Harry Potter Themed Pumpkin Carving Contest

Oct 01, 2009

Posted by: John Admin

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Harry Potter Themed Pumpkin Carving Contest

Halloween is a significant day in the world of Harry Potter. After all, it is the day Harry received his famous scar. Whether you are more inclined to observe Samhain, El Dia De Los Muertos, or even Guy Fawkes Day, this month we are providing an opportunity for you to celebrate Halloween (or “Harry Potter Day” for you McGonagall fans) with the Leaky Lounge. Be their purpose to frighten away “Stingy Jack” and other wandering spirits or to light a path back to the netherworld for the souls of the dearly departed, no other item is more instantly recognized as a symbol for Halloween than the Jack O’Lantern. The Leaky Cauldron is pleased to present for the month of October a pumpkin carving contest.

Carve out a pumpkin and make an HP themed Jack O’Lantern in your favorite Halloween style and submit a photograph of it for judging. Your work can be scary or amusing or even a simple portrait of your favorite HP character but it must be your work. You do the carving. And it must be carved please; no painted pumpkins will be accepted since a painted pumpkin is not a Jack O’Lantern. If pumpkins are scarce or cost prohibitive in your area you may substitute an alternate fruit or vegetable that lends itself to carving.

General Rules:

  • Anyone 13 years of age and over may enter the contest, including staff members who are not involved in the judging process.
  • Limit one entry per person. You may submit up to two photos.
  • You may submit a short (no more than 100 words) explanation of your Jack O’Lantern.
  • All entries must meet PG-13 standards of decency and good taste so no putting the gourds in scandalous poses.
  • All entries must be HP themed and carved, no paintings.
  • All submissions must be carved by the contestant. Any entries found to contain the work of another person will be disqualified. No submitting photos of your neighbor’s front porch.
  • Your submission will be placed in one of two categories for judging: original art and those made using a third party template. Please notify us in your submission e-mail whether or not you used a template.
  • A winner will be chosen for each category from which an overall winner will be selected. The overall winner will receive a custom made wand donated by Wizard Wood Wands and 200 MyLeaky points.
  • Photographs may be from digital cameras or scanned “paper” photos, but they must be submitted by email, in .jpg, .png, or .gif format. File sizes no larger than 1 MB, please.
  • Images must be unedited (cropping is allowed). No Photoshopping.
  • Please refer to our FAQ if you are not sure of something.
  • If you have any questions not answered on the FAQ, or would like to discuss this contest, please come to the Contest Corner of The Leaky Lounge.
  • All submissions must be e-mailed to [email protected] by 11:59 pm (EDT) on Halloween, 31 October, with “Pumpkin Carving” in the subject line of the e-mail.

Most importantly, please be safe when carving. This link has some sound tips for avoiding all too common hand injuries sustained while making Jack O’Lanterns. And we suggest you stay out of Hagrid’s pumpkin patch, too. He is rather protective of his fruit.

Good luck!

UPDATE! Winners have been picked and are as follows:

Overall winner: Emma Fee – Harry

This
was carved by first creating a template from a photograph in Photoshop,
and then pricking the pattern into the flesh of the pumpkin. I then
peeled and carved as necessary to create varying depths of light and
shade.

Original:
First: Nicole Verhey – Ron theme

This
is a Ronald Weasley-themed pumpkin. I used images online as guides, and
circle tracers, but did the rest free hand. Images include Ron as
Keeper, his name, Heart H.G. (Hermione Granger), Scabbers the rat, the
deluminator that Dumbledore leaves Ron, a chess Knight saluting Ron’s
Wizarding Chess skills from the first movie, CC = Chudley Cannons
(Ron’s favorite team), “Blimey!” text because Ron says it in every
book, an Anti-Spiders sign since he fears them, “Won-Won” text because
I laugh when I read or hear Lavendar call him that, and “Weasley is our
King” text with crown image.

Second: KateKintail – Marauders, Marauders unlit

The
Marauders (from left to right: Prongs, Wormtail, Moony, and Padfoot)
venture out from the passage guarded by the Whomping Willow (far right)
in order to have a nighttime, mischief-making adventure under an autumn
full moon.

Third: keedokes – Nagini, Nagini in cage

I,
Voldemort, formerly known as the child-wizard Tom Marvolo Riddle, am
hereby not-so-much-enjoying the afterlife. I really miss Nagini, and
remember her most fondly when she was protected at the end of her life
as my Horcrux. As Halloween rolls around once again I’d like to
celebrate the good times, rather than remember the bad…so I give you
Nagini, carved from a Butternut Squash, protected most lovingly by my
pumpkin cage, rather than one woven of light. Aww, I just want to give
the widdle cutie-pie some snuggie-wins! Doesn’t she just make you want
to sic her on someone? Awww¦..

(This was an original idea, and not carved from a template.)

Template:
First: Chris Cangialosi – Harry

Carved via custom template I created, but which based on a photograph available on the internet

Second: paint it Black – The Cave, The Cave unlit

This
pumpkin was created using a template that I made based upon the art of
Mary GrandPre. It shows her chapter art for Chapter 26, The Cave, from
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Third: Jamie – Dark Mark, Unlit, Back

I
started out with some kits, but decided I would have to pay homage to
my favorite book series as well, and used Photoshop to make the book’s
Morsmordre into my own template. I carved the Dark Mark on the front,
and backwards on the back, I carved ‘Avada Kedavra!’ to cast a shadow
on the wall.

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The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.