We catch up with illustrator Tom Hovey, best-known for his delectable drawings of cakes and buns for the hit BBC TV show, The Great British Bake-Off. He tells DACS why all illustrators should claim royalties through Payback.
Can you tell us a bit about your work?
I am an illustrative gun for hire so I have developed a style and approach to image making which allows me to work across a broad spectrum of genres and has got me clients in editorial, book illustration, storyboarding, animation, motion graphics and murals. I've been lucky enough to have some great clients and some long running relationships that have lasted years.
This summer I got my dream job as on-site illustrator for the Glastonbury Festival Free Press newspaper.
I am probably best known for my illustrations for the TV show
The Great British Bake Off which is now on its fifth series and has just moved to BBC One.
What made you decide to sign up to Payback?
I heard about DACS through some of the illustrators I am in a collective with (
The Mighty Pencil) and it seemed like a no-brainer. As I produce a vast amount of illustrations for TV, as well as my editorial and publishing work, I had a lot to claim for. I couldn't believe it when I got my first payment.
How did you spend last year’s Payback royalty?
I always try to save it as I am a very sensible chap that's really good with money (that's all a lie). I usually try and invest in something for the studio, this year it was a new printer and scanner, the year before I got a new iMac. So it has really helped me.
What advice would you give to anyone signing up for the first time?
In the words of some guys who make pretty trainers, 'just do it'.
I know plenty of illustrators and designers that do it every year and some might get thirty quid and some might get a couple of grand every year. No matter how much you get it is all money that you deserve, so go get it!
What do you have coming up that we should know about?
As I previously mentioned I'm currently elbow deep in drawings of pies, tarts, choux buns and obscenely large cakes for
The Great British Bake Off. As soon as I finish, I go straight onto illustrating
Junior Bake Off for CBBC and then
Comic Relief Bake Off.
I will be launching an online shop very soon, selling prints of all my original drawing from the past 5 years of GBBO, which is very exciting.
I'm also currently working on some animations for the English tourist board VisitEngland which you'll be able to see in the near future. And somehow in between all of that I have to design my own wedding invitations!
Find out more about Tom Hovey
Learn more about Payback
Photograph: Tom Hovey in his studio © Tom Hovey