In the thick woods, an ancient castle stands, and the walls around the castle are crawling with green vines, and the cracks in the wall bricks are clearly visible... The sugar-turned version of "Hogwarts Castle", which was carefully created by 10 pastry chefs in Suzhou for 1 month and with 1500 pounds of sugar, attracted many visitors to stop and admire. The reporter contacted the creative team of the sugar-remade version of "Hogwarts Castle" and learned the story behind their creation.
The sugar-reel version of "Hogwarts Castle" shows the texture of the era in detail
Of all the scenes that appear in the film Harry Potter, Hogwarts Castle is hailed as the most magical place to date. Today, pastry chefs from Suzhou have rebuilt this exquisite castle with sugar. The reporter saw that the sugar version of "Hogwarts Castle" was very realistic and very graphic. The "Hogwarts Castle" is surrounded by mountains, and the ancient castle can be seen from the astronomy tower, the central tower, the Ravenclaw Tower, the moving staircase, the viaduct and so on. The reporter took a closer look, and the principal's office, clock square, boathouse, Hufflepuff Lounge, greenhouse, etc. were also included, making people feel as if they had entered the magical world of Harry Potter and relived the mysterious and fantastic magical dreams. According to reports, the sugar used to make the castle is made of a variety of materials, which is the main decorative material used in making the sugar cake. Turning sugar originated from the British art cake and became one of the favorite cake decoration materials for pastry chefs.
The sugar version of "Hogwarts Castle" is 2.5 meters high and 3 meters wide, although it is a miniature version, when viewed up close, it still gives people a sense of grandeur and mysterious darkness. Disembark from the underground shipyard and walk up the moss-covered stone staircase to the main entrance of the castle. Through the foyer, on the right is a double open door leading to the auditorium. Immediately in front of the auditorium is a moving staircase that leads to the History of Magic Classroom on the second floor. Across a bridge is the Astronomy Tower, the tallest of the castles, arranged in combination with the central tower and the black tower.
The reporter found that every detail of the sugar version of "Hogwarts Castle" showed the texture of ancient times, with round towers, narrow windows, and low domes, and the image was realistic. The castle uses a large number of columns and vaults of different shapes, achieving a solid, thick, balanced and stable aesthetic effect, with narrow windows that contrast strongly with the large spaces inside. The overall shape of the castle is moderately exaggerated, and the colors are warm yellow and turquoise, highlighting the warmth and mystery.
10 pastry divisions worked together and took a month to complete
Hao Chen, who has been engaged in the creation of sugar turning for more than ten years, in addition to creating sugar turning works, he also serves as a technical training work, helping the contestants participating in the Pastry Competition to design the theme of the competition, find suitable materials and design the shape. Pastry chef Hao Chen told reporters that this work was produced by 10 pastry chefs and took a month to complete. "Because the main body of the castle is very large, each pastry division can only be divided into parts and then assembled." According to Haochen, the sugar version of "Hogwarts Castle" contains 5 buildings, 3 bridges, 1 promenade, as well as walls, lakes and woods.
"The first notice was given to make a castle, and let's design a preliminary plan based on the theme of the castle." Hao Chen told reporters that when the creative team collected relevant materials, they found that most of the sugar castles on the market at present revolve around the theme of the wedding, using romantic elements such as flowers and angels, and there is almost no innovation. "We just want to do it differently!" It happened that a colleague was playing the Harry Potter mobile game, so the creative team immediately decided to set the theme as Hogwarts Castle. Hao Chen said.
