Coloring/painting Dried Gumpaste

Decorating By Dessert_Diva Updated 22 Apr 2010 , 4:08am by soledad

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Dessert_Diva Posted 3 Jul 2009 , 1:20am
post #1 of 15

Hello all. Whenever I tried to "color" gumpaste after it is dry it remains tacky. Example, I made a black lace bra with black gumpaste but want to intensify the color. The black Wilton spray is very weak...I've mixed black color with extract and painted....sticky after three days....just tried with color and water....beaded and still sticky after two days. I have no idea what I am doing wrong? Please help because coloring fondant and gumpaste by hand takes forever when you want that intense color (I know I can buy it already dyed).

I thank you for any advice you give.

14 replies
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Texas_Rose Posted 3 Jul 2009 , 1:28am
post #2 of 15

Check the ingredients on your extract...when I have painted with an extract that has propylene glycol instead of alcohol, I get the results that you're describing.

I usually paint with vodka and Wilton color and have no trouble at all getting it to dry. It takes about two hours at the longest. The more gel color you use, the slower it will dry...I painted something with undiluted gel color and it took about a week to dry.

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sugarMomma Posted 3 Jul 2009 , 1:31am
post #3 of 15

I would definitely try to color the gumpaste as dark as possible before painting to make sure it is intense, and I use a very little bit of vodka added to my color and it dries fine.
I have even better luck mixing luster or petal dust with vodka, getting it just barely wet. I dip my brush in the vodka and then the powder and paint.
The wetter you get it, the more sticky it will be.

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Dessert_Diva Posted 3 Jul 2009 , 3:14am
post #4 of 15

I thought alcohol was alcohol and since extract has alcohol....well, thanks. That's got to be it. It's not pure. Thanks!!! I've even tried a blow dryer..hee hee hee.

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Texas_Rose Posted 3 Jul 2009 , 3:29am
post #5 of 15

It's the glycerin in the gel colors that keeps them from drying...that's why diluted gel color will work better than straight gel colors. But alcohol is alcohol and vodka is alcohol mixed with water, just like most extracts...I have known some people who painted with everclear instead of vodka because the higher proof means there is less water and more alcohol, so it would dry faster.

I don't have any trouble painting things dark...if you look in my photos for the cake that has a gun on top of it, the gun was made from white fondant and the brown grip was made from orange, and then it was all painted. A lot of times I start with white fondant or gumpaste and then paint it.

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dandelion56602 Posted 3 Jul 2009 , 3:34am
post #6 of 15

Never had problems when I use color mixed w/ vodka. Then I usually put it on a cooling rack & in the oven w/ the light on. It heats it up enough to speed up the drying process but not so much it melts the gumpaste.

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Dessert_Diva Posted 3 Jul 2009 , 11:38am
post #7 of 15

All - thanks so much for your help and I'm sorry that I keep bringing it up when the answer is so easy but I have a recovering alcoholic in the home so using vodka , etc. is out. No booze allowed.
Just as an FYI - I just tried rubbing alcohol and the gel wouldn't dissolve.

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2SchnauzerLady Posted 3 Jul 2009 , 12:11pm
post #8 of 15

You can try clear vanilla to mix with your color - it will dry quickly.

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Dessert_Diva Posted 3 Jul 2009 , 1:15pm
post #9 of 15

Oh Thank You! I will try that...have some in the cabinet.

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geekjive Posted 20 Apr 2010 , 9:49pm
post #10 of 15

i mix my gel colors with clear vanilla and they work great for painting gumpaste! vanilla is usually at least 25% alcohol, from what i've seen, so it has the same result.

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TexasSugar Posted 20 Apr 2010 , 9:56pm
post #11 of 15

For future use you could look into some airbrush colors. They come already thinned so there is no need to add anything to it, and they dry.

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casme Posted 21 Apr 2010 , 3:04am
post #12 of 15

I always use vodka, works great. I have even used black or red petal dust for a more matted look ( that is after I used vodka)

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soledad Posted 21 Apr 2010 , 3:32am
post #13 of 15

Hello ladies!!
I have 2 questions...at what moment do you paint your cut outs??
I want to have golden numbers for my son's graduation cake.
I am going to insert the numbers into some very thin plastic skewers
that I still have to find... icon_smile.gif because I do not like to use the florist wires .
today I bought the following: DISCO DUST and HIGHLIGHTS GOLD both by MUSA. I also got GOLDEN BRONZE by CK PRODUCTS .
Which one would give me the best golden shade?
I thank you all for any info that you coul give me.

bye
SOLEDAD icon_smile.gif

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casme Posted 21 Apr 2010 , 5:35am
post #14 of 15

Try doing a sample of each on a scrap piece of gumpaste. Have you ever tried the tiny cocktail stirring straws.

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soledad Posted 22 Apr 2010 , 4:08am
post #15 of 15

Thank you...Casme! I did not think of that!!!! I will try colors first on scraps of gumpaste. I have not seen the cocktail stirring straws, but will look into it.

Thank you, again. icon_smile.gif

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