & ink on paper, nfs (sold).

Sherlock Bookmark 5, detail, by Amy Crook

Sherlock Bookmark 5, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a detail of his thinking face and fancy pillow. Below, he’s snuggled up to a book just waiting to go to his new home!

Sherlock Bookmark 5, with book, by Amy Crook

Sherlock Bookmark 5, with book, by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Spiral Bookmark 5

Thursday, October 25th, 2012

Spiral Bookmark 5 by Amy Crook

Spiral
Bookmark 5
by Amy Crook

Spirals are a bit of a theme this bookmark week, but then, they’re a bit of a theme for this entire year for me, so I’m sure you’re not surprised. This one combines bright cheerful colors with a subtly iridescent background. There’s a bit of glitter in the purple center of the droplets or flamelets, however you choose to interpret the turquoise shapes.

Spiral Bookmark 5, 0.875″x5″ mixed media on paper.

Spiral Bookmark 5, detail, by Amy Crook

Spiral Bookmark 5, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can really see the reddish interference paint and sparkly purple glitter gel pen that add depth and surprising shine to this little bookmark. Below, it’s hanging out with the book for your size comparison pleasure.

Spiral Bookmark 5, with book, by Amy Crook

Spiral Bookmark 5, with book, by Amy Crook
(Book not by Amy Crook. Also not included.)

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
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Spiral Bookmark 4

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012

Spiral Bookmark 4 by Amy Crook

Spiral Bookmark 4 by Amy Crook

This bookmark was born the last time I had Sharpie Week, and I had all my various Sharpies scattered out over my art table. Three different shades of marker form layers of squiggles and spirals, a bit like a rocky pool in the rain.

Spiral Bookmark 4, 6″x1″ Sharpie marker on cardstock.

Spiral Bookmark 4, detail, by Amy Crook

Spiral Bookmark 4, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the various shades of Sharpie, though I must say my digital camera really gives the blue a neon glow it doesn’t have in person. Below, the bookmark is hanging out with a hardcover book, ready to mark your place. The sunlight really washes out the marker here, brightening the blue to turquoise and paling out the periwinkle to almost nothing.

Spiral Bookmark 4, with book, by Amy Crook

Spiral Bookmark 4, with book, by Amy Crook
(book neither included nor by the artist)

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
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Cartoon: Jo VanEvery

Saturday, October 20th, 2012

Jo VanEvery cartoon by Amy Crook

Jo VanEvery cartoon by Amy Crook

After the delightful Jo VanEvery got several cartoons from me to use in her work, she’s finally let me cartoon her! We chose a favorite sweater of hers, and the cheerful galoshes she wishes she had, and then added in one of the pigs she raises on their farm and the new lantern logo I created for her site. Or a reasonable facsimile, at least.

I think the galoshes are my favorite part.

If you’d like to be a cartoon, too, check out my page and let me know what item you’ve always wanted. It seems I end up drawing a lot of wished-for (and favourite) shoes!

Categories: Completed Commissions, Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces
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M is for Majuscule and Miniscule

Thursday, October 18th, 2012

M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook

M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook

I like to think of the little m as snuggling up to the big M, miniscule trustingly at the feet of the majuscule. The background on this one seems simple, but the crosshatching like that is always quite time-consuming, especially with a glitter gel pen.

M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, 5″x5″ mixed media on paper, nfs (sold). If you’d like an M of your own, you can find out how to commission one here.

M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, detail, by Amy Crook

M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the green pen shining against the soft periwinkle blue background, with the rich purple and green of the two Ms surrounded by glitter. Below, a shot of the background in progress, to see the way the texture really changed the whole look of the piece.

M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, work in progress by Amy Crook

M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, work in progress by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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