i'm looking for directions with pictures preferably of animals piped in buttercream. I've seen them on Wilton but not very detailed and I think it was of a cow (much too complicated) I'm looking for a pig, bear, zoo animals and the like...I like the dimensional look but able to put on a cupcake if need be...

There are pix/instructions in every Wilton Yearbook - especially when they are used in a cake shows.
Exactly which animal(s) are you looking for?

The Wilton book 'The Uses of the most Popular Decorating Tips' has a page of animals in it. Mine is an older one and has penguins, chicks, pigs, rhino, bear, turtle, mice and rabbits. Michaels carries them. They are quite easy though they look complicated. Just give it a try. If you can make a clown you can do these.

I know there are some videos on youtube on how to do animals. hth

What I do is, find a picture I like on the net...I go to search images of whatever picture. Then I print it, and I tape picture on a cookie sheet...get wax paper and tape that over the pic.

Then I get piping gel with a tint of color in it, for a pig, I would add pink tint...I trace the picture, let it sit out, Ice my cake, let it crust...and then I just place the picture face down, picture onto cake and with my hand smooth piping onto the cake....then I just fill the picture on the cake...

See my school bus, and horse pictures. I hope this helps. good luck.

Ive done chicks and lambs before for easter last year and they turned out great! I have one pic of them in my photos...but its a bad one! I need to upload better ones...anyways...i think maybe looking online or on youtube for directions would work...i have only done these two...so i cant really help you with the other animals!

http://www.cakescanada.com/HowTo/Basic_Animals.pdf

here is a how to...they are in gumpaste but you will at least be able to see the basic shapes for each...