The brief for Maxims of a Man of Schemes(Akkadia Press, 2017) specified little except to make it beautiful. This is a limited-edition, profusely illustrated hardback in English and Russian, full of dark humour and almost 18th centuryraffishnes. I found inspiration in neo-classical typographer Simon-Pierre Fournier’s fleurons, supplementing his originals with my own (in felt-tip pen for authentically ink-squashed edges, before redrawing them in font design software) on a grand title page printed in vermilion red for a fantastic period feel.