Harry Potter illustrator: 'When I do drawings they still go wrong'

If you're a Harry Potter fan - there is something exciting happening this week.

Harry Potter night is on Thursday 3 February. It's an annual event for witches, wizards and muggles to celebrate the iconic series with events, parties and other festivities.

This year is particularly special as June 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone first appearing in print.

As part of the celebrations, all schools in the UK are being invited to take part in a special live lesson hosted by the Harry Potter illustrator, Jonny Duddle.

The author and illustrator, known for picture books like The Pirates Next Door and Gigantosaurus, illustrated the Harry Potter book covers which came out in 2014.

Jonny spoke to Newsround about how to illustrate a story.

"Get a sketchbook and draw in your sketchbook all the time, draw things in your house, draw things you see out and about or just draw something that comes in your mind," he said.

When it came to the seven Harry Potter book covers which Jonny designed in 2014, he says it took around a week to three weeks to do each one.

Jonny Duddle designed seven Harry Potter covers including Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

But the cover for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire proved particularly tricky.

"The dragon kept going wrong, and the background kept going wrong and so in the end I just stopped on that cover and asked if I could do the next cover," he told Newsround.

So even though he is a renowned illustrator, it shows it doesn't always come easy.

"Often when I do drawings, they still go wrong."

His advice to children is not to give up if they don't like a picture.

Jonny in his studio doing a quick sketch of Dobby

"If you look at what is wrong with it and look at what you can change to make it right... it helps you to get the drawing right."

On Thursday 3 February 2022 at 10.30am, schools across the UK can join Jonny to see him bring Harry Potter characters to life and learn how to draw one themselves.

The event is to launch the National Literacy Trust's Miles Of Magic: Reading Challenge.

Let us know if you love drawing and what tips you have got in the comments below!