The publication’s starting point is Drone Shadows, a series of installations in public spaces around the world that aims to “compromis[e] the outline of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone: a 1:1 representation conveying both the physical reality, and the apparent invisibility, of drone aircraft” (James Bridle, “Introduction”). With that comes the warning: “UAVs are the key infrastructure of the 21st Century shadow war: unaccountable, borderless and merciless conflicts” (Bridle, “Under the Shadow of the Drone”).

As drones “are becoming ubiquitous, yet remain almost invisible” (back cover), both to the human eye and in political discourse, and considering that most people have never seen one in real life, James Bridle wanted “to get a feel for what it would be like to stand next to one. To stand before, or under, it” (Bridle, “Under the Shadow of the Drone”).

The Drone Shadow Handbook provides a photo documentation of the series as well as basic instructions on how to draw drone shadows. This includes guidelines “to keep the shadows consistent and legible” when realized without the artist’s involvement, as well as suggestions for materials and placement and a step-by-step guide for their composition. Also included are schematics of four frequently operated drones, which may serve as templates.

The handbook was originally published as a newspaper with a print run of 2,000 copies and distributed at screenings of Jeremy Scahill’s investigative documentary Dirty Wars.