Hello,
I have never used gumpaste before, but need to make some leaves for a fall wedding cake. I have time to practice so I want to get going with it. My question is, can I paint on the leaves w/ americolors? I assume I thin it down, maybe w/ some extract or vodka or something.... but do I paint on the leaves when they're dried out or still damp?? Also, will the americolors work or do I need those powdered colors?? And how do I put a little sheen on them? Luster dust or something?? I know I have a few containers of one of those powders but I forget which, I bought some stuff for gumpaste a while ago but never had a chance to play with it. THanks!
I just did some gumpaste flowers and leaves. For the leaves I colored the gumpaste before I rolled it out and cut the leaves out. They did fade a little bit so if you do it that way make sure you make it darker than you want them to be in the end. The flowers I did, I painted with a non-toxic chalk from hobby lobby. You can find it in the drawing/paint section. You just scrape some off with you knife and paint it on with a little brush after your flowers are dry. It works so nice. I've heard of people "setting the color" by holding it over boiling water for a little bit. I didn't do that, but you might want to. I just didn't know enough about that part of it to try it. And I didn't have enough time to experiment with it. Maybe someone else on here can help you out with that part. I'm curious about it too. I really did love the chalking though. It was so easy. You can see the flowers in my pics in the wedding cake pic if you want to see what it looks like. HTH
lol I know, but that's what everything I read said to do. I would love to get some more suggestions though. Let me know what you do and how it works.
I am curious for the answers too. Does any one color the flower petals before you stick them together? It just seems hard to get in between the petals while it is all put together, but it is probably my lack of painting skills causing me problems. And for the chalk thing....How do you get it fine enough?..mine always seems to have little pieces that seem to always find their way into my work?! TIA for any help!!
Diane~
if i make light coloured roses i use white gumpaste, when dry I make a mix of colour with alcohol in a jar, I then dip the rose and spin excess colour off. hang to dry.... this will give you a shaded type of effect, I then sometimes I dust just the edges with some chalk in a deeper shade.then steam.
For darker flowers, eg red and burgandy I use a coloured paste then dip and spin.
for leaves I make a pale to mid green paste then dust with chalks
I think if you use a coloured paste and don't dip or dust they look "flat"
HTH 
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