ABOUT

New Harry Potter Book covers published by Bloomsbury in September. Jonny Duddle worked on a sample artwork featuring the main characters and was chosen by J.K. Rowling from three artists for the job. As Harry Potter inspires a new generation of wizards and witches. 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, I’m hoping that my illustrations faithfully reflect the characters and the world created by J.K. Rowling”When asked about his favourite Character he responded, “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. “

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS: Book 2 “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.”

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN Book 3:
This cover sums up the crucial scene from the book with two points of view, in the background ‘the Dementor’s Kiss’ and in the foreground Harry conjuring the beautiful stag patronis to save his own life on the other side of the lake.

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE Book 4:
Harry flying on his broomstick as he completes the first task of collecting the golden egg, with the Hungarian Horntail dragon rearing and breathing fire. “Harry rose a few more feet, and she let out a roar of exasperation. He was like a fly to her, a fly she was longing to swat; her tail thrashed again, but he was too high to reach now … she shot fire into the air, which he dodged … her jaws opened wide …

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX Book 5:
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and Ginny flying Thestrals away from Hogwarts in the sunset.“For a moment Harry’s Thestral did nothing at all; then, with a sweeping movement that nearly unseated him, the wings on either side extended; the horse crouched slowly, then rocketed upwards so fast and so steeply that Harry had to clench his arms and legs tightly around the horse to avoid sliding backwards over its bony rump. He closed his eyes and pressed his face down into the horse’s silky mane as they burst through the topmost branches of the trees and soared out into a blood-red sunset.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE: Book 6
Dumbledore and Harry in the cave; Dumbledore is conjuring fire to protect him and Harry from the Inferi.“Dumbledore was on his feet again, pale as any of the surrounding Inferi, but taller than any, too, the fire dancing in his eyes; his wand was raised like a torch and from its tip emanated the flames, like a vast lasso, encircling them all with warmth.The Inferi bumped into each other, attempting, blindly, to escape the fire in which they were enclosed … Distracted by the flames, the Inferi seemed unaware that their quarry was leaving as Dumbledore led Harry back to the boat, the ring of fire moving with them, around them, the bewildered Inferi accompanying them to the water’s edge, where they slipped gratefully back into their dark waters.”

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS Book 7:
Harry, as he goes to meet his death in the Forest clearing, faced by Voldemort and the Death Eaters.“A fire burned in the middle of the clearing, and its flickering light fell over a crowd of completely silent, watchful Death Eaters. Some of them were still masked and hooded, others showed their faces. ... Every eye was fixed upon Voldemort, who stood with his head bowed, and his white hands folded over the Elder Wand in front of him. He might have been praying, or else counting silently in his mind, and Harry, standing still on the edge of the scene, thought absurdly of a child counting in a game of hide-and-seek. Behind his head, still swirling and coiling, the great snake Nagini floated in her glittering, charmed cage, like a monstrous halo. When Dolohov and Yaxley rejoined the circle, Voldemort looked up. ‘No sign of him, my Lord,’ said Dolohov.Voldemort’s expression did not change. The red eyes seemed to burn in the firelight. Slowly, he drew the Elder Wand between his long fingers.‘My Lord –’Bellatrix had spoken: she sat closest to Voldemort, dishevelled, her face a little bloody but otherwise unharmed. Voldemort raised his hand to silence her, and she did not speak another word, but eyed him in worshipful fascination. ‘I thought he would come,’ said Voldemort in his high, clear voice, his eyes on the leaping flames. ‘I expected him to come.’ Nobody spoke. They seemed as scared as Harry, whose heart was now throwing itself against his ribs as though determined to escape the body he was about to cast aside. His hands were sweating as he pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and stuffed it beneath his robes, with his wand. He did not want to be tempted to fight. ‘I was, it seems … mistaken,’ said Voldemort. ‘You weren’t.’