someone please tell me the tricks to making gum paste figures i have watched videos and read articles but my figures are dry and then too wet and sticky they are too heavy they topple over even with spaghetti or lollipop sticks to support them. i also have no idea how people make the clothes do they use molds or cutters i am so frustrated help me please i know there is a trick to this i am not getting

I would like to here back on this one too. Maybe some helpful hints. As time goes by we are ask to do more and more elaberate figures. So far we have pulled it off well, but....We now have to do a buck and doe wedding cake topper for next week. Could use some input.

The most valuable thing I learnt was patience, I make all my figurines in stages, starting with shoes and legs, let them dry they should be able to stand up ( if standing) next move on to the upper body, make the torso to attach the torso I use Spagetthi it is small edible and strong, I stick a couple of pieces into the legs and set torso on top, the legs are dry but after 1 day still soft enough for spaghetti and use a little glue, next onto the arms Depending on what direction/action the arms are doing I either let them dry separately or attach them while soft again with a little glue and Spagetthi, let dry then attach head, which u can pre make and dry separate. Clothes is another question u can either cut out and attach to torso or use the torso with extra fondant and cut away. I don't know if I have explained well enough but will take step by step photos. With making any kind of figure animal or person, just break them down into body parts, you may find this easier

If you are just starting out a good place to start is to purchase some Polymer Clay books. The books have really great instructions and illustrations to follow. It's very easy to adapt the clay directions to using them for fondant.

It helps to add Tylose powder to your fondant. I add about 1 tsp. to 1lb. of fondant.

thanks for the tips i will get the books tomorrow ! as you can probably tell i am very new at this i just had my second child and dont want to go back to waitressing and have some artistic talents in other genres but thought i would enjoy this as a full time job and i love it but i am teaching my self from wonderful sites like this and u tube i would love to get classically trained but i just dont have time or the money blah blah blah .....is fondant with tylose better than gum paste maybe that is where i am making my mistake and i heard of marshmallow fondant can you use that? why do my figures crack when they dry i wonder i have so many questions but dont want to be annoying lol

Price, is right the polymer clay books are great. I purchased several from Sculpey way with polymer clay. good luck

i use fondant with tylose for all of my figure modeling. i save my gumpaste for finer, thinner work like flowers. good luck. and if you haven't watched any of lorraine mckay's (aine2) videos on youtube, definitely watch them. or, go to her website (extra icing) and order some of her fine tutorials. lorraine is the BEST.

i tried the tylose in my fondant and let them dry longer before messing with them and so far so good your right you have to be really patient guess thats why some people prefer modeling chocolate you get almost instant results lol you are also right about basic shapes just like drawing break it into shapes and it is much easier always make things harder for myself than i have to

I think the main thing about figures is that they all break down into basic shapes. As you are looking at your polymer clay books, or tutorials online. Focus on the basic shapes. It will all start to make way more sense, I promise!

The Polymer clay site has some free tutorials, too.

I have the clay books as well and they are a great tool. If you want a more realistic human body they sell full body molds..I just bought some and I'm going to try it out with modeling chocolate!! I will keep you posted.

the basic shapes of the body arms and heads etc are pretty easy cause i have experience with drawing so have a good grasp of proportions and things i am having trouble with the clothing. some of these figures look as though the clothes are made seperately and they "dress" their figures i dont know if that is true i knoe sleeves and such are made seperately ,after looking at literally hundreds of photos, i am particularly having trouble with girl figures wearing dresses that are straplessis the bodice a solid piece and the neck and shoulders are attached seperately and is the head attached to the neck or are those seperate too?