I always carry a pocket sized sketch book (A6 size. Daler Rowney. Black. Hard cover) with me wherever I go. You just never know when you may see something that visually inspires you or when an idea may pop into your head.
“Quick! Where’s my little black book?”
Lake Pleasant was one of those moments. I was relaxing in my garden during the summer and the idea for the story just appeared. I quickly started to ‘doodle’ out the story so that one day I would return to it, develop my idea and fully draw the strip. Well, I got a bit carried away (as I quite often do) and what started out to be a light bulb being switched on above my head soon became a firework show. Before I knew it, I had spontaneously drawn the whole story.
Here is the whole story of ‘Lake Pleasant’ scanned directly from my sketch book . I didn’t draw the artwork out in pencil first (as I normally would), pen was directly put to the paper. There are (what I would consider) many mistakes, but it doesn’t matter, this is sketch book work, not really to be seen by the ‘public’ and it shouldn’t be precious. I haven’t touched up any of the artwork. The only area I have reworked on the computer was the lettering as my original scribbled notes resembled hieroglyphics rather than the written word (thank you Simon Evans).
I have many stories/ideas doodled in my sketch books, waiting for the day I draw them ‘properly’… Hopefully you will see them soon… ish.
Make what you will of Lake Pleasant…
Enjoy!
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