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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Creating Cheese Art From Coloring Pages Tutorial


So awhile back I stumbled on a tutorial from Moey's Heart and Health for fancy cake decorating using coloring pages while scrolling through Pinterest. I pinned it for later use on birthday cakes. Then we began making bento lunches. I kept envying all these gorgeous bentos with fantastic character art. I have NO artistic talent and no food decorating experience. So I adapted Moey's technique into one that I could use on food. Using Americolor Edible markers, wax paper, scotch tape, coloring pages, and cheese. Now I am also very lazy so a lot of the time I google coloring pages and tape a piece of wax paper to my laptop screen and color while I'm watching TV. Here' show it would look if I sat down at the kitchen table to do it like a normal human being. Apologies for the poor choice in demo character, not that we don't love Lightening McQueen but he is a great example of what not to pick I'll get to that in a minute. :)

Step 1: Grab your supplies
  • Americolor edible markers or other food grade coloring dye, gel, etc
  • Wax paper
  • Scotch tape
  • Coloring page/Image you want to copy 
    • Stay within the size of your cheese, it's very annoying to piece together multiple pieces
    • Stay away from details that will be unreadable when flipped, as this is a transfer all images are mirror images. This is why Lightening is a poor choice, his "95" and "Rusteze" will be backwards
    • Avoid too many tiny details, the colors will just smear together and make a mess
  • Cheese - I find White works best, provolone, white cheddar, muenster, babybel, mozzarella, etc.
Step 2: Cut a piece of wax paper
  •  Cut off a little bigger than your piece of cheese
  • Do not trim the width, you'll need it to wrap the uncolored side
  • Tape it to your picture 




Step 3: Channel your inner child and get to coloring
  • Color in the solid colors first as tempting as it is to trace the outline save that for last
  • Outline and add details 
  • Check for dry spots if it starts to dry just go over it again






Step 4: Check your work

  • Carefully untape your picture
  • Place it over something solid color, preferably white, so you can see if you missed any spaces
  • Re-color any dry spots
  • This is when it will dawn on you that letters and number will be backwards



  

Step 5 : Place your cheese on top
  • Press firmly but don't tear it
  • Go over the whole picture to make sure its all in contact with the wax paper



Step 6 : Fold the wax paper like a present 
  • Fold all 4 sides over be careful not to move the cheese out of position or it will smear
  • You can reattach the tape over the flaps or just leave it creased

Step 7: Flip and rub
  • Flip it over and rub the image firmly like you were doing a crayon rubbing
  • See what I mean about being cognizant of mirror imaging

 Step 8: The big reveal
  • Untape, unfold, etc. colored side down on a flat surface
  • Carefully peel off the cheese
  • Trim the edges with a paring knife for a clean look or cut with a cookie cutter to match your sandwich
  • If you're working the night before (as I do) leave it wrapped tight over night
    • The colors have more time to saturate the cheese
    • It won't dry out if its taped shut



Here are some better examples from previous lunches:



And here's what happens when you don't color in the dry spots and select an image with too many tiny details:





In the end it's just food you can always eat your mistakes and start over :)


11 comments:

  1. Oo! And this way the pens won't get traces of cheese proteins on them and start molding!

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    Replies
    1. Yep, when I draw directly on cheese I am constantly wiping off the tip.

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  2. Hey, that's cool! I totally thought you did that MLK freehand on the cheese! I'm still impressed even if it was traced because this is neato!

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  3. Thank you so much for these amazing coloring pages! They have been such a blessing for us!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ah Ha! That's how you do it. I've been actually drawing "on" the cheese. Never works too well. LOL!

    ReplyDelete