Elastocapillary singularities in wetting & creasing

Soft elastic interfaces can strongly deform under the influence of external forces, and can even exhibit elastic singularities. Here we discuss two cases where such singularities occur. First, we describe surface creases that form under compression (or swelling) of an elastic medium. Second, we consider the elastocapillary ridges that form when a soft substrate is wetted by a liquid drop. Analytical descriptions are presented and compared to experiments. We reveal that, like for liquid interfaces, the surface tension of the solid is a key factor in shaping the surface, and determines the nature of the singularity.