Freshwater Skatepark Auction
May 17, 2026
Recently I donated some time to painting some of my cartoon style characters onto a skateboard, which joined 42 other skateboard lots in an auction to raise funds for Freshwater Skatepark.
The cause
Freshwater Skatepark on the Isle of Wight has been a popular skatepark for some time. I remember when it was built and spent much of my young adulthood there.
However, the metal and wood construction means that repairs are regularly needed and visiting it recently I can see that it’s not quite the park it used to be.
With that in mind, a campaign was setup to raise funds to help construct a new concrete skatepark complete with a pump track. The new design would help keep repair costs down while also tailoring to a wider audience of all ages.
Part of the campaign was an auction to bid on local artist’s artwork presented on skateboards.
When I heard about this, I requested to get involved. Skateboarding was a huge part of my life and I wanted to give something back to it.
The process
Being one of the later entries to the auction, time was against me. Luckily, I already had a bunch of illustrated cartoon style characters that I had created so it was a case of picking the right ones and fitting them to the new dimensions of the blank skateboard.
My illustrations were previously sketches which were then digitally traced on Adobe Illustrator. Once I used the software to get the overall design I then used pencil to draw it onto the skateboard which I had previously sanded and applied primer to.
Once complete, I mixed some acrylic paints to a limited palette and filled in the pencil lines. I then went over the lines in a black acrylic, lifting the illustrations for impact.
When it was all dry, I applied a couple of coats of varnish to add extra shine.
If you’d like to see the process video, feel free to do so on my Instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXHbDKrCHOi/?igsh=dzVubWFxd2kwMHBw
The event and results
The whole auction was done online over a few weeks with people bidding here and there.
In the closing hours of the auction, an event was held at The Royal Yacht Club in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight in which people could see the boards in all their glory, before a countdown was given for the auction closing.
The entire event raised a massive £6,897.33 for the new skatepark.
For more information on the auction, see the website here - https://app.galabid.com/freshwater-skatepark/items
Adam Hayles
Freelance Graphic Designer
15+ years in the graphic design world with a desire to provide brands with a fresh upbeat visual personality using design, illustration and animation.
Freshwater Skatepark Auction
May 17, 2026
Recently I donated some time to painting some of my cartoon style characters onto a skateboard, which joined 42 other skateboard lots in an auction to raise funds for Freshwater Skatepark.
The cause
Freshwater Skatepark on the Isle of Wight has been a popular skatepark for some time. I remember when it was built and spent much of my young adulthood there.
However, the metal and wood construction means that repairs are regularly needed and visiting it recently I can see that it’s not quite the park it used to be.
With that in mind, a campaign was setup to raise funds to help construct a new concrete skatepark complete with a pump track. The new design would help keep repair costs down while also tailoring to a wider audience of all ages.
Part of the campaign was an auction to bid on local artist’s artwork presented on skateboards.
When I heard about this, I requested to get involved. Skateboarding was a huge part of my life and I wanted to give something back to it.
The process
Being one of the later entries to the auction, time was against me. Luckily, I already had a bunch of illustrated cartoon style characters that I had created so it was a case of picking the right ones and fitting them to the new dimensions of the blank skateboard.
My illustrations were previously sketches which were then digitally traced on Adobe Illustrator. Once I used the software to get the overall design I then used pencil to draw it onto the skateboard which I had previously sanded and applied primer to.
Once complete, I mixed some acrylic paints to a limited palette and filled in the pencil lines. I then went over the lines in a black acrylic, lifting the illustrations for impact.
When it was all dry, I applied a couple of coats of varnish to add extra shine.
If you’d like to see the process video, feel free to do so on my Instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXHbDKrCHOi/?igsh=dzVubWFxd2kwMHBw
The event and results
The whole auction was done online over a few weeks with people bidding here and there.
In the closing hours of the auction, an event was held at The Royal Yacht Club in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight in which people could see the boards in all their glory, before a countdown was given for the auction closing.
The entire event raised a massive £6,897.33 for the new skatepark.
For more information on the auction, see the website here - https://app.galabid.com/freshwater-skatepark/items
Adam Hayles
Freelance Graphic Designer
15+ years in the graphic design world with a desire to provide brands with a fresh upbeat visual personality using design, illustration and animation.
Freshwater Skatepark Auction
May 17, 2026
Recently I donated some time to painting some of my cartoon style characters onto a skateboard, which joined 42 other skateboard lots in an auction to raise funds for Freshwater Skatepark.
The cause
Freshwater Skatepark on the Isle of Wight has been a popular skatepark for some time. I remember when it was built and spent much of my young adulthood there.
However, the metal and wood construction means that repairs are regularly needed and visiting it recently I can see that it’s not quite the park it used to be.
With that in mind, a campaign was setup to raise funds to help construct a new concrete skatepark complete with a pump track. The new design would help keep repair costs down while also tailoring to a wider audience of all ages.
Part of the campaign was an auction to bid on local artist’s artwork presented on skateboards.
When I heard about this, I requested to get involved. Skateboarding was a huge part of my life and I wanted to give something back to it.
The process
Being one of the later entries to the auction, time was against me. Luckily, I already had a bunch of illustrated cartoon style characters that I had created so it was a case of picking the right ones and fitting them to the new dimensions of the blank skateboard.
My illustrations were previously sketches which were then digitally traced on Adobe Illustrator. Once I used the software to get the overall design I then used pencil to draw it onto the skateboard which I had previously sanded and applied primer to.
Once complete, I mixed some acrylic paints to a limited palette and filled in the pencil lines. I then went over the lines in a black acrylic, lifting the illustrations for impact.
When it was all dry, I applied a couple of coats of varnish to add extra shine.
If you’d like to see the process video, feel free to do so on my Instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXHbDKrCHOi/?igsh=dzVubWFxd2kwMHBw
The event and results
The whole auction was done online over a few weeks with people bidding here and there.
In the closing hours of the auction, an event was held at The Royal Yacht Club in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight in which people could see the boards in all their glory, before a countdown was given for the auction closing.
The entire event raised a massive £6,897.33 for the new skatepark.
For more information on the auction, see the website here - https://app.galabid.com/freshwater-skatepark/items
Adam Hayles
Freelance Graphic Designer
15+ years in the graphic design world with a desire to provide brands with a fresh upbeat visual personality using design, illustration and animation.