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I use my gel paste food colors and water ... depending how dark or light you want your color is how much water you would use.  Just drops of water and then extra to rinse your brush between colors ...  but I just dip my brush and dab most of the water off on a paper towel. 

Thanks for that!  I've been struggling all this time most likely because I was using the gel paste straight from the bottle... sometimes it'sthe simple things.  Off to see if that'll prevent cracking!! :-D

I also paint by extending petal and luster dusts with alcohol-based extracts. The alcohol evaporates quickly so you rarely have to worry about getting a cookie too wet with water and dissolving the underlying icing. However, the paints made with dusts, even luster dusts, dry with a more matte finish than does food coloring extended with water or extract. The latter always dries a little shinier, at least that's been my experience.

Arty McGoo did a Q&A on FB a few days ago and this came up.  You may be able to post chase it to find all her goodies!  She said she actually lets her gel colors dry on the palette...then uses a small cup of water to wet her brush.  Reminds me of the old school waterpaints from elementary school.  I cant wait to try!

Liz, that's exactly what I was thinking when I was writing my first reply, it's like my kindergarden pictures but now I know to use MUCH less water!

@Julia, I also use Vodka with my luster dust etc. ~ I learned the hard way when I first started and the luster dust didn't have instructions ... so from experience (and a ruined beautiful set of cookies) NEVER USE WATER WITH LUSTER DUST! What a memory that is! ;-)

I'm quite new to painting cookies and I use vodka to thin the gel paste in the same way I use vodka with luster dust.  I found it very helpful to view Arty McGoo youtubes as well as SweetAmbs.  I have also experimented with the Crystal Colors powdered food color (hydrated with vodka).  I used them with a stencil and paint brush - very vivid color resulted. 

Originally Posted by Debbi Hook - The SPI Flip Flop Foodie:

I'm quite new to painting cookies and I use vodka to thin the gel paste in the same way I use vodka with luster dust.  I found it very helpful to view Arty McGoo youtubes as well as SweetAmbs.  I have also experimented with the Crystal Colors powdered food color (hydrated with vodka).  I used them with a stencil and paint brush - very vivid color resulted. 

Interested to try this!  I used water with my first cookie painting, and I think vodka might be my preference!

I always use gel colors or dusts with half water and half alcohol. I get some problems with white, which often comes out too grainy when dries out...Arty McGoo, where are you? We need your help...I saw the piretes and mermaids and i'm wondering which colors you used on them...

I paint dry on fondant with petal dust and usually add a luster dust in either pearl or white lightly over the color. It is just my personal preference.

I used alcohol too,the color goes allot further, but I don't like waiting for drying and again the fondant consistency is compromised.

My setup goes something like this:  
*I prefer Wilton as it has a more paste-like consistency rather than gel and I think it dries better.

*I prefer to put my colors out on a palette and let them dry so I can use them just like watercolors, but I will use fresh.
*I don't dilute the colors in the palette.  I dampen my brush and take on the color as needed.  Darker, more opaque colors needed?  I take less water onto my brush, sheer, lighter colors: more water.

*I HATE HATE HATE white food coloring!    For me they never dry, it muddies up everything and I do not use it.  Did I mention that I hate it?    One of the very rare exceptions for painting with white is the blackboard cookies.  On those I use CK powdered white food coloring which works amazing and actually dries.  I also use water with that.

*The black can be a "problem" color and I will put that in my palette and pour alcohol over that so it dries it out better.  If there is ever any smudging, it's from the black so I find this helps.  I also will use powdered black if I'm worried.

 

I hope these tips make sense!  There are several ways to paint, and this is just the way I do it.  I know a lot of people use white, but for some reason, it doesn't work well for me.  If there is white in my design it is because I've either worked around the background white of the frosting or do a wet on wet white.

 

The mermaid cookies:  Those are all wet on wet, except the outlines were painted in a dark brown.  

 

One other thought:  cookies can take a lot more water abuse than you would think   I have painted, "erased" by brushing off all the color with a damp brush, repainted, and even repeated that process again before on a single cookie.  I think the key is that your royal icing has some corn syrup in it.  It helps to make a nice canvas that is more "waterproof".  

In Europe the majority of the these people using a colouring in paste of the English brand SUGARFLAIR. Using this one very much one great professional of the painting on fondant/royal icing that is Natasha Collins. If you want to see his works I leave you the link of his web site. It has to the sale enclosedly a course online.

 

www.neviepiecakes.com

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