How did you feel when you found out you would be illustrating the new Harry Potter jackets?
It was a bit of a shock. I painted the first cover as a ‘test’ piece last year, but was concerned that I couldn’t give it the time I would’ve liked due to other commitments. So when I heard that J.K. Rowling and the team at Bloomsbury wanted me to paint the rest of the series, I was gobsmacked. And then I worried that I just wasn’t qualified for the job, having only read the first book years ago. I felt like an impostor, amongst millions of Harry Potter fans. A proper Muggle. But then I realised that this gives me a fresh perspective, and I’m hugely excited to work my way through the wonderful books, reading each one as I produce artwork brimming with fantastic creatures and unforgettable characters.
Is there a particular character or scene that you are looking forward to putting on the jackets?
I’ve been briefed on all of the jackets, and in most cases I’ve been given a couple of options. I haven’t actually read all of the books, so I can only be excited by what I’ve read, or the brief for each cover. I’m working on the cover for The Prisoner of Azkaban at the moment, and I’m having a lot of fun drawing a key element of that book. I love drawing characters, creatures and animals, so every cover gives me scope for something new and exciting.
How do you as an artist approach such a large job? Where do you begin with such a wide range of possibilities?
I’m taking one book at a time. I read the cover brief, and then I read the story, making notes and occasional sketches. I collect references, from my library of non-fiction books, search online and take my own photographs. I’ve recruited my neighbours’ son, who is suitably Potter-esque, although he annoyingly had his slightly wild hair cut for the new school term. I make numerous sketches of the main elements of the cover and then cobble them all together digitally, until I have a cover rough I feel happy to send to Bloomsbury and J.K. Rowling. I hear back very quickly with comments on my rough, which I then tweak or redraw until everyone’s happy for me to progress. Then I ‘paint’ each cover digitally.
Are you a Harry Potter fan? If so, what are your first memories of reading the books?
I am now very much a Harry Potter fan. I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone a few years ago, and I bought a boxed set with the intention of reading all of the books. But I’ve had a very busy few years with my career as an illustrator and writer and, along with a young family and late nights in my studio, I just don’t read as much as I would like, and nowhere near as much as I used to. And as a country bumpkin with no cinemas nearby, I’d never seen the Harry Potter films. I saw the first one at the cinema, after I read the book, but that’s it. In some ways that probably makes me unusual, and I think it’s a good place from which to approach the world of Hogwarts and Harry Potter, without any preconceptions. I’m reading each book in turn and immediately developing the cover, taking the images that are conjured up in my head by J.K. Rowling’s magical words.
Who is your favourite character from the Harry Potter universe?
I love Hagrid. I like his bumbling, well-meaning nature and how things often go wrong because of something he’s said or done or his general clumsiness, in spite of his best intentions. In that way he reminds me of myself. When I was briefed on the first cover, he was the first character I tried to draw. I also like Arthur Weasley because he likes tinkering with old cars (like my dad used to), and I like his approach to his job at the Ministry, as a slightly naughty and mild-mannered rebel.
What were your favourite books as a child?
As a very young child it was Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Then I was obsessed with Roald Dahl, and I’m still in love with his books, having just finished reading all of them with my eight-year-old daughter. As I got older I became a bit of a fantasy nut. I started high school in 1981, and was a huge fan of the new ‘fighting fantasy’ series, beginning with The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. I remember mapping out the book on a long roll of printer paper my dad brought home from work, and painstakingly copying each illustration from the book on to the map in the appropriate location. I read The Hobbit in my last year at primary school, which is still one of my favourite books, and then The Lord of the Rings in my first year (or two?) at secondary school. I felt a connection with J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, because the environments of Middle Earth seemed to echo the environments in which I grew up and explored on my bike, amongst the hills that form the border between England and Wales, with the rolling valleys beneath and the dark, foreboding peaks of Snowdonia visible in the distance.
Who are your favourite illustrators (either classic or modern)?
I’m an avid collector of books, and now have hundreds weighing down the sagging floorboards of my studio. Going back to my favourite book when I was little, I’m still inspired by the late Maurice Sendak, and was blown away by the documentary Tell Them Anything You Want, in which he talked about his life and inspirations. The first illustrator I remember being directly inspired by was Brian Froud, after watching a piece on television whilst on holiday in the Lake District when I was ten years old, about his development process on The Dark Crystal. As a student I obsessed over the Golden Age illustrators, in particular Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac and W. Heath Robinson. I also enjoy independent comics and I loved Jamie Hewlett’s work on Tank Girl, and everything he’s done with Gorillaz in recent years. Modern favourites are diverse, from children’s book illustrators like Shaun Tan and Chris Riddell, lowbrow painter Glenn Barr and a host of movie concept artists (and illustrators) such as Peter De Seve, Nico Marlet and Carter Goodrich.
How would you describe your own art style?
