Yea I understand you completely.... I am preparing a Pirate cake and you should see my drawings that I am looking at and going to show the customer tonight...Thank goodness she is a friend.... Most of the time I try to take a look at several different cakes and draw as close as I can....they get the picture most of the time
I thought I couldn't either but once you see enough cakes it get easier and easier
Start by learning how to draw a basic cake shape.
For a round cake the top is a pointed 'football' shape to which you draw straight lines down to the bottom.
Adding tiers is something I still haven't mastered very well. Usually I do the above, then erase where I need the next tier to go.
Practice it over & over and it will get better. Usually if you have something you can copy right in front of you it helps. As another poster said, just copy what you see.
I was going to say the same thing as the post above me...for a round cake if you want it to look 3D then just draw an oval and put straight lines down on either side, as you add the upper teirs just erase the parts that overlap from the one before. Or just do them in 2D which for many you can just draw rectangles one on top of the next and draw on the sides...you know one thing I let a bride do was take over the pencil...they feel quite proud to design their own cakes too...it makes it so much fun for everyone...
I have my husband draw for me! It makes him feel like part of my process and he doesn't feel so left out when I withdraw to my cakes.
I don't know how many cakes you do, but there is a computer program that will print out your designs for you. I want it! (cuz I can't draw either...LOL) It is sooo awesome! Take a look at their website to see what it can do. It costs around $70 - so you would have to decide if it is worth the price - you know for as many cakes as you do. Here is a link to their website....
http://www.weddingcakedesignpro.com/
I really like the look of this, does anyone have it already? Can anyone give any feedback? Is it good?
If you look in the template section of the gallery there are many different styles you can print and the all you need to do is draw your decorations. I believe Doug posted a lot of them if not all. They are very helpful when designing.
and if you promise him chocolate he'll even draw then up on special request.
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all the templates I've made were done w/ MS Publisher
I usually draw my sad rendition of the cake and tell them my decorating is waaaaay better than my drawing.
Ha Ha, I tell my customers the exact same thing. I also tell them when they look at my photos that I'm a better decorator than photographer. I had a caterer tell me the other day that my photos don't do my cakes justice. I can tell you that neither do my sketches.
Mine are kinda stick figures I guess, but I do draw mine with a very large pack of colored pencils. That way I am not labeling colors, they are already on there.
I just start with squares for a round or a square tierd, cause if you look at them from the side, they dont really look all that different.
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This is what I do, and then pencil draw little flowers where they want flowers or stipes where they want stripes, etc. Not fancy, but it gives them an idea, and me as well. Just as an idea, you can save Dougs pictures to your Desktop, and then print them out and attach to your order forms. That way you have one when you need one, and you can just add a little doodle where they want flowers, borders, stripes, whatever.
What I like is watching the wedding cake competitions on FN and seeing how they have their cake designs all sketched out and how they look like an exact replica of what they made! Who are these people?! I know that I get rough ideas in my head but to sit there and to sketch out every little detail just amazes me and I can draw!
I usually draw my sad rendition of the cake and tell them my decorating is waaaaay better than my drawing.
Most cakes can be represented in basic shapes - rounds, squares, etc., and most decorations (unless youâre creating elaborate 3D scenery) can also be fairly basic - scrolls, flowers, etc. Even a teddy-bear is a bunch of rounds and ellipses⦠If you âdeconstructâ them in your mind down to their basics, it would be much easier to eventually put down on paper. Donât be discouraged, just doodle away and youâll become better at it.
(I took fashion design classes in a previous life, and was terribly embarrassed looking at my sketches in comparison to those of a girl from an art school⦠I learned the whole âdeconstructionâ thing there⦠But when it came time to make the designs in fabric on models, hers were a complete disaster (evil grin here), while mine looked and fit pretty wellâ¦)
Moral of the story? It is way more important what the cake looks like, rather than its sketch⦠And with practice, everyone gets better.
I usually can come up with an idea in my head, but getting it down on paper is difficult. And I am a decent artist (not great) and for the life of me I have great difficulty sketching cakes. I'm much better sketching something that I can look at, but can't draw from memory or from 'pictures' in my head.
For example, this one took me about two days. I gave the 'client' (it's actually a donation for a 25th Elementary school reunion) a choice of three designs.
I use graph paper and colored pencils. I find that it a good enough idea of what the cake will look like without spoiling my big "Ta-Da!" moment when I present the cake. With the graph paper you just assign 1 square:1inch of cake, it's really easy.
I draw random things and tell people what they are... like squiggly lines on a layer indicate sand. stars are starfish... all flowers on my drawings look the same, a crazy little 5 petaled thing and then I just draw an arrow off and write 5" hibiscus or whatever... Never had a complaint about my ability (or lack there of) to draw.
Thanks for starting this. I had been looking for a computer program to draw cake, now I see I don't need one. I have been sitting down with clients and we would sketch out what they wanted. Very crude drawings, but they have worked so I'll stick with that. Thanks. I love it when I don't have to spend extra money!!!
If you look in the template section of the gallery there are many different styles you can print and the all you need to do is draw your decorations. I believe Doug posted a lot of them if not all. They are very helpful when designing.
and if you promise him chocolate he'll even draw then up on special request.
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all the templates I've made were done w/ MS Publisher
I use the templates! Thanks Doug!!
I'm mildly obsessed with meeting and talking with other decorators in town. I found out one doesn't even draw the cake... just writes out what it will be. 12" hex, 9" hex 6 " hex, ivory buttercream, shell border, sotas.
I can't imagine if I didn't draw a picture for people!! lol.
Believe me, even if the drawings are crude its a lot easier to use a colored pencil then it is to use that wedding cake design program! And I heard it went up to like $60 with no upgrades! Really crazy! It would be one thing if it was worth it!
I guess its up to an actual cake designer to make a program to do it right! Anyone?
I do like the other lady said. My husband draws it for me. He's the artist of the family. I describe it to him or try to draw it and he said "here, let me show you what you're thinking about". He has really helped me out alot.
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