The sketch may have to come later on this one. I was pretty much given an open runway on this board. It's the first time we've been asked to do handle it's design. I looked at what was done in the past and tried to use a different color palette than my predecessors. I wanted to go for that "big ride" feel...and perhaps a little menacing. The client ended up approving this board for production...with one minor/major change. I was asked to remove any instances of the Jolly Roger. This really suprised me considering that it's a pirate festival. I worried that the design wouldn't stand without it. I liked the way the small flag stood out against the red backdrop. It really, very quickly, tells you that you are looking at a pirate related piece. Ultimately it wasn't a battle that I was going to win, so 'ol Jolly had to go. The final piece still looks nice...but I sure will miss my flag.