4. DECIDE ON THE LEVEL OF SIMPLICITY

Think of how simple (compared with the original design) you want the face to be? You can take a few things into consideration:

• YOUR SKILL LEVEL (what are you able to make?)

No one better than you knows your limits. So f.ex. if you are having difficulties modelling a realistic nose, make a simple oval ball nose. In my opinion it’s better to make a simple, clean and neat figure than a more realistic one, with many flaws. Don’t get me wrong – it’s good to push your limits & learn new things. That’s the only way to get better. But make sure that you are not in a rush when trying new things. Experimenting with f.ex. last minute orders might be a bit frustrating ;)

• THE CUSTOMER'S PREFERENCES

Find out what the customer wants and make sure he knows what you can provide. If he wants ‘realistic-looking’ Anna and Elsa toppers and he gets a kawaii version of the characters, that might be a problem ;) I usually send some reference photos showing the level of complexity I can achieve.

• HOW MUCH IS THE CUSTOMER WILLING TO PAY

If the customer wants realistic looking toppers and doesn’t want to pay too much, explain how much a topper like that would cost and what kind of complexity you can offer for a lower price. Don’t get upset at the customer if he’s surprised with the high price – they don’t do it to hurt your feelings. They are just not aware how much time cake making takes. To be honest, before I stared making cakes, I was shocked with the prices too!