I have tried a few times to make silver edible paint, but it's never truly silver. It's usually just shimmer. I've been told to add the pearl dust with a little bit of clear alcohol. Is there a ratio? I'm not sure if I'm not waiting long enough or if there isn't enough pearl dust/alcohol ratio. Does anyone have a tip? TIA

I wet my brush in vodka and then in silver. You need the mixture thick for it to be silver.

I recently made a crawfish pot and just used straight silver airbrush color - it looked great.

I use nu silver luster dust and vodka. I mix it until it's blended thick but running. It dries fast so just go over it like 3 times and add some more vodka if the bowl dries out some. Mine is totally covered. I have a cake in photos that was 3tiers and red roses with silver cut out fondant hearts and you can see it works good. Do golds the same way. Just have to have the right luster dust believe me.

I need to pipe some silver scrollwork on a cake I have coming up next month. Can I use the airbrush silver mixed with some royal icing, or does anyone know something that works better? I bought the silver for all-over silver on cakes, but for small scrollwork?

I dont know if you'll still get silver if you mix the airbrush color with RI. You may need to pipe and then paint over with silver. Maybe someone else can chip in with a better idea.

When I first tried to make the silver paint, I was using Wilton silver luster dust. It just doesn't work. I finally got some from GSA that works beautifully. It was nu-silver.

Nu-silver is awesome. make paint with the luster dust and everclear and have at it.

If you are going for a silver metallic look and only have access to Wilton lustre dust, then dry dust. I have found that is the best way to get the look.
Make your fondant a dark grey, then brush on the lustre dust with a clean (new) make-up brush. I have a set of make-up brushes I bought cheap and use them for cake decorating. I just used that effect on my BlackBerry cake in my photos. BTW: I used most of a container for the size of cake (it was carved out of a 9X13). Good luck.

You have to put the royal icing piped work on the mix NU SILVER LUSTER DUST with vodka then paint it on , it does work well and covers nicely. Make sure the royal is dry though.

I use (Americolor)Silver Sheen Air Brush Color . I paint with brush,

I am making a cake that will be served to people in AA - I can't use vodka to make the silver paint. Any other suggestions that are not super expensive?

I use Nu Silver mixed w/ a couple drops of vanilla. You want the consistency to be rather thick but, not too thick. I also do several coats to give it a good metallic look.