After confirming the theme, the creative team collectively watched the entire Harry Potter film, because the individual fragments can only see the parts, and the sketch was roughly determined through the integration of the lens and the assistance of the picture data and the puzzle model. Pastry chef Gu Jiawei told reporters: "Many of the gods in 'Ha Mi' will also make some castle modeling, which has played a great help in the calculation of dimensions and the determination of drawings, and I am more confident in restoring this mysterious Hogwarts Castle." ”
After referring to the modeling drawing of the castle, the creative team processed it according to the scale, and determined the size and position of each tower, specific to the shape of the wall and the number of windows on the tower. Next, the production schedule is in full swing. Pastry chef Gu Jiawei is responsible for moving the tower and lake where the staircase is located, pastry division Zhou Ran is responsible for the greenhouse and city wall, West point Cui Qiang is responsible for the central tower, and pastry master Gong Lili is responsible for the courtyard and auditorium at the entrance. The 10 pastry chefs perform their duties and cooperate with each other, and the production process is similar to the construction project, first using foam or KT board to make the inner blank, then making the wall, then making the doors and windows, and finally decorating.
It is precisely because of the division of labor production, how to unify the brush color has become the biggest problem. Hao Chen said: "Each part of the castle is a split, we must pay attention to the effect of the old to be completely consistent, and the color difference must be considered every time you brush it." Therefore, every time you start to move, you must be careful, and you must "look ahead and look backward", so as to achieve a unified effect. In the end, Haochen spent three days to complete the brushing work.
In terms of the old-fashioned castle, the creative team also put a lot of effort into it. The first time the tower was made of sugar, the wall bricks of the tower were made of molds, which were too regular and rigid. Later, the bricks of the wall were pressed out by hand with a ruler and a knife, and then the pattern of the bricks was pressed out with sponges and cotton cloth used for washing dishes in daily life. At the same time, the castle was old and weathered, so it was necessary to make broken bricks and vines to climb on the walls. Using blackened powder and pigment, brushing some of the bricks where the details are broken, and finally taking green sugar, using a toothpick and needle to pick and dye. Hao Chen said: "The sense of irregularity presented in this way is closer to the appearance of ancient Western architecture. ”
Under the contrast of the overall gray and dark tones of the castle, the splash of water from the waterfall below the castle appears more crystal clear. Gu Jiawei introduced to reporters that the waves on the lake surface first used sugar paste to set the entire arc, and the tip of the wave used protein paste to make a foam, and finally the color was too white and there was no permeability of the splash, and a layer of transparent sugar was poured to achieve the final effect. "The water surface is filled with a sugar liquid made of aisu sugar, and when it is completely solidified, a layer of sugar is poured."
The decoration of the exterior of the tower also tested the craftsman's skills, several narrow windows and prominent small rooms, in order to form a strong contrast with the large space inside, after many experiments and rework, the appropriate location and proportions were determined. Each small piece of window is pinched by the pastry chef by hand, dried until it is half dry, carefully arranged, and found that the size is inconsistent or arranged in the middle of the way, which requires multiple rework to complete, which greatly tests the patience of the creator.
The works are on display, attracting many fans to punch in
During this month, 10 pastry chefs did not take any vacations and worked in the same large classroom all day long. Hao Chen smiled and told reporters: "At that time, the military order was issued, and it must be completed within a month." In the event of a two-day power outage, everyone did not interrupt the progress, they picked up flashlights or mobile phones for lighting, and continued to work, which also became the most unforgettable memories of the creative team. ”
"In the process of creation, there are hardships in the process of teamwork, there are sorrows when encountering difficulties and setbacks, and there are fruitful joys after the end of creation, and there is a sense of accomplishment in my heart. I learned that when encountering difficulties, you can't be alone, you need to brainstorm together and get together to use a 'brainstorming' approach to solve them. Gu Jiawei told reporters that in this month's collective creation time, the team's cooperation and cohesion have been greatly improved, and the efficiency has also been greatly improved. At present, this work is being exhibited in Suzhou, if the right temperature and humidity are maintained, it can be preserved for decades, because it has a large viewing value, attracting many Harry Potter fans to punch in.
Intern Hu Sisi Yangzi Evening News/Purple Cow News reporter Zhang Birong
Source: Yangtze Evening News