Mark Pett’s Epic Twitter Thread about How He Illustrated The Very Last Castle

Earlier today Mark Pett took us behind the scenes of his illustration process for The Very Last Castle. As is typical for picture books, Mark and I weren’t in contact during the process, so a whole bunch of what he shared was completely new to me. If you’re a fan of illustration, you’ll be into this:

THE VERY LAST CASTLE by @100scopenotes is the first picture book I've illustrated that I did not also write. I thought it would be easier, but I actually found it quite challenging and it gave me newfound appreciation for all of the amazing illustrators out there. pic.twitter.com/AAJlgEHOuJ

— Mark Pett (@MarkPett) October 9, 2018

It took me quite a few tries to determine the look/feel for THE VERY LAST CASTLE by @100scopenotes. It was a laborious process of trial and error. I'd try on an idea and invariably discover that it did not work. pic.twitter.com/PLGz3do7CS

— Mark Pett (@MarkPett) October 9, 2018

In the end, it was two images of the character Ibb and of the guard that appealed to me and felt right and I built the world around them. THE VERY LAST CASTLE by @100scopenotes pic.twitter.com/ePcjS9pRaq

— Mark Pett (@MarkPett) October 9, 2018

Once I determined the look/feel, I began thumbnailing the book to get the pacing and layout down… (THE VERY LAST CASTLE by @100scopenotes) pic.twitter.com/GtdkakbVBY

— Mark Pett (@MarkPett) October 9, 2018

With each pass, the drawings became tighter… (THE VERY LAST CASTLE by @100scopenotes) pic.twitter.com/mO6kWL3Xus

— Mark Pett (@MarkPett) October 9, 2018

Finally, I was ready to produce the final art! I chose to do all of the art in watercolor, which, as anyone who has worked in watercolor knows, has a mind of its own… (THE VERY LAST CASTLE by @100scopenotes) pic.twitter.com/MeY7AZ5zQh

— Mark Pett (@MarkPett) October 9, 2018

Keeping track of all of the art was tricky. Even more tricky was devising a system of stacking that allowed the art to dry without touching the painting below it! (THE VERY LAST CASTLE by @100scopenotes) pic.twitter.com/FRxNT4pcBe

— Mark Pett (@MarkPett) October 9, 2018

I'm quite pleased with how the whole book turned out! I'm not sure which illustrations I would say are my favorites, but there's something about these two spreads that really appeal to me. pic.twitter.com/CT003URxEn

— Mark Pett (@MarkPett) October 9, 2018

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