The half eaten doughnut from Aliens

[Mattias]

This is a bit of a weird one, but I want to recreate the half eaten doughnut from Aliens, to go with my screen accurate coffee cup from the same scene. Well, I have already made one out of Fimo clay, and given that I’ve never made anything like this, I think it came out quite decent. However, the texture, or rather the lack thereof, makes it look smooth and somewhat like a small bagel. Can anyone advice me on how to get something that looks like more of a deep fried surface?

 

[Metalalien]

You did it!

 

[sstnickg]

Looking good to me.....and now I'm hungry.

 

[Mattias]

Looking good to me.....and now I'm hungry.

Thank you! I don’t think it looks bad either, but I think I will try to make another one and maybe make the surface a bit rough to give it more of a texture.

And I’ll probably also give the sugar on top another go, to make the crystals smaller and less salt like. I just pushed some clay through a sieve and cut it up, so I guess I could just use a finer one.

 

[Krel]

Is that sugar on top, or is it mold from sitting there all those weeks?

David.

 

[AnubisGuard]

Can anyone advice me on how to get something that looks like more of a deep fried surface?

The screen used donut appears to be glazed, so a gloss coat will help it look more like the prop. (And less like a bagel.)

 

[JPH]

Are you sure it isnt a garlic or onion bagel?

The large and scant sprinkles are not very donut-like

 

[goldcylon]

Is that sugar on top, or is it mold from sitting there all those weeks?

David.

It's evolving into a higher life form.

 

[goldcylon]

Are you sure it isnt a garlic or onion bagel?

The large and scant sprinkles are not very donut-like

More like salt crystals

 

[AnubisGuard]

I'm not convinced, based on the provided screencap, that there are sprinkles on top. It looks to me like an uneven, glazed surface catching reflections.

 

[Mattias]

More like salt crystals

Yes exactly, that’s what I feel it looks like too. I first of all want a more deep fried looking surface, which I don’t really know how to achieve, and regarding glacing or not, it’s hard to tell if it was indeed glaced or if it was just sprinkled with sugar that has melted in the dripping water.

 

[Tan Djarka]

I think the reason why you're not capturing the right texture is that you're reproducing the wrong kind of donut. A yeast donut has the relatively smooth surface of your replica, but I think that's a cake donut.

 

[Mattias]

I think the reason why you're not capturing the right texture is that you're reproducing the wrong kind of donut. A yeast donut has the relatively smooth surface of your replica, but I think that's a cake donut.

Well, yes you’re probably right. I was just not really thinking of texture at all when I started doing this, I just grabbed some clay at the store and went on with it.

I bought a real doughnut today, so I at least have a proper reference other than what my mind thinks a doughnut looks like. I still think the glaced look comes from humid/melted sugar, so I will go for that look.

My real reference (and yummy) doughnut:

 

[joberg]

Thank you! I don’t think it looks bad either, but I think I will try to make another one and maybe make the surface a bit rough to give it more of a texture.

And I’ll probably also give the sugar on top another go, to make the crystals smaller and less salt like. I just pushed some clay through a sieve and cut it up, so I guess I could just use a finer one.

It's a sugar topped doughnut...it has been sitting in a cold setting for a long period of time...hence the "frost" effect on the set surfaces: cup, counter top, etc...So the doughnut could be well preserved in those conditions. No glazing, just sugar on top...real sugar will do just fine
Experiment with it and spray a coat of satin varnish on top to see how it's reacting with the spray. Or use crushed sea salt to a fine powder.

 

[Mattias]

It's a sugar topped doughnut...it has been sitting in a cold setting for a long period of time...hence the "frost" effect on the set surfaces: cup, counter top, etc...So the doughnut could be well preserved in those conditions. No glazing, just sugar on top...real sugar will do just fine
Experiment with it and spray a coat of satin varnish on top to see how it's reacting with the spray. Or use crushed sea salt to a fine powder.

Sounds like a good idea, a coat of varnish on real sugar might result in that almost glaced look.

 

[ZRE1990]

I know you can buy faux prop sugar on Etsy for really cheap if you don’t want to use real sugar. I’ve taken craft foam balls and put them in a blender to get a fine fake sugar for faux churros in the past.

 

[Mattias]

I know you can buy faux prop sugar on Etsy for really cheap if you don’t want to use real sugar. I’ve taken craft foam balls and put them in a blender to get a fine fake sugar for faux churros in the past.

Thanks for the tips! I will try real sugar on a test piece to start with, if that doesn’t work well I’ll definitely try your suggestions!

I made another doughnut base today, not sure I’m happy with it or not, hard to say with just the clay and no paint…

 

[nick daring]

I love it.

 

[David3]

Hey man.. ya know, if it doesn't work out it'd still make a great derelict alien spacecraft.

 

[Mattias]

Hey man.. ya know, if it doesn't work out it'd still make a great derelict alien spacecraft.
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Haha, very true!