Have any of you decided to get an art degree to help "broaden your cake horizon"? Or did you have one before you started caking? I feel like I have SOMEWHAT of an artistic inclination, (I really enjoy painting my cakes) so I want to expand my limited knowledge and go to college to work on an art degree. Just curious about you all....

I got an MFA before I started cakes. I look at cakes as a medium for my artistic expression, no different than charcoal or paint.

I think it helped me immensely. Just in understanding colors and how they work together and affect each other.

The beginning years of an art degree cover all the different types of art, drawing/painting/photo/sculpture/metal work/print making/ jewelry making/design and more before you specialize in one of them for the latter years. Doing this will give you an enormous amount of experience in all kinds of design and practical things like figuring out how to put things together...building, shaping, forming things, all that can be applied to the caking process.

With this background, I'll guarantee you'll spend less time asking people how to do this effect or that effect because figuring it out will have become a natural part of your process.

In case you can't tell, I highly recommend it!

I have an art background and a Masters in Interior Architecture. I think it cam help for sure, at least some classes, but I think that people who are naturally artistic will do just as well.

I loved your answer, artscallion. (another hint of your enthusiasm ) Makes me feel secure in my decision to get an art degree. I feel I, personally, would benefit more from studying art than taking decorating classes. Not that there aren't benefits to those classes, I just feel that learning how to sculpt, draw, paint, etc. would make me the cake artist I aspire to become. Thanks so much for the reply!!

I have an art degree, and worked in graphic design before finally venturing into cake decorating (which I've always been intersted in). I do think the art background has been helpful in several ways from designing the cakes, to creating color combinations, carving, sculpting, etc. If it's something you are interested in anyway, then it should be a win-win situation; learn about something you enjoy, and enhance your decorating at the same time.