PIPING

We've reached the final part of our ten week series and today we are focusing on modern and artistic piping – one of the first techniques I ever learnt from my mum but also one of the last to master. In fact I would go as far as to say I've not 'mastered' it yet. There is so much potential with piping – from the simple to the very intricate. Piping is definitely a technique that needs a lot of practice, and patience, and I've still got a lot to learn.

That being said, there are some examples of the technique that I'm confident in – and they definitely work well for modern and artistic cakes...

ROYAL ICING TEXTURES

In our penultimate post, of our ten part series, we are looking at modern and artistic royal icing textures. If you have been following the series you will have noticed I did mention royal icing textures back in week six when we were talking about textured painting – but this post is dedicated to using royal icing as a textured covering rather than a painted detail.

COLOURED ICING

Week eight in our ten part series is all about modern and artistic coloured icing.

I'm specifically talking about using coloured icing to cover cakes, and therefore creating coloured backgrounds. This is a technique I've only recently started using in my cake designs. For one reason really – I'd always associated coloured icing with very loud, fun, and novelty cakes...certainly not modern and artistic wedding and celebration cakes.

I started seeing glimpses of inspiration from other cake designers and even other industries, such as stationery and interiors, that peeked my interest in background colour and so I began researching some ideas. I realised I had been somewhat unfair to coloured icing, lumping it all into the same bucket, and discovered it is more than possible to use coloured icing in modern and artistic designs.

METALLICS

Six techniques down and three to go. This week we are looking at modern and artistic metallics within wedding and celebration cake decorating.

Metallics give a design a very special and celebratory feel; after all – gold and silver, by their very nature, have meanings of worth and importance. Within design, however, it can be easy for metallics to tip into being extremely luxurious, or even ostentatious – so there is a very careful balance to keep things modern and artistic. When used well, metallics can add so much personality to a design and really bring a cake to life.

TEXTURED PAINTING

We are on week six of the decorating techniques series and we are talking: modern and artistic textured painting.

The use of texture within design has become increasingly popular over the last few years. There are many reasons why, but personally I think the main reason is authenticity. Authenticity? That's an odd reason for a design element to become popular – isn't it? I'll explain...

“WATERCOLOUR” PAINTING

Week five and we are half way through my ten part series on decorating techniques. This week it's all about modern and artistic “watercolour” painting. Why the quotation marks you ask? Well, because – although this technique gives the effect of a watercolour painting it does not have to involve water in the application.

Watercolour painting on cakes is most definitely one of my favourite techniques. The possibilities range from the somewhat expected to the really modern, artistic, and inspiring – and I love them all.

MODELS

It's week four of my ten part series on modern and artistic wedding and celebration cake decorating techniques and we are talking: Models.

The first think I want to say is actually a small (perhaps controversial) caveat...

SHAPES

Week three in my ten part series and we are talking about modern and artistic: shapes.

Modern and artistic cake design, in my opinion, is a careful balance between: creative, aspirational, and inspiring ideas, pushing the boundaries, taking a nod from the current whilst still respecting the past, and focusing on the overall vision and style without forgetting the deeper meaning. It's not about 'trends' – it has a slightly more timeless appeal – but it is about authentically aiming to create unique and 'new' concepts, with personality.

WAFER PAPER

Time for the second in my ten part series, this week I'm talking about the modern and artistic cake decorating technique: wafer paper.

SUGAR FLOWERS

If you follow me on social media you will already know – I'm starting a ten part series on different decorating techniques – in particular: some of my favourite modern and artistic styles for decorating wedding and celebration cakes. I really want to be able to offer you some inspiration and information to help with your cake choices, so please feel free to ask me questions and look out for my weekly Facebook lives that will run alongside.

The ten techniques I'm going to cover are: Sugar Flowers, Wafer Paper, Shapes, Models, Painting with Watercolour, Painting with Texture, Using Metallics, Coloured Icing, Royal Icing Textures, and Piping.

Today I'm starting the series off with modern and artistic Sugar Flowers.