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Endpapers: My process and tips!

One of my favourite parts of creating a picture book is illustrating the endpapers, and they are always one of the first things I look at when looking at other picture books too. Below I talk about how I created the endpapers for 'Percy the Post Penguin' and how I decide on what to include in endpapers for different projects.



One of the main themes in 'Percy the Post Penguin' is post, for example envelopes and parcels. As this was a clear theme in the book, I decided that this should be included in the endpapers, to be one of the first things to engage the reader when they open the book, and introduce the theme.



The image above shows the plan sketch for the endpapers in 'Percy the Post Penguin'. I researched into all types of envelopes, and looked in post offices at the things that someone might buy in there. I then drew out these envelopes as an interlocking pattern, adding in some fish to convey more themes in the book.



For a background colour, I decided blue would be best to emphasise the cold setting of the book, and added in humour by creating names and addresses on the envelopes that were funny, such as 'Mr F. R. Eezing'. By adding in details like this, it means children, and even adults can have fun pointing out little details just by looking at the endpapers.


Some other endpapers I have created, like the ones below, are repeat patterns, however in 'Percy the Post Penguin', the endpapers are not repeat patterns, and instead just lots of interlocking envelopes and parcels. This allowed me to use the full space to add in the humour and a wide variety of parcels and envelopes. Some of my favourite other endpapers I have created are below, and sometimes, it is the simple patterns which can be most effective!




My best advice for creating endpapers would be to pick out main themes and objects in the story, and see if there can be some humour added in, if it is suitable. Little details in the endpapers are what engages the reader, and they are an opportunity to have fun with the illustrations!

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