MANUAL
FOR BUILDING AND REBUILDING
CASTLES AND FORTS
A project I did for my Master's thesis at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design.
LAST 8 ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS POST HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THE EXHIBITION AT THE 50th GOLDEN PEN OF BELGRADE, THE 15th INTERNATIONAL BIENNIAL OF ILLUSTRATION 2019!!!
It's a replica of a book that's been lying forgotten on a bookshelf for a few centuries.
The book teaches us the basics of fort building. It was written by an educated and sophisticated author who travelled the world and had seen the newest techniques and defence elements. It was written in times when firearms became so powerful and efficient that fortifications had to adapt.
I made a font by digitalising letters from an original 16th century book and then manualy altered it to look real.
Illustrations look like woodcuts made at the beginning of the 16th century. They were drawn with ink, but closely mimic the appearance of woodcut. All illustrations are my own and are not copies of old works.
Book was hand stitched, then it was deliberately scratched, torn and cut. After that it was dyed and stained with coffee.
Original drawings were made with ink, scanned and copied on an appropriate paper.
The story about the discovery of the book is made up. It is said that the book was found in an old priest's study room, where he hid it from the outer world for decades.
