We hope that 2026 has gotten off to a good start for you.
Better at least than it did for poor old Dan. Have you got your violin out? We hope so, because this is a tale of woe. 10 minutes before the spirits of '25 where ushered out, Dan, in his joyful revelry, managed to slip and fall down the garden stairs and broke a couple of ribs. This injury was swiftly followed by a bout of the flu and then a chest infection. January was not a happy month in the Dan household. Because of these mishaps our drawing gnome has only now found his way back to his drawing board, his happy place.
Perhaps it was a product of his fever, or the inevitable lunacy that's long been expected for him, or the fact that he spent much of the festive period drooling over the painted pages of Akira, but Dan has decided to paint the double-page spreads in this new book. As a result, see here the development, from sketch to pencils, to the application of the first colour washes, for the first double-page spread of Islands of Weirdhope!
The original pencil sketch
Here is the original pencil sketch. This drawing was made during the campaign, in Dan's A4 sketchbook.
The finished pencils
Dan developed the original sketch into this pencil drawing. Dan uses a mix of blue and graphite pencil, it's a strange way to work and definitely not the most efficient, but the habit is set in and it's how he unknots mistakes or coaxes the lines into order.
The finished pencils with the first colour washes applied.
And here is the start of the application of the colour. Dan's working with spirit pens, watercolour and inks. There still a long way to go before this image is finished but we'll be sure to share more progress and behind the scenes as we go.
Along with Dan's feverish drawing, the writing has continued apace, and we're hoping to get a new updated pdf to you all within the next few weeks. Talking of writing, David's blog, where he talks about his game and setting ideas, has been nominated for a Bloggie! This is high praise indeed, and if you'd like to vote for it please do, by following this link, being sure to select "Don't Write Lore, Write Tables" if you're feeling kind.
