I am new to CC and have seen some cakes that have been painted in buttercream. Could someone explain how this is done? I have to do a cake with the sound of music theme and would like to try and paint the mountains and meadow.

Welcome to CC. I have only seen fondant cakes painted with RI or thinned colors. I think a type of brushed embroidery-done very lightly on crusted buttercream with thinned colored buttercream would work, but you would need a very light touch.

You can paint on a crusting buttercream with gel colors thinned with alcohol, and dusts thinned with alcohol.

Just make sure that you use a light touch and kind of come at it sideways. If you stick the brush directly at teh icing it will of course, break through and mar your icing.

In my photos I have a fondant cheetah girl cake. I did the same cake with buttercream. unfortunately I do not have picture of that one. It was just as easy on the buttercream as the mmf...

goodluck.

Julia