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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