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A look at the illustrations of Harry Potter

By Callum Gunn

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(Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

Celebrating the illustrators and illustrations created for the Harry Potter books

Attention all Harry Potter fans. You might not have realised but it is Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week just now. The event takes place during the first week of February and usually features a variety of different events and activities with the aim of promoting literacy.

Both authors an illustrators visit various places to participate in events alongside students to encourage reading. Aimed at 3-12-year-olds writing workshops, literacy presentations, storytelling and much more are organised and run.

More from Harry Potter

So to celebrate Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week what better thing to do than to take a look at the different illustrations and illustrators that have been part of the Harry Potter books.

The Illustrators behind the Illustrations of Harry Potter

Harry Potter has had several illustrators over the years and each of them has brought their own unique and wonderful artwork to the stories;

Mary GrandPré

One of the few lucky people who managed to read the books before they were even released to the public. GrandPré illustrated of the covers for the US editions, published by Scholastics. She has also illustrated many other children novels over the years as well.

Thomas Taylor

The man who penned the very first illustration for Harry Potter. Taylor illustrated the cover, both front and back, for The Philosopher’s Stone. He has since gone on and illustrated various other children novels along with writing some of his very own.

Cliff Wright

Mr Wright took over from Taylor by illustrating both The Chamber of Secrets and The Prisoner of Azkaban. Unfortunately, after a fall out with Bloomsbury publication, he decided not to illustrate any more of the Harry Potter books.

Giles Greenfield

Greenfield illustrated the fourth novel, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He was also commissioned to illustrate the fifth novel but due to personal reasons had to pull out.

Jason Cockroft

An award-winning illustrator, Cockroft is well known for his picture book illustrations and designs for the final three books. Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows.

Johnny Duddle

Duddle is the illustrator behind the children’s edition of the series. He has also completed various other illustrations and has won several awards for his works.

Andrew Davidson

The adult paperback version of the series was illustrated by Davidson. Davidson probably has the most varied illustration career out of all of the illustrators with illustrations on stamps for example.

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Sabine Wilharm

Wilharm illustrated all seven copies of the German version of the original series. The freelance illustrator works primarily with children’s books but also does some work for both comics and magazines.

Olivia Lomenech Gill

Responsible for the illustrations of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Illustrated edition, Gill is a recognised professional artist who has featured in exhibits all across London.

Jim Kay

Probably the most recognized and well-known illustrator from the universe. Kay is the illustrator behind the Illustration editions, which have captured the attention of so many Potter fans.

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Next: Harry Potter books, by the numbers

Do you have a particular favorite illustrator or illustration? Did you even realize how many illustrators have been involved in the Harry Potter books? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.

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