I have been having trouble with my figures losing their shape , any tips would be appreciated! I want to make some that stand up. If I make them very tall around 4 inches or more, I have to lay them down and they are always flat on one side.. Thanks!

To make them not flat on one side, I lay them on top of bunched up paper towel or a bunched up cloth (really anything without a raised pattern on it will work).

I have had the same problem will have to try above advise. Thank you! Also are you using a gumpaste and fondant mix?, mixing some Tylose powder in with the fondant is always helpful. I have also done some figures making parts separately and then gluing them together when they were done drying.

Lay them on a a bed of flour or cornstarch while they're drying.

If you want figures to be roundish like people really are you need to make them out of gumpaste, no fondant. It dries/hardens faster. If you look at my pics I have a couple of figures, they are made out of gumpaste, I used gum glue and a toothpick pushed right up the bottom of them. If they are little people you are trying to make stand up, place a toothpick straight up both feet into the body and another through the body into the head. Stand them with the toothpicks into something like foamcore. The following day you can remove the toothpicks going through the body but keep the toothpicks in the feet to push it into the cake. Good luck.