'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' Illustrated Edition: Jim Kay Releases 4 New Never-Before-Seen Images [Photos]

New breathtaking illustrations from the new illustrated edition of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" has been released and Entertainment Weekly was first to reveal four never-before-seen images from the beloved children's book.

In a sit-down with Jim Kay, the book's illustrator shared about each of the drawings, beginning with the starlings on the Quidditch hoops. "I thought it would be nice to have starlings on the quidditch hoops. Where I lived in Edinburgh, you call them 'murmurations of starlings' when the birds form these beautiful swirling patterns," Kay said.

However, he admitted that the starling-filled drawing was not supposed to be part of the final illustrations."I did it as a preparatory sketch for what was supposed to be the final illustration, but [Bloomsbury] liked the looseness of it."

Portraits held a bit of a challenge for Kay as he admitted to finding real people to base his characters on. However, of the many "Harry Potter" characters it was the boy who lived that proved to be most difficult --- until he saw a young model riding the London Underground. The boy, called Clay, was a stage performer who was skilled at interpreting emotions that Kay asked to project.

Kay, who already worked with Children's book writer Patrick Ness, whose book "A Monster Calls" is already being turned into a film starring Liam Neeson, admitted to being shocked at the call that asked him to illustrate JK Rowling's vastly popular series.

He told Telegraph UK, "I'd not really drawn children, and I'm not known for a cheerful style of illustration." He also admitted that there is a certain pressure that went along with the project. As he explained, "You don't want to be known as the person who ruins the most popular children's book in history."

However, after nearly two years of working on the series, Kay's illustrated edition seemed to have captivated the book's author as well as its publishers. JK Rowling herself gave if a seal of approval, writing on the dust jacket, "Seeing Jim Kay's illustrations moved me profoundly. I love his interpretation of Harry Potter's world, and I feel honoured and grateful he has lent his talent to it."

Check out the newly released images on this page.

You can see the captivating artwork yourself when "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The Illustrated Edition" is released on October 6. You can order your own copy here.