For CD's first post I decided to caricature Emma Watson, who's interesting for the transition she's made from gawky child star to sophisticated Burberry model and fashion show regular. Personally, I think that though her acting's a little awkward (her breathy English accent and conspicuously non-rhotic '"aaaaahs" are wearing on me) she's been playing Hermione for far too long for me to imagine anyone else in that now-iconic role. I loved her as a frizzy-haired, knobby-kneed 10-year-old and I can't help but think that now that the awkward Prisoner of Azkaban stage is over (honestly, the "feminine" pink sweatshirt and age-innapropriate blond highlights did nothing for me), she's become a beautiful and well-dressed young woman. Maybe a little too beautiful for the supposedly "swotty" Hermione Granger, whose bushy hair and buck teeth don't exactly conjure up images of Emma's shiny locks and tart smile, but this is a fantasy series.
To caricature Emma, I used a publicity photo for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, where she's recognizable in her Gryffindor uniform and modest-schoolgirl hairpins. I exaggerated her thick, dark brows and slightly upturned nose, added her freckle-faced complexion and enjoyed drawing her teeth large and gap-toothed, as I always imagined the real Hermione's would be. If you want to draw her, remember her prominent lower eyelids (a defining characteristic-- without them, she won't look like herself!), the wideness of her nose and how narrow her face is. Add some wild, curly hair and there you go. I know that Emma recently cut her hair into a Carrie Mulligan-style pixie, but she's most recognizable in her Hogwarts persona.
And speaking of young British actresses trying to escape their schoolgirl look, let's add Mia Wasikowska of Alice in Wonderland to the mix. Gorgeous as these 'pixies' are, I don't think this latest trend is going to prove any more resilient that escaping one cliche for another is.
From left: Emma Watson, Carrie Mulligan and Mia Wasikowska.
