The Book of Chess Problems
While browsing the digitized books online from libraries and universities, I ran across a Book with Chess Problems from 14th century France. And almost instantly, it made me think of the plot point in the Doctor Who story, The Curse of Fenric.
I though this might be a nice fusion. I decided to use the original chessboard as I might never get one I drew to look so pure and natural. I would, however, need to move some of the pieces to replicate the problem in the story. I found a reasonable shot in the video.
So I rearranged the pieces.
Then I noticed the board in the the book page was rotated 90˚. Current ideals for a chessboard state that the bottom right square should be white. MY thought is in the 14th century, there might not have been such a standard. So I left my board alone. I did clean up the rubrication on the versal as the red lines were not that sell defined.
I added my header (with the problem number being the story number), some appropriate text explaining the situation, and finally some annotations that would have appeared in book of this nature written by readers who agreed or disagreed with various things. The bottom patronis is from one celebrated owner in 1922.
And I placed it on a blank page from an actual manuscript which helps give it a proper aged look.