Hello fellow cakers!

I have an Ariel cake topper due in a few weeks, and this will be my first topper that requires painted facial features. What should I use to paint the face (eyes, eyebrows, lips)? Any paint and brush recommendations are much appreciated! Attached is a picture of what my figure will be modeled after.

Thank you![postimage id="4403" thumb="900"]

i would use edible ink markers -- specifically americolor gourmet markers -- you can cut the tip to make it a finer tip -- I've even mixed colors by writing over --

i would use these because they work so very very well and because I suck at painting 

Following - no advice sorry, just interested in the answers.

For the face I would use a very very thin paint brush and gel colours. I would definitely paint the eye brows, eyes and lips. I find I can control the thickness and intensity of the colour best using a brush and gel. For more translucent colour I thin it down with vodka. I also have markers but I find the colour is not as intense and they are too thick for details.

For the rough on her cheeks you can either use a dry round brush and red dust or airbrush.

i admire those who wield the mighty paintbrush but just for the record -- I'm repeating here so forgive me --

for others of us who are not paint brush worthy -- you can trim the felt tip on the gourmet markers to make it a very fine point -- just cut with scissors or an exacto

@K8memphis: I would say you have to be very artistic to form a mermaid face (or any other) out of fondant. Painting lips red and drawing some lines for lashes or eye brows is not what i call artistic!  

Thank you for the tips! I really appreciate it :)

@julia1812 ‍ what do you use for the white when bringing life to the eyes?

Thanks again, ladies! (I've never tried trimming the felt marker tips, but I see how that could come in handy for a lot of projects!)

I'm no expert, when I do eyes I use white gel paste and the tip of the handle of a paintbrush. It makes a perfect circle. Dip the tip in the color and lightly press onto the area. HTH

For brushes, look for nail (art) brushes - they are very small/fine for such small detail and work great.  Found a set on Amazon with differing sizes - do not go too cheap.

It depends on the size of the figurine. If it's a bigger one I use white very thin gum paste and shape it with an extractor knife or similar tool then paint the pupil etc. If it's a tiny face I'd use white food coloring gel. 

julia1812 -- I do not doubt my artistry but the paintbrush which is your right hand apparently -- is not my favorite tool -- I can pipe flawlessly in the tiniest widths and I can as I said trim a marker and etc.

here's an old quote I like "Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

all I was doing is giving more options -- 

in fact fwiw -- in school and all following till my 20's I thought I was zero artistic  -- then I tried to copy a greeting card picture onto a cake and I did it perfectly and I was astounded -- speechless -- so I became a tree climbing fish -- 

oh yeah in 8th grade though I did one project that was an Indian chief in yarn on burlap -- I do more 3-d things, drawings piped in icing -- but painting with brushes uh ugh I'm a flopping fish outa water 

Oh no no I get your point @K8memphis!  And I have mighty respect for free hand paint artists. What I mean is, if someone is artistic enough to sculpt ariels body and face should be able to paint some red lips on the already sculpted ones. I would be more worried about getting the proportions right and make her sweet face not look like a freak shape wise. But like you said everyone has a different strength and feels more comfortable with their own techniques. Not trying to make fish climb trees here hehehe.

Great! Now I'm not worried about painting, I'm worried about sculpting! 

Oh nooooo!  Hahaha. ... That's not what I wanted :/ Hope you are just joking...

You know I love figurines because you can make them in advance, no pressure. And if you don't like it just start over again. I always make the heads separate cause it takes me much longer than the body. And only if I'm happy with it I attached it. 

Hope you gonna post pictures!?

I am kidding :) And I do the same thing; I do the head as early as possible so that I have plenty of time to redo the sculpt if I'm not happy with it. Three is usually a charm for me! :)

And u can't definitely post pictures! Thank you for your help!

Here is how she turned out! (I was SUPER bummed because her head over rotated during the night (her neck wasn't as dry as I thought it was!) but she was still cute :)[postimage id="4669" thumb="900"]

well done -- dang the little details huh but all your wonderful figurines have great expressions -- she kinda looks like mariah carey doesn't she?

 Bahahahaha she does!

Very cute

I'd be really pleased if anything I did turned out like that! I ordered a decent set of make up brushes with a really fine eye liner brush included. Have yet to try them though as I've packed all my cake and craft stuff away ready for imminent house move!