How to sculpt a 3D donut

Welcome! This blog post features a guided tutorial of how to sculpt a 3D donut. This fun food sculpture explores important sculpture techniques for beginning artists and brings to life the elements of art, specifically TEXTURE, FORM, and COLOR.

In this tutorial, the following materials will be used to create the 3d donut:

• Plaster strips (this can also be substituted for paper mache)
• Scrap paper, newspaper, plastic bags, etc.
• All purpose joint compound
• Liquid glue
• Acrylic paint
• Popsicle sticks
• Glossy Mod Podge *optional*
• Model magic clay for sprinkles *optional*

*Disclaimer* I am an Amazon Associates member and may earn a small commission if you purchase an item I recommend on my blog. I only recommend items I’ve personally used and loved.

STEP 1:

Create an ARMATURE for your donut sculpture. Think of the armature as the skeleton inside the sculpture that creates the main form. For the donut, roll up scrap paper and tape the shape. If needed, consider stuffing the inside with a plastic bag, foam, or other found objects.

STEP 2:

Bring the sides together to create a circular donut shape. Tape to hold the position. This may be a 2 person job! Work together if needed.

STEP 3:

Set up your work space for adding plaster strips with 1 water bucket and 1 bucket with plaster strips. It is recommended to cut the plaster strips into 1-2″ strips. Avoid getting any water into the dry plaster strip bucket.

If substituting the plaster strips for paper mache, set up the appropriate work space with precut strips of newspaper and mache.

STEP 4:

Drip each strip in the water bucket and wrap around the donut armature. Smooth out the holes by rubbing your finger along the surface. Cover the donut armature with 1-2 layers of plaster strips. Ideally, none of the armature should be visible.

STEP 5:

Allow time for the plaster strips to dry, roughly 1 day. Once fully dry, apply acrylic paint to the “cake” of your donut with a color of your choice. I

STEP 6:

Once paint is fully dry apply the “icing.” To create the icing, you will tint the white joint compound with a color of your choice. Mix thoroughly with a popsicle stick.

STEP 7:

Apply the “icing” to your cupcake. *TIP: Applying this medium too thick may lead to cracking as it dries.*

STEP 8:

Allow the joint compound to fully dry, roughly 1 day. Once it is dry, apply a “drizzle” a top the icing. To create the drizzle, explore mixing ink, paint, or powdered pigment with glue. Another option is to use puffy paint.

STEP 9:

Many options can be used to finalize the donuts creatively. Some ideas include:

-Shaping tiny globs of white model magic clay into sprinkles. Color can be added to the model magic clay using colored markers.

-Glueing on actual sprinkles or shaped beads!

-Adding a glossy varnish or glossy mod podge on to the dry donut to create a shiny finish.

Thanks for checking out this blog post. I would love to see your creation if you use these steps to create your own donut sculpture. Feel free to tag me on Instagram and possibly get featured in this site! Also, please follow Make a Mark Studios on Facebook to keep up with the latest posts! Thanks in advance!

-Stephanie Villiotis, art teacher and creator of Make a Mark Studios