Hi, i have not yet painted on a cake.....do i have to wait to hand paint the fondant on the cake or can i just cover the cake in fondant and start the painting? (don't own an airbrush so thats not an option) also if i mix luster dust with clear extract how thin or thick does it have to be to have good coverage?

What kind of painting are you talking about?

In my pic's I hand painted my teapot that was covered with fondant. I just covered it and started painting. I used gel colors mixed with vodka to paint. A little color goes a long way.

HTH you!

Hi
I'm also pretty at this also, but I do have some experience with painting on fondant. I just finished a cake this evening that is painted. I just use luster dust and vodka. As far as thick or thin, just play with it. Thicker is darker, thinner is lighter. Also, it seemed to cover better if you mix and let it sit for 3 or 4 minutes before using. Good luck!

I've also hand painted a cake or two. I just use watered down food coloring and paint the cake after the fondant has hardened slightly.

thanks, i have to paint the silver on a drum and write things on the cake.

I have painted on both fondant and BC. The trick with BC is to let it crust up a couple of hours and keep in mind it will take a couple of coats to get the vibrancy you may want. Fondant is easier. I've used watered down gel colors as well as luster dust mixed with either extract or vodka. Works really well!

IF YOU DON'T HAVE VODKA AND DON'T WANT TO WASTE YOUR EXTRACTS YOU CAN THIN DOWN YOUR COLOR OR MIX YOUR DUSTS WITH LEMON JUICE. A LITTLE LESS EXPENSIVE TO USE.

Keep in mind, if you need to paint on the sides, it's easier to start with the "paint" too thick and thin it as needed. If it is too thin it will run and may ruin your design. Also, if the consistency is pretty thin, it will give you a water color look, which is great when you're doing leaves or petals.