Let me start off by saying I am an engineer by degree, though I am currently a SAHM... My husband thinks I am crazy because I actually bust out the graph paper and skech (to scale) the cakes I plan to make.

And we're not talking wedding cakes, I'm talking ALL my cakes. most of them 9" rounds... Do other people do this? Or is this the crazy engineer in me?

I feel like I have all of these ideas floating around in my head, but I don't know if it will "work" unless I sketch it - from at least top and front views - and then modify as necessary. I also usually color it in to see if my colors will work together.

I have NO artistic bones in my body!!

I do though sometimes sketch with my Crayola's, but other times I just have to actually start working on the cake an go from there. I have often thought this would so much easier if I could draw or paint...or even draw a stright line!

I dont do that, but I think its a great idea, not crazy at all!! You got a degree in something you like are are applying it to another love, thats cool! I say keep doing it, its a medium you feel comfortable in and lets you express your creativity and come up with new ideas you might not be able to do once you get started on the real cake.

Alicia

I do alot of sketching too. I used to paint a while back and I think that has really helped artistically. I don't get quite as specific with graph paper, etc, but I have a sketch pad full of ideas. That being said, I don't think I have one cake that matched the initial sketch....I usually end up changing parts/pieces as I go along depending on my creativity that day.

Oh, see, I always say that I am not artistic or creative. I specifically need to use graph paper and a ruler - I am PRECISE in my drawings and I really need to have a good plan laid out. Otherwise, my cakes end up looking just awful!

It's funny though, because I was talking to DH about how I used to be creative, but going to college to be an engineer sucked it all out of me. He laughed and said "You don't think you're creative? REALLY?!"

Any way it happens though, my cakes are getting better, and soon I'll have more to share - hopefully some that I'm really proud of!

I draw everything out first and label what I'm going to do - and I do it for the simpliest of things. I used to use Corel Draw and it made pretty things to print out, but its so much easier to sketch out what I want and I can do this sitting on a park bench, at the airport, etc... (always using a pencil so I can change elements). I guess if I ever did this for a business I would go back to using a graphics / design program to show clients.

I sketch all the time! I leave the engineering stuff up to my husband and boy, his skills do come in handy sometimes! I'm a graphic designer and spend lots of time designing pieces with the computer. I love any opportunity to have a pencil in my hand and just freehand away. I don't make things to scale, but make lots of notes on the sides about what size cake, colors and decorations will be. I also love looking at the final cakes and seeing how close to my original sketch they came!

I do sketch all of my cake designs before starting, but they are certainly not to scale, and they look horrendous as I don't have those kind of artistic skills lol, but I got into this habit in culinary school since we had to submit sketches/diagrams and timelines for all of our projects. But even then my design usually evolves throughout the process, and doesn't always end up looking like the design I sketched out.... but I need the sketch as a starting point.

Nope, I don't do that, but I have picked up some other quirks that come from having all my brothers and cousins be engineers.

Examples:
1. Referring to the "ratio of ________ to ________" when talking about a particular food. For instance, "I think the ratio of chocolate to raspberry needs to be a little higher for this recipe."

2. *L*O*V*E the website cookingforengineers.com

3. When packing a moving van, measuring the van and everything to be moved, then plotting how they should be stacked to mimize dead space.

I sketch all of my cakes ( unless the customer supplies a picture). But they are not to scale, I try to make them as realistic as possible, I have a background in art (mostly illustration) so I enjoy drawing cakes.
I was never one for measuring, or anyhting that involves numbers for that matter.

I just took a class with Colette Peters and she sketches everything on graph paper to make sure the sizes are right, that the stacking will be proper, etc. I think it's a great idea! I have started to make simple sketches myself and it seems to help, especially when making royal or fondant/gumpaste decorations, that way I make pretty much the right amount, with just a few extras to allow for breakage.

I just took a class with Colette Peters and she sketches everything on graph paper to make sure the sizes are right, that the stacking will be proper, etc. I think it's a great idea! I have started to make simple sketches myself and it seems to help, especially when making royal or fondant/gumpaste decorations, that way I make pretty much the right amount, with just a few extras to allow for breakage.

Sorry for the dup posting

I can't draw a straight line to save my LIFE. However I am always drawing different cakes and designs on paper and I wouldn't dare share them for viewing. They are just awful but I know how I want the cake to look in the end so I guess that's all that matters ? LOl I can read my chicken scratch drawing.

My last cake I did in Paint on the computer and also in a note book I did to scale.

I sketch out most of my cakes. I keep a notebook and colored pencils right with my cake supplies so it's easy access.

I'm not an engineer, but I do love my graph paper! I have loads of sketches I save for "one of these days". It's not quite the same as making a cake, but there's only so much cake (and cookies, cupcakes...) the people in my life need!