I think I have a number of ‘styles’. The illustrations I’m creating for Harry Potter are very different to the artwork in my picture books, which are probably what I’m best known for. Before becoming an illustrator, I worked for eight years as a concept artist in computer games, and I recently spent almost four years working with Aardman, as one of the character designers on their stop-motion movie The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! As a concept artist you have to be thick-skinned, as drawings are tossed aside with barely a glance form your art director and open-minded with style and subject matter. I worked on games that were cartoony, realistic and sometimes almost abstract, producing thousands of drawings in pencil and on computer whilst developing a digital toolset that’s been carried over into my illustration work. On computer I work in a very similar way to my techniques with real paint, progressing from a sketch to a finished drawing, laying an under-painting and then working on a final layer of colour. I love the flexibility that digital artwork gives me to change the direction of a painting and move elements around at any stage.
The common threads, however stylised or realistic, are probably my desire to emphasise character, drop in some vivid colours and a tendency to cram as much as I can into an illustration. These work well in my picture books, but often have to be tempered a little with book jackets, particularly for older readers.
You are well-known for your picture books. Is it easier to come up with ideas for a full book or a single jacket?
My picture books evolve over many months, or sometimes years, with the words and pictures feeding each other until an idea becomes more solid. I only illustrate my own picture books, so the writing is intimately connected to the artwork and a book idea might stem from a single sketch or a single sentence. The illustrations can’t be ‘wrong’ because everything’s coming from me. Creating an illustration for a book cover is very different. It involves reading some else’s story and trying to understand their vision, so in many ways that can be more difficult. And with Harry Potter, the scenes I’m illustrating have been illustrated before, dissected, discussed and analysed by millions of fans, and made into incredibly successful movies. I’ve not been party to everything that has come before, so I’m creating my interpretation of J.K. Rowling’s words. Hopefully, my illustrations will find new fans, readers will enjoy them and be attracted to them, and I will bring something new to the Harry Potter universe.
What tips would you offer to young people who are keen to become artists/illustrators?
I think anyone can become an artist or illustrator. I don’t believe in ‘talent’ in art, just the desire to practise. If you practise every day, you’ll get better every day. The younger you are when you start practising, the sooner you will begin to feel confident in your abilities. There is such a wonderful diversity in children’s book illustration today, and a few hours in a bookshop or library can reveal artists working in all manner of styles, techniques and mediums. If you find a selection of artists you like, study their work and try and create something similar you can learn a lot.
Most of the artists I’ve met and admire are never particularly happy with their work, and are constantly experimenting and striving to improve. Being an illustrator is the best job in the world, but also one of the hardest jobs in the world. Drawing and colouring-in is actually really difficult, even for professional artists, and you can spend whole days getting nowhere. But the more you practise, the better you get and the more comfortable you get with your own artistic voice.
Do you have a daily routine when it comes to illustrating?
My daily routine is constructed around my two young children. My wife leaves for work at 7.30am, so first thing it’s toast, porridge and packed lunches, then school uniform and sparkly-teeth inspection, followed by the school run, before I can get into my studio. By ‘school run’, I mean ‘running to school’, because my eldest daughter wants to be at the front of the line in the playground and I have to chase after her to give her a kiss on the cheek. We live in a very small village in North Wales, so the school is only fifty yards away and with my studio window open I can hear the children playing outside. I try and take a walk down the lane at lunchtime, which is often the perfect time for inspiration and mulling over the day’s artistic problems. I work until I have to pick up the girls, which can be anytime between 3.00 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. Then I’m usually back at the drawing board once I’ve read some stories and the children are fast asleep in bed.
Bloomsbury have sent over some exciting news this morning. Award-winning artist Jonny Duddle has redesigned the covers of all seven books to reinvent the children’s hardback and paperback editions of Harry Potter. You can see a photo of the new Philosopher’s Stone cover in the gallery. According to the press release:
Along with the brand new artwork and an updated author biography, the editions will also be reset to create a child-friendly reading experience for a new generation of readers. The titles will also contain highlights from Pottermore, the digital platform for Harry Potter. All seven titles will be published on 1st September 2014.
Together with J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury selected Jonny to create front, back and spine artwork for each book. On the honor, Jonny said:
‘I’m hugely excited to work my way through the wonderful books. I couldn’t have asked for more enjoyable subject matter. It’s exciting, daunting and I feel the weight of responsibility, and I’m just hoping that my illustrations faithfully reflect the characters and world created by J.K.Rowling’
Jonny Duddle is best known for his award-winning picture books, including The Pirate Cruncher and The Pirates Next Door (winner of the Waterstones Children’s Prize and shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize). He has a background in the computer games industry and is highly skilled at character development. His work has appeared in Aardman films and Terry Pratchett novels.
