Monster Naptime by Amy Crook, $250

After last week’s pair of Monster paintings, I decided to do a follow-up to start the week off right. This is, after all, the best perspective from which to deal with the adorable little pests. Once they’ve had a nap, I’m sure they won’t be quite so grumpy.

The clever among you will notice that it’s the artist holding the monsters. The persnickety will notice my part is on the wrong side, which is artistic license. And yes, I do have a nose in real life.

Monster Naptime, 5″x7″ pen & ink and watercolor on paper, $250 with free shipping.

Monster Naptime, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see the cranky cuties up close and full of meh. Below, I’ve put myself and my monsters behind glass, and Cthulhu himself came by to hang out. He’s got this sleeping thing down pat, after all.

Monster Naptime, framed art by Amy Crook

• Title: Monster Naptime
• 7 in. x 5 in. pen & ink and watercolor on paper
• $250 for the original (tax will be added if you live in CA)
• Frame is not included, but can be added for $50 (shipping included)
• Shipping is free anywhere in the world
• Payment plans are available, just email me
• The button below will take you to Paypal – if you’d like to pay another way, just let me know and we’ll work it out

quiet week has few artses

I wasn’t feeling all that well last week, so this was a quiet week for posting art. Wednesday we met a whole bunch of monsters and Friday we saw some of their very specific brethren. Then Saturday we went birdwatching and I showed you a heron.

Today there’s a little doodle from someone’s Cthulhu Coloring Book. Will that be one tentacle or two?

Eldritch Tea sketch by Amy Crook

Birdwatching by Amy Crook, $199

I’ve been working on this in amongst the Monster paintings, starting with a rather banal watercolor layer and adding in bold scribbles, shimmery iridescent highlights and even some pencil shading. I’ve grown fond of the odd perspective, of peering at the herons through the grasses, and catching a glimpse of both halves of this couple.

Birdwatching, 6″x4″ mixed media on paper, $199 with free shipping.

Birdwatching, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a bit of the golden wash at the very edge of the sky, and a sheen off several bits of iridescent paint in several colors, from the soft gold along the beak to the blue in the feathers and silvery clouds. Below, you can see the piece in a frame, making it seem more than ever like a peek into some hidden natural wonder.

Birdwatching, framed art by Amy Crook

• Title: Birdwatching
• 6 in. x 4 in. watercolor, iridescent Japanese watercolor, pen & ink, and pencil on Fluid watercolor paper
• $199 for the original (tax will be added if you live in CA)
• Frame is not included, but can be added for $50 (shipping included)
• Shipping is free anywhere in the world
• Payment plans are available, just email me
• The button below will take you to Paypal – if you’d like to pay another way, just let me know and we’ll work it out

No No No Monsters by Amy Crook, $250

After sharing Wednesday’s Miasma of Monsters with my friends at the Starship, we all agreed that this trio was a big one for anyone running an ittybiz. First the raggedy, staticky fluffball of “No Energy,” then the red-eyed “No Time and their green friend with his unexpected sharp bits, “No Money.” Definitely a trio that demands attention!

I’m feeling a bit less poorly, myself, but still moving quite slowly when it comes to getting art done and ready to go, so you can expect updates to be a bit erratic until I’m all better. I’m just grateful for Tylenol.

No No No Monsters, 7″x5″ pen & ink and watercolor on paper, $250 with free shipping.

No No No Monsters, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see the red glaring clock of the time monster, telling you to stop or go faster, or possibly both. Below you can see them in a frame, looking just as silly as ever.

No No No Monsters, framed art by Amy Crook

• Title: No No No Monsters
• 7 in. x 5 in. pen & ink and watercolor on paper
• $250 for the original (tax will be added if you live in CA)
• Frame is not included, but can be added for $50 (shipping included)
• Shipping is free anywhere in the world
• Payment plans are available, just email me
• The button below will take you to Paypal – if you’d like to pay another way, just let me know and we’ll work it out

Miasma of Monsters by Amy Crook, $250

I swear, whenever I get sicky or ouchie my mood goes down with my physical wellness and I just feel uncreative and awful. Like my immune system is somehow responsible for keeping these critters at bay as well as the microscopic sort. I called this a miasma because that’s what their little cloud of doubt and blah reminded me of, a miasma that fills the mental air and makes it hard to see anything else.

