book covers of OoTP

[Kewpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 53978

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "erisedstraeh2002" 
<erisedstraeh2002 at y...> wrote:
> My understanding from the information on Leaky is that the UK 
artists 
> didn't get to read the book before creating the covers (based on a 
> BBC article).  It's unclear whether Mary Grand Pre has been able to 
> read the book.  In the past, Grand Pre has said that she's drawn 
her 
> illustrations after reading the book.  Whether that's true now 
isn't 
> clear, though.


To me, the illustration suggested she did read the book. Or at least 
the editor told her the story in order for her to come up with the 
concept of the art. She also has to draw illustrations for each 
chapter so she must know what's going in the story in order to draw 
them doesn't she?

> 
> I liked the UK adult cover as well, although it's disappointing 
that 
> both of the UK covers don't tell us anything about the plot (since 
we 
> already *know* that phoenixes are reborn from fire).

I like the US cover the most. I just don't like the designs for both 
UK covers (the choice of typeface, the rigid everything-align-center 
layout, the "Blocks & bars", realistic-looking-yet-not-so-well-drawn 
phoenix), too boring, predictable, "safe" and a bit "outdated 
looking" (as in the books look like they're from the 80's or 
somethng) in my opinion.

> As for the US cover - is there anywhere in canon that says that 
Harry 
> is left-handed?  Grand Pre has Harry holding his wand in his left 
> hand.  The many open doors suggest to me that Harry will have to 
make 
> some sort of significant choice at some point during the book - and 
> given that he's the only one in the picture, he'll have to make 
this 
> choice alone.

I think the left-handed thing is just a design issue. It looks more 
dynamic that way than him holding his wand in his right hand (which 
we won't be seeing it) as well as balance of space. Harry was drawn 
with the wand in his left hand on the US GoF cover as well (again, a 
design issue). So it's hardly something signficant.

Joan