“Harry Potter” illustrator Clare Melinsky talks about inspiration

Clare Melinsky, who illustrated the 2010 UK versions of the Harry Potter books (also known as the “Signature” editions), has spoken about some of the inspiration behind her drawings. The Scottish artist, who is known for her “chunky and colourful lino cuts,” is currently part of a three-day exhibition in London, which links Scotland with London.

Clare says that when she was working on the designs she

had to cover up what was on my desk, so even my friends didn’t know what I was working on. […] There were many times when I sat up reading the text deep into the night, so I could get the illustrations just right.

And sometimes I went out in search of places that would give me inspiration.

Clare further reveals some of the inspirations for the drawings:

Many people assume that the picture of platform 9¾ in on the back cover of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is from King’s Cross.

In fact it’s not – it’s the railway station at Dumfries.

And the gravestones on The Deathly Hallows are also from reality. I based them on the old graveyard at Morton in Dumfries and Galloway.

An exhibition featuring Clare’s work is at the James Harvey British Art Gallery in London April 24-6. Clare will be discussing her work on April 24 at 6 p.m. BST. Find out more about the exhibition here.

Check out our new “Books” page to find out more about the books and their various covers. Bloomsbury has also announced that they will be reinventing the series with new designs, published later this year, as well as a fully illustrated edition by Jim Kay, which will be published next year.

Do you like Clare’s illustrations? Are you looking forward to the upcoming editions of the books? Let us know your thoughts!