My favorite is the guy in back, who is staring and not saying anything. You know what you did, his magenta evil eye says it all for him, though I’m fond of them all for one reason or another. The guy on the right looks like he’s about to erupt into a temper tantrum worthy of a 3-year-old, where the one on the left is very sternly lecturing you. He uses big words, I bet.

Painting them, I must admit, did help lift the miasma a bit. They’re just so cute!

Miasma of Monsters, 7″x5″ pen & ink and watercolor on paper, $250 with free shipping.

Miasma of Monsters, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see my favorite monster staring at you. Always staring. Disapprovingly staring. Below, he’s still staring out of the frame, so you can see what these guys look like trapped behind glass.

Miasma of Monsters, framed art by Amy Crook

• Title: Miasma of Monsters
• 7 in. x 5 in. pen & ink and watercolor on paper
• $250 for the original (tax will be added if you live in CA)
• Frame is not included, but can be added for $50 (shipping included)
• Shipping is free anywhere in the world
• Payment plans are available, just email me
• The button below will take you to Paypal – if you’d like to pay another way, just let me know and we’ll work it out

this was a week with attitude

Monday I showed off my lovely Heron, and Tuesday there were not only tentacles but classic Holmes and Watson. Wednesday I talked about my teeth and the pain both physical and financial I’m dealing with. Thursday the Motherfucking Bunny dared you to make me an offer I couldn’t refuse, and Friday Spock urged you all to live long and prosper. Finally, Saturday we saw a wee tiny sketch of Bilbo and Smaug on a bookmark.

For today here’s a little cheer-up sketch I sent a friend who’s having a really shitty year, which has hopefully arrived in her mail by now.

Fishy sketch is fishy

Bilbo and Smaug Bookmark 2 by Amy Crook

Here, there be dragons! Well, dragon. Well, Smaug.

After I sold the first Bilbo & Smaug bookmark, I drew up a second one for someone else who’d asked after it. I went a little more elaborate on this one, intending to use it for promo bookmarks, just like yesterday’s Spock. It’s still sketchy and whimsical, but with more elaborate coloring and a bit of gold to go with the big purple dragon.

If you’d like a bookmark of your own, there’s still a few left from prior Bookmark Weeks!

Bilbo and Smaug Bookmark 2, 7″x2.5″ pen & ink and Copic marker, nfs (sold).

Live Long and Prosper, Star Trek fan art by Amy Crook

I’ve decided to start pricing my fan art using my own formula for commissions, which makes it much easier on me (and you!) to figure out how much stuff should be. I drew up this Spock intending to use him on some promo bookmarks to go in Etsy packages, though I haven’t printed any yet. I rather enjoy his little cartoon LLAP sign, though. Fingers, shmingers, he’s got as many as he needs!

Live Long and Prosper, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper, nfs (sold).

Live Long and Prosper, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see Spock and his raised eyebrow and cute little paw-hand up close and personal. Below, he’s in a frame with a chibi version of himself. Because of reasons.

Live Long and Prosper, framed art by Amy Crook

This is a Motherfucking Bunny drawn by Amy Crook

This bunny’s life is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, he’s such a badass motherfucking bunny. He was drawn with my gorgeous but perpetually clogged fountain pen, which gives lovely scribbly broken lines. Then his ink was spread and smeared and turned from black to blue and brown and green and grey on the page, using a simple brush and water to affect the change.

This bunny is an experiment! I’m not sure how to price him — he’s the size of a $250 painting, but he’s some sort of weird cross between a painting and a sketch. Also, he refuses to admit to being anything but priceless when asked. So, in light of my exciting tooth-related adventures, I’ve decided this bunny is pay what you will. There’s only one of him, so the first person to make an offer will have this motherfucking bunny and all of his attitude in his home.

Motherfucking Bunny, 5″x7″ pen, water & ink on paper. Go ahead. Make my day.

