A Doodle A Day:

All of the illustrations and drawings on this site unless otherwise stated are Copyright © 2004-9 Chas Creek. The Characters 'Smudge' & 'Grindle' and associated characters are Copyright © 2004-9 Chas Creek.
Permission is granted to reproduce the illustrations and Drawings for personal and educational use on the previso that full credit is given to Chas Creek including links to www.doodleaday.co.uk and that the works are not altered or used to create derivative works. Commercial use, copying, hiring, lending is strictly prohibited. You may contact me with any requests for other licencing

No doodles posted for a few days and for good reason - I have been away for the last week staying in the Lake District for a chill out break and a bit of a doodling break. Not a doodling break in terms of having a break from doodling but rather a break to doodle.

Most days consisted of getting breakfast as early as possible so I could get down to one of the lake-sides as early as possible before the hikers and the like were about, leaving the car parked up somewhere popping a rucksack over my shoulder and wandering off two small folding aluminium stools a large watercolour pad and the brush box under my arm and finding some spot to set up for a quick watercolour doodle. When the crowds started to appear it was time to retire to some pub or other for some early lunch before spending the afternoon and evening hiking around the lakes.

No fantastic doodles I am afraid as my doodling skills with watercolour are limited to say the least and I didn't tend to stay very long at each doodle session, but here they are.

Rydal Lakes from day No1. Rydal as I have mentioned before is an old childhood haunt of mine and my favourite of all the lakes, partly because of childhood links and partly because being one of the smaller lakes and not well signposted it is missed out by a lot of the passing tourists.

Windemere from I think day 2. This is halfway up the lake and a 15 minute walk from where I was staying over the first few days. It is a pleasant little spot by some moorings just off a lakeside trail. It is away from the heavily commercialised parts of Windemere and is a relative little sanctuary of peace and a spot where you can tuck yourself behind some trees and rocks and quietly doodle. In the evenings it becomes a popular spot to moore overnight and the smell of the BBQs meet your well before you sight the lake around the trail.

Back to Rydal Water and a different view for this little doodle, Day 2 evening I think. Two hikers walked along a trail some way to my right when I was painting this and I overheard the one say to the other - "That isn't a very good location to paint from, I wouldn't have though it would make a nice painting" - or at least some words to that effect. After they had walked some 400 yards or so I looked over my shoulder as I saw the commenter leaving the trail and she was moving into position behind me to double check the view. Well Mrs/Miss/Mizz hiker it is a nice view even if not particularly given justice by my doodle.

Grassmere this time and a very quick effort. Unfortunately the trail is right on the waters edge at Grassmere and it was hard to try and position myself so someone was not looking over my shoulder every five minutes. In the end however only one lady made a direct line for me and from a few yards stopped and called, "Do you mind if I take a look?", always the feared words to hear for the outdoor sketcher. Day 3 I think.

Back again to Rydal Water for this one on the evening of day 3.

Day 4 saw a change of hotel moving to stay in Rydal for a couple of days and for some reason I went back to Windemere to doodle two little watercolours from the landings. I arrived there early and was lucky enough to find a boat moored up something I had been looking for but at the main landings there are so many people that sitting down to quietly doodle is not a possibility. Unfortunately the lady on on the boat had to have breakfast watching me paint the boat - hubbie was apparently having a lie in.

Half way through the doodle a second boat came in to moore which meant ignoring that boat during the rest of the doodle but allowing an opportunity for a second doodle.

A young lad, I guess about 7 or so was so impressed with my boats that he kept wandering over and finally dragged his mom over to see the paintings. That's my kind of audience - easy to please!

A few little pencil doodles now from Rydal Water Day 5 I think. At the spot where I was painting from there is a wonderfully bent and twisted old tree with roots protruding from the ground and over the rocks and in places it is hard to differentiate between rock and root as they have almost become one.

Finally a quick little ink doodle while having a post dinner cigarette in the hotels lounge.

About

Welcome to A Doodle A Day! Feel free to have a good look around and leave me a comment if you like what you see, or even if you don't!
A Doodle a Day is a place where I publish sketches created for fun and the love of drawing and more finished illustrations. I draw primarily with pen and ink, either dip pen or fountain pen. I do use other mediums such as watercolour, acrylics, pencil and soft pastels but my first love as a medium is pen and ink, especially dip pen.
I trained and worked for many years as a graphic designer, artist and studio manager within publishing as well taking on freelance projects. I draw for the sheer enjoyment of creating something from nothing but a white sheet of paper and a bottle of ink. I also work as an illustrator concentrating on Childrens illustration. I hope that you get as much enjoyment from seeing these sketches and illustrations as I do from creating them.

If you would like to enquire about my work or commissioning me then please contact chas@doodleaday.co.uk