Azkaban Project

Careful not to blink, Harry stared up into Buckbeak's fierce orange eyes once more and bowed. (pg. 400, US)

I am going to come clean right here: I vastly prefer the design of Buckbeak in the movie. Except for the front legs, which drove me bonkers because they weren't built like bird legs. But that's another matter. My Buckbeak looks like he was designed by someone with no imagination. Funny, that...

In retrospect, this was the scene whose adaptation I felt least pleased with in the movie. It's so cinematic in the book: you've got the reading of Buckbeak's execution order as counterpoint to Harry trying to get Buckbeak out of the garden, providing opposing visuals and audio, and setting up a very definite deadline which increases tension. The movie, I felt, lacked the dramatic edge a lot – it was great at the quiet stuff, the character moments, but the really dramatic scenes just got all the intensity sucked out of them. Maybe there was a Drama Dementor in Mr. Kloves' office ...

Anyway, I'm rambling. You're here for pictures, not movie reviews, so on with the show!

Buckbeak strained against the rope, trying to get back to Hagrid. (pg. 401, US)

Okay, I actually kind of like Buckbeaks' pose here, but Harry: ARGH. When I was
drawing him his head looked too small, so I made it bigger, and now, on the
screen, it looks too big! It doesn't help that he's bent over, either; that kind of messes up the proportions to begin with. Sigh.

I was so sure it was supposed to be a chain when I drew this... I thought "Gee, this would sure be a lot simpler to draw if it were a rope." I guess that shows me for not looking at the book before starting the drawing.

On top of all that, Hermione should be in this scene, but whether due to lack of memory or drawing space, she got cut out.

(above) Harry and Hermione make their bold rescue of Sirius. This was more than a little inspired by the American cover of the book (which, naturally, was the first impression I ever got of the thing) but logistically it's impossible to have Buckbeak right up parallel to the building and still have room for his wings to flap. This always bugged me when reading the book so I turned him slightly here. It's still a bit close for comfort... He'd have to go practically perpendicular to get Sirius out.

(left) "How – how – ?" said Black weakly, staring at the hippogriff. (pg. 414, US)
I really like this pic for some reason, I don't know why... even though Sirius's eyes are slightly goggly, and if one goes with the establishing shot above, he's not looking in the right direction, but... oh well!

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20