I'm new at this gumpaste & like to make things ahead so I'm not rushed. I made plain flowers , baby, etc. Can I use wilton colors mixed with water to paint the flowers.

Hello and welcome to Cake Central!

Don't mix the colors with water, as water will not evaporate quickly and may eat into your creations.

Ideally, you would use vodka to mix with the icing colors, as vodka evaporates very quickly, which is exactly what you want to happen. You may also use lemon extract, as it has the highest content of alcohol...again, for fast evaporation.

Please post pics!

Thanks, lemon will work how much 4-5 drops to slight toothpick of color??

I use a drop of color (I know it's hard to quantify a drop!) with 8 - 10 drops of vodka or lemon extract. You want it to be a thin "inky" consistency...not thick, and not gloppy. Make sure to mix it well so you don't pick up any undissolved little bits on your brush.

The extract will evaporate as you are working, so just keep adding a few drops at a time to keep your thin, watery consistency.