3 For the hair, roll some flattened cones of black sugarpaste and secure into style on top of the head. For the final details, add a sliver of black to outline each eyelid, highlight the eyes with a dot of white edible paint on the end of a cocktail stick or toothpick and dust the cheeks with pink dust food colour (C).
Tip
Use a flower former to hold the head in shape while you work on it.
Using Head Shape to Add Personality
A crucial factor in imbuing your characters with personality is the shape of the head. The following examples show how using different head shapes can create a vast range of personas.
The square-shaped face implies a stocky person.
A person with a triangular face has pointed features and looks a bit shifty.
A rounded face signifies a happy personality.
This egg-shaped head would suit a studious person.
A hexagonal-shaped face indicates a bit of a thug.
The owner of this flat-shaped face would have a short, stocky body.
The pear-shaped face is the most comical and may be prone to having a double chin.
A heart-shaped face is very feminine and the hairline accentuates the shape.
An oval-shaped face is evenly balanced and is a very happy face.
Hairstyles
Hair is a great way of adding personality to your characters. For this example I will show you how to make a simple girl’s hairstyle.
1 Fill the cup of a sugar press (or garlic press) with the desired colour of sugarpaste mixed with some white vegetable fat (shortening) and extrude the hair. Do not chop the hair off in a clump, but slide tool no.4 through a few strands, taking off a single layer at a time.
2 Apply edible glue around the head, and then starting at the back of the head, work around the sides adding thin layers of hair. If there is a parting at the back of the head, work from the parting to the side of the head, keeping in mind the direction in which you would comb the hair.
3 To make bunches, extrude the hair and cut off several strands together, forming a bunch. Attach to the side of the head and shape as desired.
4 For the ringlets, take three strands of hair and twist them together, make three for each side of the head. Add a ribbon to finish by rolling a small white sausage shape.
Head and Body Shapes
As you can see from the image shown below, if a body has no neck, then the neck will be modelled with the head, and likewise, if the head has a neck, then the body will be modelled without one.
Hands and Feet
When making an arm, first roll a sausage with rounded ends. Narrow the wrist area by rolling it gently, and then narrow just above the elbow. Make a diagonal cut at the top of the arm to fit the body shape. Flatten the hand end to look like a wooden spoon.
Making Clothes
How you dress your characters is the final statement of their personality. Here I will show you how to make a pair of dungarees and a dress, both of which are very simple. With any clothing, you have to tailor it to the size of the body you are dressing, making sure the garments fit from side to side and from top to bottom.
Front of garment – trouser section and bib. Pockets with stitch marks add interest.
Back of garment – trouser section and braces. Patches add colour and fun.
Front of garment – square neck with a double frill and ribbon decoration.
Back of garment – high cut with a button opening. You could also add sleeves.
Shoes and Hats
Accessories such as hats and shoes are great fun to make. It is these little finishing touches that add to the charm of your finished character. Now you have lots of inspiration to create your own characters with bags of personality!
Girl’s red shoe – with separate sole, strap, button detail and socks. Use dry spaghetti to attach directly to the end of the leg.
Pink slipper – with white bow. The inside is hollowed out with tool no.1 for the leg to be slipped inside.
Blue boot – with red heart tie and sole. The top is hollowed out just wide enough to fit the leg.
Black and white sports shoe – with tongue, laces and stitch marked detail. Again, the inside is hollowed out so that the leg can sit inside.
Bobble