How we build a paper world

When assembling a puzzle, we spend a lot of time looking at tiny sections of an image. One piece holds a shoreline, another water, another part of a plant. Those fragments have to give you clues about where they belong, so the close-up view matters.

Across the Lagoon has several distinct layers: the boat in front, islands further away and a bright sky above. The paper-cut treatment makes their boundaries easier to read.

From picture to pieces

The water’s colour points to one area of the puzzle, the foliage to another. The curve of the shore and the islands’ silhouettes offer more precise clues. We also check the complete image: once the last piece is placed, the lagoon itself should still be worth a look.

The game illustration is shown below. We made the pencil drawing above for the journal, keeping the composition while rendering it in a different medium.

At the time of this post, the image belongs to the working catalogue. The selection of pictures and their final treatment may still change.