Motherfucking bunny, some goddamned details, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the subtle shifts in color from blue to brown to grey, especially the nice navy blues in the shadows and soft warm greys around his face. Below, he has consented to occupy a frame for a short while so you can contemplate the magnitude of his attitude.

Motherfucking Bunny, framed art by Amy Crook,
with Vorpal Bunny for good measure

• Title: Motherfucking Bunny
• 5 in. x 7 in. pen & ink and brush & ink on paper
• Pay What You Will for the original (tax will be added if you live in CA)
• Frame is not included, but can be added for $50 (shipping included)
• Shipping is free anywhere in the world
• Payment plans are available, just email me
• If you’d like to make an offer, just let me know and we’ll make sure no one got the drop on you

I’ve been to see the quite nice endodontist, and he feels that my cracked tooth needs a root canal, which will also necessitate a crown, for a total dental bill of about $4K, including the $1K I’ve already spent. Unfortunately, that still leaves me about $1K short, even with the financing I managed to arrange, so I’m not sure what’s going to happen with it, other than it’ll ache at least a little longer.

If you’ve got a piece of art you’ve been sighing over, now is a good time to support your favorite starving artist and her poor teeth. Or buy some cards, commission art for yourself or your business, or just send good thoughts my way that I’ll manage to make it all work somehow.

Another Man’s Octopus, a Sherlock Holmes comic by Amy Crook, $99

When I was contemplating ideas for today’s Tentacle Tuesday, this idea came to me (undoubtedly influenced by the steampunk novel I’m reading) to draw the original Holmes and Watson. I borrowed the fashions from one of the old Paget illustrations, so blame him for Holmes’ weird little jabot, and then added in our random steampunky science nerd and of course Biffy, the friendly octopus. He just really likes Watson’s moustache, I feel. It’s quite dashing.

I decided to shade it all in warm greys to give it the feel of an old Victorian daguerreotype or something, which always runs into the question of whether I should color the skin of the people or leave them white as the paper. I compromised by making Holmes very pale indeed, and giving Watson and the scientist a bit more robust warmth. This kind of coloring takes a bit less time than proper color, as the limited palette simplifies things.

Another Man’s Octopus, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper, $99 with free shipping.

Another Man’s Octopus, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the line that made me decide I absolutely had to draw the comic, along with an unimpressed Holmes uttering it. Below, they’ve made it into a frame with my bored 5-armed plushie and one of the original books.

Another Man’s Octopus, framed comic by Amy Crook

• Title: Another Man’s Octopus
• 7 in. x 5 in. pen & ink and Copic marker on paper
• $99 for the original (tax will be added if you live in CA)
• Frame is not included, but can be added for $50 (shipping included)
• Shipping is free anywhere in the world
• Payment plans are available, just email me
• The button below will take you to Paypal – if you’d like to pay another way, just let me know and we’ll work it out

Heron watercolor by Amy Crook

I painted the background for this heron a while back, and then decided to put the bird in by the request of a patron. And by patron I mean my mom, who has already bought and paid for it. Hi, Mom!

Heron, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper, nfs (sold).

Heron, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can just see the tiny bit of iridescent paint hiding in the heron’s details, mainly along the crest feather and the darkest bits of the body feathers. Below, you can see it in a frame, proving once again that electronics hate to reproduce certain shades of blue.

Heron, framed art by Amy Crook

it was a week of comics and monsters

A belated round-up on a sleepy Sunday! Back on Monday, Spock and Sherlock were unimpressed with your opinions on their similarities. Tuesday there were shiny tentacles, and Wednesday I talked about my toothache and my new commissions posts. Thursday John got a truly ugly sweater and Sherlock sneered. Friday Eihort shimmered evilly on the page, and Saturday it was Lestrade’s turn as a stick figure cartoon.

Below, you can see a nose-less, rune-bedecked sketch of Bob the Skull from the Dresden Files series. He’s all carved up in the tv show, but I don’t think he’s got the runes in the books, but it was fun to fake them up anyway.

Bob the Skull sketch by Amy Crook