I live in the tropics (Malaysia) which is is humid. Whenever I make fondant figures (people, animals), the figurines droop even when I use gum paste. An example is the photo attached. Bell starting out sitting straight but she ended up having a thick waist and her back became hunched. Anyone else here face the same problem? What can I do? I've tried using sugar paste, gum paste/modelling paste.


Min

Have you ever tried using an armature... a wire framework inside the figure? It might help to keep the figures upright. You don't expect people to eat the figures, do you? Just be sure and tell your client that the figures have a wire skeleton to keep them from drooping in the heat, and therefore the figures are not to be eaten, even though they are made of edible stuff.

Do you make the figures all in one peice and then let the peice dry? Or do you do it in seperate peices? Does it droop after it has dried and been put together? Or is it still semi-wet when put together?

I always try to do my figures in seperate peices ,and then assemble with skewers/straws/toothpicks, ect. ect. whatever you choose to attach it with. That was it has all the support it needs to dry ,and it also won't droop once put together.

As far as drying time, you might need extra extra log time to let the peices dry. I'd give it a week depending on thickness, possible(most likely) longer.

I've had thin peices take a couple weeks to dry in humid times.

Also, maybe put them in your oven with the oven light on? I found that quickens the drying process and might help make a less humid enviroment while it dries.

Thank you for the replies! I make the parts and attach before the pieces dry. I shall try using a wire frame and also to wait for the pieces to dry before attaching. Do I use a foam piece to prevent parts of the pieces from getting a flat surface?

Thanks once again.

You can use a wadded up piece of aluminum foil inside the figures as framework. Also, try using pastillage as it holds up better than gumpaste in humidity - this is what I use mostly as I live in FL where it's very humid.

Hi Min,

I add a little bit of Tylose(CMC) to my gum-paste/fondant and it hardens really well. I also add toothpicks for stability.

And Yes, I lived in areas of very high humidity, Singapore for 5 years and then Chennai(South India) for three years.

Karen

Add another vote for assembling in pieces where possible. The fastest way to a squished body, I found, is to place the head atop it before the body dries. However when I made a rat (out of 50/50), its head and body were all one piece so I definitely ran a bamboo skewer inside its entire length in order to help give it some internal structure so that it wouldn't collapse before it dried.

I live near the ocean so it's humid here too, so I also dried it in my gas oven (pilot light on, but NOT the oven on!) to speed up drying. If your oven is electric, some people swear by the oven light. Perhaps briefly preheat the oven (to dry it out) and then let it cool down of course!! before placing figure inside w/the light on?? Just a thought - seems like your figures just need somewhere dry to dry out.

Just some thoughts!

What is pastillage?

re: pastillage:
a great overview plus pics of some amazing pastillage creations to give you an idea of why you'd use this technique rather than gp
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=69493

tutorial:
http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/cookery/in/pastillage/index.htm

I've never made it, it just so happens that I was cruising for info on pastillage only yesterday and found the above links...

Oh these are great links ceshell. Thanks alot.

The pastillage recipe I use has glucose, gelatin and lemon juice. It is at the bottom of this page: http://www.firstimpressionsmolds.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=5

It works well with humidity, dries quick and can be rolled thin if you want to make flowers.

Wow, great tips. Thanks so much!