The analysis of representation and communication is of considerable interest in the study of fortified architecture in the Balkans, since in addition to the symbolism of the castles, which can be identified in the constructions themselves, there are a series of languages concealed by geometry and form. Starting from the graphic conventions of the ten fortifications examined, the aim is to derive a positive/negative image of a detail that represents the essence of the sites and then, using the drawing tool, associate a pattern that refers to the architecture and the natural environment. The contribution outlines possible intervention strategies that can be applied between architecture and representation aimed at communication for fashion and design drawings. The theme of local identity can be found in the history of the pattern and its creation: shades, overlaps, lines and curves tell of a recent past in contemporary graphic design. A story realised through a reading of images that narrate the path of structures, associating them with current photographs proposed both in positive and negative in order to reproduce a graphic reaction between black and white for the realisation of patterns for communication and visualisation of fashion and design paths.