The Week - Junior

Jonny Duddle

The illustrato­r and author explains why he always has a sketchbook in his bag.

Where did you get your inspiratio­n from?

Reading the books. For each cover, I was given the choice of a couple of scenes. I would read those scenes, making notes of character descriptio­ns and other details. I’d start by doing lots of small, very rough sketches, called thumbnails.

The publisher also sent me the audiobooks. They played on a loop in my studio for a few months.

Who is your favourite Harry Potter character?

I like Hagrid because he reminds me of my dad, who died in 2007. He was also big and hairy, rode a 1950s motorbike and he loved

walking in the woods. And, like me, Hagrid loves animals. Lots of animals, especially dogs, seem to really like me too.

Do you have a favourite magical creature to draw?

I love drawing dragons. I think it’s because I live in Wales and we have a big red dragon on our flag. I was really excited about painting the Hungarian Horntail for the Goblet of Fire book cover but it was the most difficult of the series. It was a tricky cover to compose, with a lot to fit in. It took me much longer to paint than any of the other covers and it changed a lot during the process.

Where do you like to draw?

I love drawing in the garden. It’s been a wet and windy year in Wales so, unfortunat­ely, I’ve not doodled outside much.

What do you prefer to draw with?

I love drawing, so pencils are my favourite tool. I sketch a lot and love designing characters with pencils and paper but most of my colour work is painted on a computer. I draw and paint on a big screen with a special pencil.

Which books did you enjoy as a child?

The first book I remember falling in love with was Where the Wild Things Are, by

Maurice Sendak. I still love it. As a child, I used to draw the wild things, and I have some models of them in my studio. I think they were the first thing to set me on the path to becoming an illustrato­r.

What do you draw just for fun?

If I’m out and about I like drawing things I see. I try to make sure I’ve got a sketchbook in my bag, just in case. Or I doodle funny characters that sometimes end up as ideas for new books. I also like doodling old cars.

What advice would you offer a budding young illustrato­r? Practise! The more you practise drawing and painting the better you get. People who are good at football or piano or chess do LOTS of practice. It’s the same with drawing. Also, don’t worry about it going wrong. My drawings are always going wrong. Look at your drawing, try to work out what you don’t like, grab more paper and try drawing it again.