For those who have made an armadillo cake before....Do you think an airbrush would be necessary?

I was wondering if the same coloration might be achieved by starting with some grey buttercream, and painting on shades of brown, green etc.

Thoughts?

also - i have yet to see some dust colors that are matte, without the shiny pearl finish.  Has anyone found anything like that?

Thanks

You want to look for petal dust for a matte finish.  I just ordered a few from Global Sugar Art (https://www.globalsugarart.com/cake/decorating-dusts/petal.html) the other day.  They have pretty much every color you can think of or need.  But you can also find them through other cake decorating sites or Amazon.

You definitely do not need an airbrush to paint your armadillo!  If he will be all buttercream, you can achieve the color, as you described, by using different browns and grays with maybe a few touches of green.  You can use petal dusts or gel colors.  If you are using fondant, a medium gray base would be a good place to start.  Details and highlights can be added by dry brushing petal dusts or mixing dusts or gel colors with alcohol and painting on with a brush.

I order most of my petal dusts from Global Sugar Art, as well.  I like the Roxie & Rich brand for the vibrant colors  and even their metallics have been approved as food safe.

and any good armadillo will have a few insect body parts & leg crumbs around it's mouth/chin > shudder <

now i'm gonna have nightmares 

but you can use paint and you can brush on some petal dust and or cocoa powder to put shade in areas too

and I was just kiddin' about the insect crumbs -- but aren't they a gross little animal?

I think they are cute, but then I love all animals.  When I was in college (100 years ago) a student had an armadillo as a pet and he had it outside letting it root around and eat.  That is the only live one I've ever seen.  They have finally spread to our part of the country, but the only ones I've seen are dead on the road.

sloths and armadillos and a few other animals give me the creeps -- just not cake material to moi

I think sloths are cute too!  Told you I am an animal lover!

you would  they really creep me out -- and when I was a kid my brother's raccoon messed on my shirley temple story book (aka my christmas present -- was a lean year :) and it left a terrible stain -- so as cute as they are raccoons are out too hahahaha but I love pandas and elephants and a lot of others -- don't get me going about the squirrels in the attic hahahaahha

There are a lot of things about wild animals that are very irritating to me, for instance, I cannot have flowers or a garden because we have tons of deer, but I love to watch the deer and am happy they feel safe in our yard (which is huge and surrounded by woods.  The hateful raccoons steal the catfood all the time, even though the cats have a fence around them that nothing else can breech.  Dang raccoons can climb it like it wasn't there because they have thumbs.  But....they have to live too, so I just fuss at them and let them go about their business.

Appreciate the suggestions.  Doing some ordering tonight!

armadillos are common here - opposums too.  Usually here them on the porch at night.  Kinda cute...when they’re not getting into mischief!

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