I was looking for flowers here on CC and I saw these:

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/62312/normal_Email_Dutch_Tulip_3.jpg

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/535223/resizedcake.JPG

As you can see, the colors flowers are not flat. I am not sure how to achive the realistic look.

Do I start with a white flower or a yellow? How am I supposed to blend in two different colors? I only have the FDA approved dusts, is it good to use to color flowers? Do I finish making the flower and then apply the dusts or do I apply the dust before I assmble the petals? How can I make the colors even and look clean. Do I dry brush or mix it with vodka. Did they hover the tulip over a boiling water? Any tips are also welcome

I hope someone can help, THANKS.

anyone?

You can pm sugarflowers (Michele Foster) or sugarshack (Sharon Zambito) or toneda (Edna)....they are all experts in this and all 3 of them are excellent, willing teachers. I'd help you if I knew exactly how...
hth!!

It depends ont what you are trying to achieve. I sometimes start with a base color and then add powders to give the flowers some hues.. You can use an airbrush. Some people use the vodka, but I dont love it like that. I prefer starting with a base color.. For me is less work.
Edna

As for shades in roses.. you can apply as you go...Look at roses most of them have darker centers and the get lighter as you go. You can use non toxic chalks to paint your flowers too.
Flowers dont have flat colors..they have hues..
The roses below are done in one flat color with barely any hues in it..
The Orchids are just dusted in peach and the darker color is gel color with vodka handpainted with a brush.
Edna

Thanks sweetjan for the info, I'm glad you are willing to help.

Edna, thanks a lot for the help! I have no idea where you get the time to help people like me =] You are so helpful. I'm glad you are not one of theose stuck up decorators in here who acts like they are so up there. You are one professional who has a heart for unexperienced people like me. THANKS.

That's cause I was just like you and I haven't forgotten..
Edna

i use sugarflair blossom tints dusting powders and they work great. i used egg yellow, tangerine and forest green and nutkin brown for the picture below and it really made such a difference to the filler flowers and the sunflowers. i dusted the powders on with a small brush dry.

Hi, you apply the chalk colors dry, when you use gel colors you use vodka.

When you use chalk, you can use peal dust to make your flowers look like real.
Pearl dust produces a shimmery luster. Use super pearl on flowers made from colored gum paste for a glistening look. When dusted on white petals, the other pearls in the range exhibit a subtle translucent or iridescent reflective colored sheen while displaying no apparent or strong color. They may be combined or applied over Petal dust to create custom colors or effects. Contains Titanium Dioxide and Mica. Not water soluble.

  http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1355170.html

the white and pink rose I use chak color and pearl dust, for the red rose I use red gel and vodka. For the leaves only red chalk

I have used the small holes on a metal grater or tea strainer to turn my non-toxic chalk into powder and then dry-brush it onto flowers.

Thank you!!

When I'm making flowers that are naturally darker in the center, like roses, I color the gum paste, make the inner set of petals, then add some extra white gum paste to the leftover, already colored stuff to lighten it for the next row of petals. I keep repeating this so the petals naturally get lighter as I work towards the outside.

I will also use non-toxic pastel chalks, grated in a tea strainer to make a dust. I brush this on to add touches of variety to the roses I have described above. If the rose is pink, for instance, I may brush a subtle bit of yellow here and there, maybe just around the bases of some of the petals. Or I will just deepen some of the pink, here and there. This adds a nice depth and realism. Flowers usually are not one flat color. They naturally vary in both value and hue.

Then I will hold them in the steam of a tea kettle for two seconds to set the chalk.

I often use a combination of dusts to achieve the look I want. With the tulip Rylan, it would be very easy to dust that after it's dry, unless you want to dust the inside of the petals. If it is difficult to dust after it's dry, sure you can dust while it's wet. I usually start out with a paler version of what I am going to have in the end, so a pale orange for the tulip. Then I would use a fern (LUV that mossy color) at the base and a bit up the central outer vein. Dust your shade of orange and hit the very edges with a darker version, this will add some depth. The very petaly flower...now that one you might want to dust as your go or if the outer petals are wired, you can dust those before putting them on.

Petal dusts are totally awesome! They will bring your flowers to life. Without dusting, gumpaste looks plastic. I dust, then dip all my foliage...love the way that looks... kicks them up a notch

If you have any other questions, you know I am happy to try and help you.

Sweet regards,

Jennifer

Here's another example of dusted flowers... without dusting... no realism.

Jen
PS - You also can go to the hobby stores and get artist chalks...you can finely grate your own. Make sure they are NON toxic and NO oil base. The oil base will not grate (been there, done that BUT, with that being said, the pallett does have some wonderful shades, but I mainly use it to get custom colors for my petal dusts. Adding a little of this and a little of that to my brand names. Make sure it's non-toxic, very important.

Thanks everyone for continuing to help. I should definitely consider chalks. Btw Jennifer, those flowers are amazing! I wanted to achieve that peony look.

Btw, about the complaints about my thread. Sorry if I mentioned that there are stuck up decorators "in here". I didn't realize I said "in here" (Thanks Pam for pointing that out). But whatever, why would that be the highlight of the thread? Atleast I'm glad people stopped pointing that out.

THANKS EVERYONE!