Description

Originally filmed for Watch-Learn-Create Challenge #53 on Cookie Connection, this tutorial features world-renowned cake and cookie artist Laura Saporiti and her signature watercolor veiling (or layering) technique. In this two-hour-plus demo, Laura shows how to add coloring in layers to fondant to make stunning, yet simple watercolor-style pansies. Of course, these same techniques can be applied to painting other florals or non-floral subjects! Along the way, Laura shares her preferences for colorings, brushes, and other painting tools, and tips for choosing the best type of fondant/sugar paste on which to paint.

Once you’ve purchased, you’ll automatically receive a receipt with a link to a downloadable resource list that identifies Laura’s key tools and includes her sugar paste recipe. Then, simply return to this page to view the tutorial as often and for as long as you like. The sneak peek video above will disappear and be replaced with the full-length video. Just remember to log into your account in order to view.

About this Guest: Laura Saporiti, owner of Laura Saporiti Pastry and Cake Art, is a pastry chef and cake and cookie artist based in Italy. She worked in the past as an art historian, but currently loves to travel the world, teaching her passion of sugar art and furthering her mission of raising the professional stature of decorating. Laura has had the honor of being published in several international sugar art magazines and has received many awards for her work, including first prize at Cake Design Italian Festival (2013), special prize for aesthetics at Italian Cup of Cake Design (2014), gold medal at Britain’s Cake International (2014), and Rising Star Award (2017) at the Golden Tiers Awards organized by American Cake Decorating magazine. She also won the title of Best Italian Painting Artist two times in a row, in both 2015 and 2016, and she proudly wears the badge of first-place winner in the 3-D category of Julia M. Usher’s Cookie Art Competition™ (2020). Her impressive international reputation has earned her invitations to judge several competitions, such as Italian Cake Festival (2015/16), I’m Chef Bakery Master Championship (China, 2015), Istanbul Cake Show (2016/17), New York Cake Show (2016), and Cakeology Fest (India, 2019).

Notes: Though this challenge initially ran in January 2023 with a focus on painting pansies, the painting technique taught in this video is timeless and, as noted before, can be used to paint myriad florals (even non-florals) on fondant-covered cookies. To see the cookies that challenge entrants made with this technique, check out the Challenge #53 recap post on Cookie Connection for inspiration. If you have any questions about this tutorial or Laura’s work, please visit Laura on her site or Instagram. For other guest tutorials originally filmed for Cookie Connection challenges, check out the “MORE LIKE THIS” section below.

Details

Skill Level: All, as Laura guides you step-by-step, and layer-by-layer, through her watercolor veiling technique

Video Format: Recording of live demo by Laura Saporiti; unedited

Video Length: 2:06:16

What You’ll Learn (~5 Techniques)

• Tools best suited for alcohol-based painting
• Types of fondant/sugar paste best suited for alcohol-based painting
• Method for image transfer to fondant/sugar paste
• Watercolor veiling and fading effects
• Painting of fine details

What You’ll Receive:

• Forever-access to video recording on this site
• Resource list that includes Laura’s nonfat sugar paste recipe and the key tools used in this video

Video Outline (Time Stamp):

• Introduction of guest Laura Saporiti by host Manu Pezzopane (0:00 – 4:53)
• Additional background about Laura and overview of her watercolor veiling technique (4:54 – 7:20)
• Overview of Laura’s tutorial project (pansies painted on fondant; 7:21 – 7:41)
• Discussion of preferred tools (demo begins; 7:42 – 23:19)
• Discussion of preferred painting surfaces, Laura’s nonfat sugar paste recipe, fondant/sugar paste handling techniques, and image transfer method (23:20 – 38:33)
• Demonstration of general watercolor veiling principles (38:34 – 55:59)
• Step 1/painting pansies – painting background color, creating fading effect, and leaving reserved areas unpainted (56:00 – 1:15:59)
• Step 2/painting pansies – adding veins (1:16:00 – 1:35:10)
• Step 3/painting pansies – applying fine details to pansies and surrounding background (1:35:11 – 1:57:05; demo ends)
• Discussion of Challenge #53 rules and prizes, plus closing remarks (1:57:06 – 2:06:16; you may want to skip this part since the challenge is now closed)

Purchase Agreement: Julia M. Usher, LLC is the sole copyright owner of this video tutorial. Laura Saporiti is the sole copyright owner of the companion handout, and has granted permission to Julia M. Usher, LLC to distribute it in perpetuity along with this tutorial. Reproduction, distribution, resale, and/or any other use for financial gain of this video or handout, in whole or in part, are strictly prohibited. However, as the purpose of the tutorials in Julia’s Watch-Learn-Create challenge series is to teach, any knowledge gleaned from this video and handout can be used to make cookies or other products for either personal use or sale. In purchasing this tutorial, you acknowledge that you agree to these terms of use.

Julia’s Return Policy: Due to the online nature of this tutorial, all sales are final.

Video Production: Laura Saporiti and host Manu Pezzopane, via ECamm Live. Again, this class is a recording of a live online demo, so production value will vary throughout the video depending on internet conditions at the time. It is also unedited, so there may be brief pauses as the guest gathers tools or cleans between demo steps.