When i cover my cake and start smoothing it out- the fondant starts to tear. I use Satin Ice. How do I get it from not tearing? Are there any tricks that people can share?

The only reason I can think of, for your problem is that you might be rolling the fondant too thin. THe thickness of the fondant should be 1/4" or 1/8". And make sure the smoothers are clean and don't have anything oily on them.

Another thing to look at - how dry is your fondant before you put it on the cake? If too dry, it will tear.

how do i make it less dry? add more shortening? and knead a lot?

scroll to the bottom of the tutorial list

Covering a cake by Ron Ben Israel

http://www.satinfinefoods.com/how.htm