For over 10 years, The Great British Bake OffAlso Great British Baking ShowAs it is known here in the United States, amateur contestants celebrated the art of baking by creating amazing confections of flour, butter and sugar. Designed by artist Tom Hovey, Bread whet your appetite with colorful illustrations of bread for all 13 seasons and a variety of holiday specials and spin-offs.
Hovey, now 39, had moved to London and was struggling to find work as a young artist in 2010. A friend of his hooked him up with an entry-level editing job on a new cooking show.By chance, the program bake offwhich had just started its first season — and, coincidentally, Hobie confessed to his new boss that he was an aspiring illustrator whose TV job was just a paycheck.
“One day they came back from lunch and pulled me aside and said, ‘In the process of editing the first episode, we realized there was a visual element missing from the show. Put an egg in a bowl, sit on the floor and stare into the oven for 20 minutes, it’s hard to figure out what’s actually being made. I want people to try it out,” Hovey told Artnet News.
It took some rough drafts, but Hovey was finally able to create the first colorful illustrations that quickly became staples of the show.
Tom Hovey at work in the studio. Photo courtesy of Tom Hovey.
In the early days, he refused to participate in the show. “I wasn’t very happy with my creative work, so I didn’t get to see it at all,” admitted Hovey.
Now, he’s at least catching the first episode of every season to put his face to the name of the bakery whose work he’s illustrated.
Initially, Hovey worked nights and weekends drawing while continuing to work in the edit bay. However, after three years, he was able to quit his freelance illustrator and take up a full-time job.
The artists were also able to agree to share the copyright of the art with Shaw, with Hovey retaining rights to the original line art while production company Love Productions produced the color graphics displayed on screen. (which means he can sell prints of his illustrations).
Intended baked goods by Guiseppe Dell’Anno Great British Bake OffPhoto courtesy of Tom Hovey.
Hand-drawn using Posca paint markers for the first six years, these drawings have also been exhibited in museums, including The Bustle of Ornament: Exchange, Power, and Joy from the 15th Century to the Present. . The Drawing Center in New York closed last month.
Many of his early drawings were ink-stained and rather rough sketches, so Hovey was sent to the museum. The Great British Bake Off Coloring Bookreleased in 2016.
Many of them are “pictures of Bake’s ‘best’ from past seasons, but I’ve redrawn them to fit the coloring book, with more lines and details than you see on TV,” Hovey said.
It was this project that convinced Hovey to switch from hand drawing to a fully digital production process.
Scheduled Bake by Paul Jagger Great British Bake OffPhoto courtesy of Tom Hovey/Love Productions.
“Having the analog part of the process takes time,” he explained. “First I sketched all the bakes in pencil, put them on a lightboard, and traced them in ink using the thinnest possible nib. I’ll fix it and add some color and graphics.”
Proving the final straw was the scale of the coloring book project.
“I was a little insane because I zoomed in to 300 or 400 percent and erased all the little ink splatters that flew off the end of the pen,” recalls Hovey. I thought, “I will never use a pen again!”So I went to buy a Wacom [tablet]”
He was initially worried that fans of the show would notice the changes and complain.
“So I spent a lot of time in Photoshop making pens that were almost exactly like the ones I used,” says Hovey. “Six years later, no one will notice!”
Today, he runs a small business, Studio Hovey, with a team of dedicated employees and freelancers helping him grow. bake off Illustrated in his distinctive style for about eight months, from April/May to December. He spends the rest of his years working on other projects. Culinary illustrations became his sole focus, but he branched out into more flavorful dishes.
Baking Appointments by Kim-Joy Hewlett Great British Bake OffPhoto courtesy of Tom Hovey.
“I have painted thousands of cakes, but not all foods, so it is fun and exciting to explore different types of food. I’m very focused on drawing, so I look for everything just to keep my sanity,” says Hovey. “When I started bake off, I had no idea it would become a hallmark of my career! “
He has also participated in an internship program at the University of the West of England, Bristol, helping illustration graduates get their start in the field. The program also allows him to meet the demand created by the seemingly endless stream. bake off Shows including junior edition, US edition, charity, celebrity guests and various holiday specials.
(He first asked for help in 2016, prior to the birth of his daughter, recognizing that he was burned out and that maintaining his current workload alone was becoming unsustainable and unsustainable.) asked.)
But Hovey’s job is always the same, whatever the show or the challenge.
“My brief is that what a baker is going to make in his tent, as if he had sketched it in his kitchen at home,” he said. “That’s why you see an illustration of an open book on the kitchen worktop.”
Scheduled baking by Selasi Gbormittah Great British Bake OffPhoto courtesy of Tom Hovey/Love Productions.
To accurately represent each roast, Hovey is provided with photographs of the finished dish from all angles. In recent seasons, the production team has instructed bakers to photograph their creations as they practice at home, giving Hovey a better sense of the vision he envisioned, even if it doesn’t quite work out in the tent. I’m here.
“Often, they have much better results in their practice space where they have the time to be in the world and no pressure from the TV,” he admitted.
Despite having illustrated over 3,000 baked goods in the last 12 years, the artist has never actually tasted the food. In fact, he was only on set once in 2014 when he visited with his wife.
“It was great to see the tents directly, but it’s actually a long day of filming and if you don’t come at the right time you won’t have anything to eat. You have to hang out, and We were really in and out,” explained Hovey.
Scheduled baking by Helena Garcia Great British Bake OffPhoto courtesy of Tom Hovey/Love Productions.
Hovey is a self-professed gourmet, but doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth. I’m not into baking or desserts. “
But while he didn’t develop his baking prowess while working on the show, Hovey’s baking lexicon has certainly expanded as a previously unfamiliar treat. millefeuille And ganache is now easily explained. And he is constantly amazed at what bakers are capable of and what they can achieve artistically.
“The skill level of the bakers is increasing year by year,” Hobie said, citing contestants Helena Garcia and Kim-Joy Hewlett as personal favorites. “In the first few series, the bakers really stood out when they made something great. Now it’s like every week… every baker makes something great.”
Other Trending Stories:
A French auction house has fired the person responsible for winning a $7.5 million Qianlong vase for just $1,900.
Archaeologists have discovered the legendary temple of Poseidon, recorded in Greek historian Strabo’s Encyclopedia of Antiquities
Did you pop the figure bubble?Abstract paintings dominate the Freeze London booth
At the 30th Anniversary Celebration, Robert Wilson’s Legendary Watermill Center Takes a ‘Stand’ with a Theme Borrowed from HG Wells
Jameson Green makes no apologies for his confrontational paintings. Collectors love him for it
Auction live:
21st century photography
BUY NOW: ROBERT LAZARINI
40 Under 10
Follow Artnet News on Facebook.
Want to stay one step ahead in the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter for breaking news, eye-popping interviews, and sharp critical takes that propel conversations forward.
.
Comments
Post a Comment