Step 1. Start with the Flamingo Frosting

To draw a cupcake step-by-step the artist starts with the pink flamingo. She first uses the blender marker on the flamingo’s neck to brighten the following color she adds next, light pink A489. She also uses this color to define the shadows as these markers are semi-transparent and work best when added in layers. To intensify the shadows, the artist uses medium pink A48, to blur the previous colors for a smooth gradient.

She darkens the center of the neck to create a shadow, going closer to the right edge but stopping before she gets to the edge. The outer edge of the neck is lighter because it has a reflection of the bird’s wing and the background, which are lighter colors. Using light and dark shadows in this way creates the feeling of 3-dimensionality to the flamingo’s neck.

Step 2. Filling in the Beak

The artist also uses the blender marker on the beak to brighten the light cream A9426. She draws the beak with the A9426 marker, adding a little bit of medium pink A489 to create a shadow by blending the two colors together. For the end of the beak, she uses dark grey A159 for the background and medium grey A156 for the reflections of light with one glare a little lighter than the other.

Working near the eye and the top of the beak the artist uses medium bright pink A888 to darken the area for more contrast.

Step 3. Draw the Wings

The wings and the feathers are drawn using the same technique as the neck — from medium pink A489 to the darker medium bright pink A888. To define the feathers in the wing, the artist leaves some of the white paper showing and adds more of the medium bright pink A888. She creates the second wing using A888 and adds light violet A884 on the back of the wing to create a shadow.

Step 4. Drawing the Cupcake

To create the top of the cupcake, pale gold A936 is used, with a shadow added with light pink A489 and by blurring the edges of the two colors together. The main thing to remember is not to add too much color. You want the left side, which is the area the light is shining on, to be a paler shade and the right side, the area where less light is shining, to be darker.

Notice how the artist always uses strokes that go in the same direction as the contours of the object she is coloring.

To give the appearance of baked dough, the artist uses light brown A610 and irregular strokes to show the cupcake’s texture. She gradually adds darker shades with light medium brown A604 and medium brown A611, varying the strokes from large ones to small spots. Keeping the direction of the light in mind, she keeps the left side lighter than the right.

To make the paper cupcake baking cup, the artist covers the entire area first with light violet A888. Then she draws over the areas she’s colored with the same color to designate the folds in the paper. To darken them further, she uses the dark violet A883 marker.

HINT: This drawing contains many overlapping elements. As they overlap, they create shadows on top of one another. If you want a realistic drawing, don’t forget to add these shadows.

The artist then adds the shadows behind what will become the heart and pineapple cookies by adding indigo A8273 and blending it with the dark violet A883. She then adds highlights of pale blue A267.

Step 5. Adding the Heart Cookies

Starting with the heart cookies, the artist goes from light to dark using light cream A9426, light pink A489, and a bit of medium pink A48. To add shadows to the little round decorations on top of the cookies, she uses light violet A884. Leaving some of the white of the paper showing adds highlights to these decorations.

Step 6. Coloring the Pineapple Cookie

For the pineapple cookie, the artist first goes over the area with the blender marker. She then uses light yellow A945 to color in the cookie. This cookie has a criss-cross pattern on top, with high and low areas. The high areas on the pineapple are closer to us, so the artist keeps it in the light yellow shade. The lower areas are darker, so the artist darkens them with medium yellow A949, light medium beige A944, and medium beige A934 markers. For the darkest area she adds light medium brown A604. The pineapple’s leafy top is drawn with pale green A5948 leaving tiny white spots of the paper showing for the glare. They are darkened somewhat with medium green A5947 and then blended with the pale green.

Step 7. Add the Background

For the background, the artist uses pale blue A267 and medium blue A266. To create an airy look, she draws in a circular motion. Using the same colors, she then draws the cupcake’s stand adding light violet A884.

HINT: To make the cookies look as if they are sitting on the table, darken underneath them to to represent the shadows they cast.

Draw the table’s surface with light grey A1503 and medium grey A151 blending them with the shadows under the cookies. To integrate the background with the table’s surface the artist layers the pale blue A267 over the gray background.