To celebrate the paperback release of Hooray for Bread, we took illustrator Bruce Ingman out for some yummy bread, pastries and hot chocolate to chat about his inspiration, his illustrations and his favourite ways to eat bread!
What’s it like
working with Allan Ahlberg?
It usually starts with him sending me a story, but
sometimes he reads it over the phone to me and we talk it through. He’s very open to my interpretation of his stories. I
send him my artwork and I get it back with little ticks on it, some red pen,
and little comments!
You’ve got a very
distinctive style. Did it take long to develop that style?
It’s still evolving all the time. I’ve tried to make it a
bit softer, to work for a younger audience. With realistic representational
work it’s more about technique and concentration, whereas my style is more
about feeling and form. It looks like it’s done in two
seconds, but it isn’t!
How did you first get
into illustration?
I studied Fine Art at college. I suppose I should have done
Illustration, but in hindsight I’m glad I didn’t, because Fine Art gave me a
wide scope of influences and ambitions. While I was studying, my friends ran the Film
Society, and I used to go into college at weekends and make posters for them. I’d guess what the film was about. For a
film called Mon Oncle, I thought:
“that’s about a boy and his uncle”, so I’d make a poster of a boy and his
uncle, and by doing that I was able to show my work in public.
How do you go about doing
your work?
I worked at home for a while, but doing that makes you
realise that you’ve got to have a routine. If you just stay at home and don’t
meet anyone, you won’t get any work done. But when you’re in the studio with
other artists, you support each other. These days I work in Great Western
Studios, by Regent’s Canal.
What advice would you
give to an aspiring illustrator?
Well I teach now and often while I’m setting up, the
students aren’t doodling or drawing; they’re just waiting to be taught. They
don’t realise that it’s about participating and being passionate. If you have
ten minutes to spare, you should do some drawing rather than text your mates!
One time I was giving a tutorial to a student, and while she was in the studio
waiting for me she had drawn one of the studio’s round windows, with a scene
behind it from her imagination. I thought that was brilliant – rather than sit
there and text her mates, she had the passion to create something.
 |
| Bruce at work! |
So how did you move
into children’s illustration?
Somehow I ended up teaching Fashion at Nottingham, and the
head of Fashion asked me to draw her cat
for her. I went to her house and drew the cat, which was supposed to be quite realistic, but to make it more interesting I
drew the cat drinking sherry, chatting on the phone, and wearing a frock. I later
went to see a publisher with my portfolio and they spotted the cat and asked
“can you develop that?” – Eventually it got published as a children's book!
Do you have a
favourite story that you’ve worked on?
I’d have to say The Pencil. It started as a book with no
words, then Allan gave me the first verse and said “try to think where that
goes”, so I sent him little drafts in the post. Next thing I knew he had come
up with this whole book. I should say Hooray for Bread though shouldn’t I?!
Are you any good at
baking bread?
I’ll hold my hands up and say no. I can boil an egg though. (Check out Bruce's personal boiled egg recipe here!)
White or brown?
Brown.
Jam or honey?
Jam.
What kind of jam?
Raspberry.
Bread or toast?
Toast.
Marmite - Love it or
hate it?
I'm ambivalent towards it.
What’s your perfect
sandwich?
When I’m hungry, a banana sandwich is always nice.
Fancy baking some bread yourself? Follow our special recipe for a delicious loaf in four easy steps!
