Posts Tagged ‘tentacles’

Tentacle Deeps 42

Tuesday, September 18th, 2012

Tentacle Deeps 42, painting by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 42, painting by Amy Crook

The stars are clearly right, because we’ve arrived at the answer! For #42 I tried another new thing this week, or really a very old thing in a new way. I broke out my acrylic paints for the background, and then drew tentacles on top with Sharpie oil paint marker. Since it’s on a gallery-wrapped canvas, the image slips around the edges, as you can see where the tentacles sneak off the left edge there.

Tentacle Deeps 42, 12″x12″ acrylic paint and Sharpie oil paint marker on gallery-wrapped canvas.

Tentacle Deeps 42, detail, by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 42, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see the way the tentacles shine with a different sort of gloss than the background, at least when exposed to the sun and an Instagram filter.

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Series and Books, Tentacles
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Tentacle Bookmark 3

Tuesday, August 14th, 2012

Tentacle Bookmark 3 by Amy Crook

Tentacle Bookmark 3
by Amy Crook

I’m afraid this lovely green tentacle is already sold! If you were on my monthly newsletter list, you, too would have gotten a chance to call dibs on this week’s bookmarks.

I started with this bright yellow wash that fades from perfectly opaque to nothing at all thanks to my nifty water brushes, and then added in apple-green Sharpie marker designs for the tentacle. Remarkably cheerful for an ancient horror!

Tentacle Bookmark 3, 1″x5″ Sharpie marker and watercolor on paper, nfs (sold).

Tentacle Bookmark 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Tentacle Bookmark 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can really see how the cool yellow interacts with the warm cream of the paper, and the intense green of the marker. Below, it’s looking quite bright next to the deep dark blue of my book.

Tentacle Deeps 3, with book, by Amy Crook

Tentacle Bookmark 3, with book, by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
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Tentacle Deeps 41

Tuesday, August 7th, 2012

Tentacle Deeps 41 by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 41 by Amy Crook

These shimmering tentacles are subtle in dim light but glitter brightly in the sun, waving in their periwinkle pond. They’d add the perfect touch of Cthulhu to any girl’s desk or living room.

Tentacle Deeps 41, 5″x7″ Japanese watercolor and glitter gel pen on Arches cover black paper.

Tentacle Deeps 41, detail, by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 41, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the tentacles shining in the sunlight, bright in the the depths of their watery habitat. Below, you can see them in their frame, turned away from the direct light.

Tentacle Deeps 41, framed art by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 41, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
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Tentacle Deeps 40

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

Tentacle Deeps 40 by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 40 by Amy Crook

These oil paint tentacles were dry brushed onto their canvas so they’d look smokey and insubstantial, the curls deliberately imitating smoke near the tips as they fade into nothingness. The one on the right that’s all curled around makes me think of smoke rings!

Tentacle Deeps 40, 12″x12″ oil paint on gallery-wrapped canvas.

Tentacle Deeps 40, detail, by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 40, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see the tentacles at a different angle, catching more of the clear blue afternoon sunlight. I don’t have a framed shot because this piece is finished on the edges and ready to hang without one, and it’s not dry enough yet to set up with my iPhone.

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
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Tentacle Deeps 39

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

Tentacle Deeps 39 by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 39 by Amy Crook

Golden sunlight filters into the murky deeps, while iridescent, ghostly green tentacles slither upward, reaching for the surface. The tentacles nearly vanish from some angles, but they’re bright as gilt when they catch the light, in a cool, shining green.

Tentacle Deeps 39, 6″x6″ Japanese watercolor and iridescent watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper with pen & ink signature.

Tentacle Deeps 39, detail, by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 39, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the light shining off the tentacles against the velvety green-black of the background. Below, you can see it temporarily tucked into an 8″x10″ frame, waiting its final destination.

Tentacle Deeps 39, framed art by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 39, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
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Lone Tentacle

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

Lone Tentacle by Amy Crook

Lone Tentacle by Amy Crook

This dark, intense bluish-violet wash was just asking for tentacles, but after I’d scribbled in the first one it seemed like that was really enough. I just really like something about the way the single, lone tentacle reaches upward toward the light, silhouetted against the violet depths.

Lone Tentacle, 6″x6″ pen & ink and Japanese watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.

Lone Tentacle, detail, by Amy Crook

Lone Tentacle, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the shading detail on the tentacle, the textures of paper and paint that give the piece a murky, atmospheric feel. I liked this shot so much, I’m using it as a wallpaper, in fact. Below, you can see it temporarily tucked into a 8″x10″ frame, hanging out with my iPhone for scale.

Lone Tentacle, framed, by Amy Crook

Lone Tentacle, framed, by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Free Wallpapers, Tentacles
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Tentacle Deeps 38

Tuesday, July 10th, 2012

Tentacle Deeps 38 by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 38 by Amy Crook

This is another of those paintings that started as an idle wash with my water brush and grew tentacles. I’m so in love with those, though I haven’t given up the normal brushes entirely. Like any new technique, I’ll use it a while and then go back to using a wider variety of stuff — or go on to the next shiny new thing.

This painting has a graceful hand of tentacles, five long tendrils like the fingers of some under-bed monster reaching up to get you tonight.

Sleep well.

Tentacle Deeps 38, 5″x7″ Japanese watercolor on Strathmore paper.

Tentacle Deeps 38, detail, by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 38, detail, by Amy Crook

There’s a certain range of blue-green colors that give my monitor a hissyfit trying to reproduce, and this painting is right in the middle of it. The scan is probably the most color accurate, though I enjoy the blue cast the tentacles get in the above detail photo. Below you can see it framed and ready to find its way into your house. Though possibly not the bedroom, just to be safe.

Tentacle Deeps 38, framed art by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 38, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
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