I'm trying to paint letters and the scales of justice for a law school grad cake, but it doesn't look very good. I'm painting gold luster dust with clear almond extract on white royal icing. It just looks kind of gold, but not real shiny like thoses I've seen on here.

If you have any suggestion, tips or words of wisdom, I would be eternally grateful.

Thank you!!

What about painting another layer of gold?

or.....I know that people have painted Pearl Luster over top to make their decorations shiny

....and others have steamed their flowers (hold the flower in the steam for a few seconds)


Hope this gives you some options.

Kristine

If you tint the RI a rich yellow when mixing it up, it helps makes the Luster Dust really "pop." I also use "super gold" - seems to make a very brassy bright finish. Hope this helps....

I've found gold hi-liter dust to be the most brilliant. If you need a good place to get it, just e-mail me, [email protected]

Jen

Ditto on the gold highlighter dust. Nothing compares! Ditto also on tinting your RI yellow or gold before painting.

The only suggestion I don't ditto is the steaming. That works for gumpaste, but could spell disaster with royal.

TO USE LUSTER DUST YOU NEED SOME EXTRACT THAT CONTAINS ALCOHOL SUCH AS LEMON EXTRACT NATURAL...OR VODKA. TO PAINT JUST USE A LITTLE EXTRACT ENOUGH TO MAKE IT THICK BUT NOT TO THICK AND NEVER TO THIN. ALMOND WILL NOT GIVE IT IT'S TEXTURE TO PAINT. HTH.

Ditto with Diane and Jennifer, you need to use the hi-lighter dust. It gives you a truer metallic color.