Creature Sculpture - Dragon Cake Decoration
Dragon Birthday Cake Decoration Sculpture
This was the first attempt at sculpture after the snow cat and alien sculptures.
Studying the construction and development of clay dragons I decided to have a go to make the cake decoration for my nephew very much into dragons and dinosaurs.
Construction was from the inside out, taking into account of quadruped and predator anatomy such as forward pointed eyes and the hips.
The body was constructed from Marzipan, sugar paste with wire and foil armatures with horns and teeth carved from almonds and button eyes.The ears were supported by paperclip armatures.
The first attempt was too small and out of proportion and the internal foil structure was too big causing trouble in shaping. Initially attempts were made with yellow marzipan which was found to be very soft. A shift was attempted with far more expensive sugar paste with colouring additives. This also proved problematic and to cut cost marzipan was again used on the outside with some blending of the two with additional flower. Icing colouring was the main colour then over the dented skin a wash of water thinned colour brought out the texture of the scales.
Once the main body was constructed the back spines were made from coloured almond slices and the horns, claws and teeth from Dremel type
rotary multi-tool sanded almonds. The eyes just eye buttons for a more shinny lifelike look.
rotary multi-tool sanded almonds. The eyes just eye buttons for a more shinny lifelike look.
Whilst an important feature in a dragon it was found to be near impossible to work with in construction of the wings. The wings were started with a twisted wire armature structure. Wings proved to be nothing more than problematic as oil based clay neither material would stick to the wire armatures, nor could the wings stay upright without assistance so they were removed going back to a land bases dragon look and the colouring was toned down for a more lifelike look without the yellow eyes.