Pottermore will publish the eBook editions of all seven books with the Jonny Duddle jackets at the same time. Bloomsbury has also collaborated with Pottermore to highlight how readers can discover more about the world of Harry Potter on Pottermore.com from J.K. Rowling. This information will feature in the back of the new children’s editions.
And, as we posted back in December, Jim Kay’s fully illustrated colour edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will still be published by Bloomsbury (and Pottermore) in Autumn 2015. It will be available in hardback and eBook and the remaining six books will be published annually after that.
They also tease that even more exciting Harry Potter plans will be announced at the London Book Fair in April.
In a new press release from this morning, Pottermore reveals that J.K. Rowling wrote the “History of the Quidditch World Cup” and the first part has been released on Pottermore already. She wrote the information after asking fans to use the hashtag #Wizards4ScotlandRugbyTeam on Twitter.
Rowling’s 2,400-word history of the thrilling game played by witches and wizards on flying broomsticks is featured in the popular Harry Potter series of books. “History of the Quidditch World Cup” is one of Rowling’s longest pieces of original content ever posted on Pottermore, which launched April 2012.
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to publish such an imaginative and engaging story from J.K. Rowling about the history of the Wizarding world’s most exciting sport,” said Susan L. Jurevics, Chief Executive Officer, Pottermore. “We’re committed to being the only digital destination where fans can discover new original content about the world of Harry Potter from J.K. Rowling. ‘History of the Quidditch World Cup’ helps us not only fulfill that mission, but it also serves to entertain and delight our community.”
“History of the Quidditch World Cup” will be available in two sections over the next week on Pottermore.com. Part one, which was posted today, provides historical background about the tournament, information about how the tournament works, and examples of controversial tournaments, including the infamous 1877 match played in Kazakhstan’s Ryn Desert now known as the Tournament that Nobody Remembers.
Part two of J.K. Rowling’s “History of the Quidditch World Cup” will be published Friday, March 21. It will feature amusing recaps of some notable recent matches that have been held every four years since 1990.
“History of Quidditch World Cup” is characterized by Rowling’s humor and wry observations about the sport. In one section about Quidditch regulations, she writes: “The rulebook concerning both on- and off-pitch magic is alleged to stretch to nineteen volumes and to include such rules as ‘no dragon is to be introduced into the stadium for any purpose including, but not limited to, team mascot, coach or cup warmer’ and ‘modification of any part of the referee’s body, whether or not he or she has requested such modifications, will lead to a lifetime ban from the tournament and possibly imprisonment.’”
Thanks to our friends over at Think Jam, we here at Magical Menagerie have been given the jump on some new young adult books that are about to hit the shelves!
Firstly is ‘Thirteen’ by Tom Hoyle, which was released last week;
Born at midnight in London on the stroke of the new millennium, Adam is the target of a cult that believes boys born at this time must die before the end of their thirteenth year.
Twelve have been killed so far. Coron, the crazy cult leader, will stop at nothing toBouncy Castle Princesse Maxi Multifun bring in his new kingdom. And now he is planning a bombing spectacular across London to celebrate the sacrifice of his final victim: Adam.
Also from The Sunday Times Number One Bestselling Author David Baldacci, comes his first young adult work, ‘The Finisher‘
Enter a village imprisoned by its fear of the unknown. Where curiosity is discouraged, and no one has ever left – or wanted to. Until now.
Then a mysterious bequest turns one teenage girl’s life upside down. A curious map and a ring which connects Vega to another time lead her to discover an unknown world beyond the perimeter walls. A world filled with possibilities, and creatures beyond her imagining. But before Vega can experience it, she will be forced to fight for her freedom. And unravelling the truth of what exists beyond the confines of her village may cost Vega her life . . .
Robert Galbraith’s official website has been updated with more information about the book and its release date. We reported yesterday that the book would be released in the US on June 24th. According to the official site it will be released on June 19th in the UK. A second description of the book is as follows:
A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, The Silkworm is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant Robin Ellacott.
When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, she just thinks he has gone off by himself for a few days – as he has done before – and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.
But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine’s disappearance than his wife realises. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were published it would ruin lives – so there are a lot of people who might want to silence him.
And when Quine is found brutally murdered in bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any he has encountered before…
The site also reveals that Robert will be taking part in the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, on 18th July at 7:30pm. The site says “J.K. Rowling, writing as Robert Galbraith, will be in conversation with bestselling crime writer Val McDermid.”
Last July we reported that J.K. Rowling wrote a new book, The Cuckoo’s Calling, under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Today we can share that a title and release date for the book’s sequel has been revealed! The book, titled The Silkworm, will be released on June 24th according to the publisher’s website. A description of the book is as follows:
Private investigator Cormoran Strike returns in a new mystery from Robert Galbraith, author of the #1 international bestseller The Cuckoo’s Calling.
When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days–as he has done before–and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.
But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine’s disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives–meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.
When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before…
A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, THE SILKWORM is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant, Robin Ellacott.
— 