Okay, I've tried and tried (well, more than once equals tried and tried). I've made six different molded figures at different points in time (so we're talking about on different dates, of different styles for different cakes) and four of those five have had their heads spin off. I've used a toothpick from the head to the body and have tried different things from having the body made out of the same glop as the head to having the head end into a long piece that gets wrapped around with a clothing colored body (if you can follow that). It seems that no matter what, the head ends up pulling a Linda Blair.
What do you all do to avoid this? Maybe I'm being too rough on the thing when trying to put it on the cake. In most cases, this comes as the last minute. In one case, it happened a little earlier on (while painting details on stupid shoes, like I had to have details on shoes anyway).
I have to make two more figures next week. Ive read the tutorial on here wiht the faries (great tutorial by the way), but I'm having the specific problem of decapitation. Advice please!
For figurines I have read on previous thread using a 50/50 gumpaste/fondant or figurines. always letting the body dry and using fondant glue I also read the toothpick and spaghetti idea works good luck
I usually use a toothpick and some sugar glue. I cover the tooth pick in sugar glue before inserting and then any body parts that touch once the toothpick is inserted I put sugar glue on those too.
Just a little powdered sugar and a couple drops of water mixed together
Thanks. I"ll have to try that. I got so frustrated when nothing was sticking together the way I had hoped. One of them was for here at the house. I was annoyed because it broke at the VERY last minute, so I used Elmers, knowing I had control of the situation. I certainly don't want to do that for a cake that's actually leaving the house.
Well this might be another question where I've missed the obvious, but for those of you who do "cartoonish" features, how do you get the white eyeballs? I've tried to do little white balls and the push them flat while pushing them on, but they never seem to stick. Is this resolved by sugar glue too? How do you keep them the same size?
Well this might be another question where I've missed the obvious, but for those of you who do "cartoonish" features, how do you get the white eyeballs? I've tried to do little white balls and the push them flat while pushing them on, but they never seem to stick. Is this resolved by sugar glue too? How do you keep them the same size?
I'd like to her folks respond to this too... Some of the eyes folks do look as if they're painted on yet they've got a sense of dimension to them. How is that done? Is there a pattern one could follow? Kinda like a paint by number thing? that'd be a great idea for a tutorial I think.
Ain2 has a great face tutorial.....
http://www.lorraine-icingonthecake.co.uk/masterclass/face-howto.htm
HTH
Judi
I'd like to her folks respond to this too... Some of the eyes folks do look as if they're painted on yet they've got a sense of dimension to them. How is that done? Is there a pattern one could follow? Kinda like a paint by number thing? that'd be a great idea for a tutorial I think.
I use a mold for mine and then I do paint on them, but I like the little cutsie ones and can never get the little white eyeballs right.
Thanks for posting the link juds
Ain2 has a great face tutorial.....
http://www.lorraine-icingonthecake.co.uk/masterclass/face-howto.htm
HTH
Judi
wow - that's a well done tutorial! thanks so much for the link and to Ain2 for putting it together and sharing with everyone!
Rather than using a toothpick (going back to the decapitation issue) I have used a bamboo skewer successfully. This seems more durable than spaghetti or a toothpick, in my opinion. You are also able to cut the length of the skewer to the size that you need for extra durability - I also have used the skewers for the arms/legs as well. For extra strength, you could use the clear piping gel if you have it on hand. The clear piping gel is what I have used for the whites of eyes also. I make the whites (by rolling into a ball and then flattening them into the desired shape), add the iris and the pupil and glue on with the piping gel. It also helps if you can sculpt "eye lids" into the face before adding the finished eyes. I use a toothpick for this and litterally push some of the "under-eye" flesh up to form a small hole (like a socket) and attempt to form an eyelid with the flesh that I have pushed back (I hope I am making sense). Once you have placed the whites/iris/pupils in place, you can gently press the "eyelid" slightly over the whites - this will hold them in even better and add a more realistic look to your figures. I practiced making figures with my son's playdough many times before attempting the real thing. I hope this helps!
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