I'm new to cake decorating and have started to notice that most people who decorate cakes are also artists. They draw great sketches of their cakes and have a natural ability for art, sculpting, etc. I on the other hand don't draw, sculpt or paint well. Will this hinder my cake decorating abilities?

I think there is an artist in all cake decorators, but not necesarily as sculptors and paintors..
You can have a fashion background, like Elissa Strauss and be a great decorator.
Anything that has to do with being and artist or crafts will help
Jewelry making
scrapbooking
crochet
sewing
interior design
fashion design
knitting
and so on...

All you need is a lot of imagination and the desire to make it happen..
Edna

I cant draw at all but I can usually work things out in my head. I get most of my ideas from books/magazines and of course the Wilton yearbook. Its not going to hold you back at all.

This wont hinder you at all, do within your range of ability and you'll do just fine...One thing about cake decorating is that it gets more innovative on a daily basis, so that broadens the options for unique styles of variations in decorating ...just be willing to try out new techniques that cater to your artistic ability's.

Never stop learning, be willing to challenge yourself, and try out new techniques...this way you will be able to advance in your own artistic realm of decorationing.

Well I'm most certainly not!!!!!! But I know what you mean... so many cake-makers do have a natural artistic ability. Shame I'm not one of them.

Suzanne x

There are so many things that you can use to help you if you are not an excellent artist. I use coloring pages for pictures. I use cookie cutters for some things. There are pattern presses. Many flowers are very simple to do, like daisies for instance. I consider myself more of a crafter than an artist, but I have managed to do pretty well with cakes. The new frosting sheets are nice too. If you practice, you can do a lot of things. The articles on cc have helped me a lot, as well as the utube demonstrations.Many fondant cakes are decorated with simple polka dots or stars. If you use lots of color, they are great looking. Hang around here and you will learn a lot.

I wish that I had some great artistic ability...alas I don't. That is what I have my husband for. He draws it and I bake/make it.

Webster's Definition of Artist:


1: one skilled or versed in learned arts
2: one who professes and practices an imaginative art
3: a skilled performer
4: one who is adept at something


I think we are all artists, we just use a different medium, rather than clay or paint, we use fondant and BC.

Artists... I like to think of all of us as Artists of Edible Creations!!!! I mean that's what we are aren't we? In some form or fashion? My background never really included cakes, but I did all things artsy and crafty and realized that I could incorporate my love for art into an edible expression, thus came the cakes!! I don't think you have to be a super artist, but I heard from my instructor a long time ago, that no matter what we make, it's ALWAYS going to impress the NON-cake crowd (i.e. regular buyers from Walmart lol.) So don't worry.. We are always going to be our own worst judge, but you know what? That flaw we see on our cake that's glaring us right in the eye, no one else will ever even notice or even care about it. They'll be so impressed with what you can do because chances are.. They can't do it!!

Good luck to you!!!!
Oh yeah and another thing I heard that I think about EVERY cake I make, is that EVERY cake decorator makes mistakes!!!! It's just the good ones know how to cover them up lol!!

I truly think the ONE thing any cake decorator needs to have is an IMAGINATION!!

Then if you are like me and BarbaraJean - who are CRAFTY - then you figure out ways to make your designs and color combinations work.

Then if you are naturally artistic, or have a fashion design eye, etc -- then you are home free with the designs and color combos.

But no matter which style you are - You have to start with a good base - meaning - you have to be able to bake a great tasting and textured cake; you have to be able to smooth the buttercream or apply the fondant flawlessly; and you have to be able to level the cakes and make sharp edges. If you master these techniques to start with -- then the craftiness or artistic side of you will shine through - just let your imaginations flow!

I have started looking at everything from fabrics, to flowers, to scrapbook paper, to handbag designs etc for inspirations of colors and creativity --

How awesome would that be to have Edna as your Wilton instructor?

I love this! I consider most cakes I make to be a work of art, I can't draw on paper and my play doh modeling skills seem to be lacking. But I feel "at home" when I'm in the kitchen baking cakes, icing them, modeling out of fondant! I think most cakes, even with their mistakes, are art! Every artist has their strongest and weakest points and no 2 masterpieces are exactly the same!

I am not an artistic person. Give me a pencil and paper and UCK! I can't draw Pooh, Winnie that is! But give me a toothpick to freehand and then my piping bags and I can do it. Ok, not everything has turned out, but does it for everyone? This could just be your artistic medium!

I often asked myself this very same question. Are most cake decorators artists? I cannot draw for the life of me and that includes stick figures; however, I figured out how to make fondent babies and a bunny. I laughed when I finished very pleased with myself cause I cannot draw.

As a previous post said and I do also, look at prints, fabrics to see how colors go together. Recently I was looking in the painting area for books on colors.

There are soo many templates to trace (thank goodness for BCT), cut outs to use to help with forming. I too think it is all in the Imagination of the creator.

I think it helps to have artistic talent when doing cakes but I think anyone inclined to do cakes has some in there even if they don't think they're artistic. There's all kinds of art mediums and cake is the medium I prefer. I know I'm not the best drawer or painter but I'm good with cakes, if I hadn't found cakes then I may never have realized that I am what I consider to be a type of artist...I also think practice and passion goes a long way too! Chances are if you enjoy doing something you will end up being good at it or at the very least you will enjoy it as a hobby/job...

I would say yes - we are cake artists! I can't draw with a pencil to save my life (I always tell clients at consultations when I am doing a rough sketch that I work better in icing - LOL!). But I started my business because I knew that I had creative talent that I wanted to use, and I found it with sugar.