Hi I'm stuck in Australia [limited purchase options where I am] & have ordered a warm brown gel mistakenly instead of what I guess should've been a chocolate brown. I've got little time left & am trying to figure out how to make royal icing as dark brown as possible to put gumpaste pieces together to make a garden shed. Does anyone have any advice? No matter how much brown gel I put in it's clearly not getting darker & I figure I couldn't add cocoa powder as the oil would denigrate the royal icing consistency? As I need it as a 'glue'. Thanks if anyone can help.

I am not sure about the RI but if you can get some cheap compound chocolate and the colour is ok for what you want to do then I would use that instead, it will set quickly and solid as a rock.

P.S Stuck in Australia...…….. you poor thing...….. how terrible for you. Hope the drop bears don't bother you and the nasty Aussies keep their distance and don't give you Aussie cooties ;-) 

Haha, bubs1stbirthday, I was thinking I wouldn't mind being "stuck" in Australia for a while, even if it is not optimum for cake decorating supplies.

You could add a small amount of black to darken the color a bit.  You could also wait until it hardens completely, then paint it with a mixture of gel or powdered color and alcohol to intensify the color. 

cocoa has no oil in it -- I'd use that -- might have to add a little water

I always add cocoa powder to RI when I'm making the flavor chocolate, with no adverse effects. 

A tiny dab of black will darken the brown. Be careful though because it could possibly make the brown look dirty

Lol, Sandra, I am pretty sure that we keep up reasonably well with the cake market over here, just a matter of knowing where to look :-) 

A tiny bit of blue and orange OR green and red can help.  I don't use the brown gel as much any more because I think it is too orange at times.  If I do use it, I will add a little bit of blue to get a more "true" brown and then go from there, adjusting after it sits and the color develops, you will be able to see if it needs more blue or orange.     If I am making brown fondant I will start with blue, orange, green or red and add it's complimentary color to get to the brown I like.  Purple and yellow also make brown.