By Ruth Rowland
I was commissioned by Lion TV to work on some pages which would eventually be bound into a magic book and used as a prop on the set of Real Wizards: The Search For Harry's Ancestors.
This Channel 4 documentary is a journey over thousands of years from ancient Britain, across Europe to Siberia, using modern science and archaeology to examine the evidence for the existence of real wizards.
I started out by pinning down the drawing style and paper, creating a sample sheet inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s sketchbook pages. This was approved and I was then given copy and reference material for each of the pages, which illustrated key points in the programme.
I used broad edged and pointed dip ink pens to create the lettering and line drawings. The paper is handmade and the rough, absorbent surface would have been a challenge for a clean line but as the style was meant to be loose and sketchy it simply added to the affect.
The book was very large, so these images are roughly pieced together from part scans I took for my archives, the originals were bound into a leather cover by a bookbinder and became part of the programme set.
A still from the programme set
Initial sample to set the style for the pages
Devination Page
Flying Page
Potions Page
Shaman Page
See more of my work for tv and film in the dedicated folder in the menu or take a look at my lettering for The Fourth Doctor ...
