Artist and apparent Harry Potter fan Sophia Canning had some time on her hands this past weekend, so she decided to draw "a quick Hermione, living her best life." Here's the incredible result:
A quick Hermione, living her best life✨
When asked on Twitter whether her drawing was actually a "quick" one, Sophia explained, "I usually spend a full day on a piece, but this one was only 3-4 hours because I was just doing it for fun. That might be a long time for some people but for me thats very fast, I wasn't trying to brush off my skill or time!"
The Northern Ireland-born illustrator was inspired by "several racist comments" that she'd recently received in response to a "black Hermione piece" she drew in 2016. "I decided that, instead of arguing with them, I would draw her again but happier and with bigger hair," Sophia told As/Is. "Given the response, I’d say that was a good call."
The responses Sophia's referring to are the 190,000+ likes and 42,000+ retweets that her remarkable illustration's racked up over the past two days. People literally could not believe their eyes at first: "HOLD ON IS THIS NOT A PHOTO."
"I gave this a like a few hours ago thinking it was a cosplay - didn’t even realize it was a painting until now! This is breathtaking."
Many folks crowned Sophia's Hermione as "the best"...
..."Most wonderful"...
...And "most beautiful and realistic" portrayal of Hermione that they've ever seen.
Some people were even moved to tears: "I don't know why I just want to cry, it just makes me so happy I love you and your drawing thank you for sharing this with us, I- wow I'm emotional."
Fun fact: While Sophia used her extensive Potter knowledge to imagine Herminone's book selection and SPEW pin, she actually looked to beauty and style influencer Jasmine Brown as "a reference to paint [Hermione's] face."
As for the ongoing debate on whether Hermione can/should be portrayed as a black girl, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has said herself that "white skin was never specified" and that "Rowling loves black Hermione"...
...And clearly so do a TON of people, including Paul Hawkins and his adorable daughter: "I love it! And my daughter will love it too!"
*THAT* HERMIONE GOT ME FEELING LIKE *THIS* HERMIONE:
