Faun

'Faun' is a book of exceptional rarity, with only 10 copies in existence, representing a remarkable collaboration among many skilled artists, each a master of their craft.

Svetlana's role in the project was to hand-draw illuminated drop caps and title pages in every copy. Meanwhile, other artists contributed their expertise in creating the handmade paper, crafting the endpapers, binding the book, and so on, ensuring every element was a testament to artisanal excellence.

Working for Conversation Tree Press, Svetlana started by developing intricate page designs for the title and chapter beginnings, carefully planning where the drop caps would appear. Multiple pencil sketches were crafted before she painted the sample drop caps and titles using watercolour and gold paint on original handmade paper. Once satisfied, she sent her original drawings to the publishing house in Canada for approval.

After a period of anticipation, during which the paper was prepared and the printing process began, the entire edition was finally printed. The printed sheets journeyed from a workshop in the UK to Svetlana in Yerevan, Armenia. Holding the pages of the book in her hands, she marvelled at the relief text produced by the letterpress machine. This, combined with the hand-moulded paper, created a delightful tactile experience.

The work followed traditional incunabula patterns: designated spaces for initial letters were intentionally left empty. After the body text was typed, these spaces were entrusted to calligraphers or illustrators to hand-craft each initial letter using vibrant inks and occasionally gold or silver, turning each letter into a functional piece of art. Similarly, Svetlana meticulously hand-drew the title and initial letters in each copy of "Faun." Once all the sheets were complete, she sent them to a bindery in the UK, where the final binding and finishing touches were applied, culminating in a beautifully bound limited edition.

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Author: Joe Hill
Illustrator: Francois Vaillancourt
Handmade paper: Gangolf Ulbricht
Binding: Ludlow Bookbinders
Vellum: William Cowley
Endpapers: Freya Scott of Paperwilds
Letterpress Printing: Nomad Letterpress