You might think attempting to predict the ups and downs of the British weather is a full time job.
But Tomasz Schafernaker – recently voted the nation’s favourite TV forecaster – has been harbouring a secret talent as an artist.
In the last few weeks, the 38-year-old meteorologist has unveiled intricate drawings of celebrities and wildlife, and has announced he has now signed a deal to do write and illustrate a children’s book.
Tomasz Schafernaker – recently voted the nation’s favourite TV forecaster – has been harbouring a secret talent as an artist.
His followers on Instagram have found it difficult to tell the difference between photographs of Dame Judi Dench and his portraits
Despite his extensive duties on the BBC, Schafernaker sometimes spends up to 60 hours on one piece of art.
Such is his skill that many of his 13,000 followers on Instagram have found it difficult to tell the difference between photographs of Dame Judi Dench, Will Smith and Harrison Ford and his drawings of them.
Charting his progress over the three drawings, he wrote: ‘Improvement over the three drawings. Harrison was pretty good, but Judy was quite a jump in detail. Will Smith is almost like a photo…best yet, but he took double the time Harrison did.’
He has also tackled Mr Spock, and several shark scenes.
And his skill has not gone unnoticed, as he told his Instagram followers last week: ‘Work in progress for my #childrensbooks book. Story & exciting #digitalart my own :). Stay tuned!’
Schafernaker’s likeness of Harrison Ford. The weatherman was educated at St John’s College in Southsea, where he did A Level art
Despite his extensive duties on the BBC, Schafernaker sometimes spends up to 60 hours on one piece of art
Schafernaker was educated at St John’s College in Southsea, where he did A Level art.
He recently posted a collection of his artwork from his school years, and one painting of the sea from when he was just four years old, and commented that he ‘better start painting’.
The exuberant presenting skills of Schafernaker have gained him a legion of fans since he became the youngest man ever to present the BBC weather at the age of 22.
In 2010, he was about to deliver the forecast on the BBC News channel, when news presenter Simon McCoy made a light-hearted remark.
In the belief that he was off camera, Schafernaker was seen raising his middle finger to McCoy.
In 2007, he had to apologise after calling the Outer Hebrides and Western Isles ‘nowheresville’, while last December he failed to finish the early-morning shipping forecast. Schafernaker later said he had been sick.
The exuberant presenting skills of Schafernaker have gained him a legion of fans since he became the youngest man ever to present the BBC weather at the age of 22
In May, Schafernaker saw off competition from the likes of Carol Kirkwood to be voted Britain’s favourite TV weather presenter in a Radio Times poll of 25,000 readers.
Responding to the accolade, he told radiotimes.com: ‘My real passion was for sharks, originally. That’s what gets me going every day, sharks and meteorology are probably equal.
‘To make a job of it I chose to study meteorology and the crazy thing about that was I never felt like a true scientist at heart. I was always an artist, I did art at school, but I did quite well in my science exams and that led me on to meteorology at university.’