back to a gummy paint review!

I've searched the forum and learned that I should let my snaz black and white dry out before putting them away to stop this blobbiness I get.

But, how much water should I put on them to get the right consistency for outlining? When I practise at home, great - no problem. At a party though, gloopy mess...

I tend to drop water onto the cakes and let it soak in for about twenty minutes before using. So, I'm guessing I'm making them far too wet in the first place.

What do you do - spritz? When? Sponge with water? When?

TIA
Elaine
x

Elaine, someone smarter than I will come along and offer more help, but in the meantime I think you are overwetting your Snaz. Actually you *definitely* are, if you are wetting it and then waiting 20 minutes for it to sink in. There is no need to let it sink in - in fact, this is where the gloopiness comes from.

I don't know if it works with Snaz, but with my (harder and less-water-needing) DFX/Wolfe/TAG I carve out a tiny hole in the middle (or side) of the cake, and now I have a little "well" to put some water drops in (not a whole lot! just a few drops). This gives me some easy water access (don't have to go back to the water pot or keep adding drops every few minutes) and yet only a small portion of my cake is wetted - saving the other parts from gettting gunky. I dip my brush in the tiny water well I created, and then swipe it on the dry cake to load it, point/shape the brush, and get excess water off the brush. I don't know that this is the *best* way, but it may be an improvement over your method. Then again, this might not work as well with Snaz - it will get gloopier faster. Definitely learn with and use your Snaz, but maybe also consider getting a black and white of DFX (or TAG or Wolfe) for linework. These are often the heaviest used cakes and getting one that holds up really well might be better for you?

Hope this helps until others chime in...
Barbie

you're adding too much water.. I do all of my practice work with Snaz.. and I find that if I just wet my brush, rub it around on the top of the *dry* black, it works just fine... if you add a bunch of water, and then leave it for 20 mins. you're allowing that water to permeate the whole cake and reconstitute it into a softer, globbier density.


Use less water hun. Only certain Snaz colors need extra water, and you'll be able to tell which ones those are because they are extra hard.

Brilliant, thank you. I was really quite disappointed at the party as the results I got were not anywhere near as nice as my practise ones at home. Will try harder and take your advice about the other brands for outlining - I have "paintbrush swish" envy having looked at you tube...

I never thought of the "well" idea, I am going to try that -thanks.

I wet all my cakes when I set-up, but just with a drop or two of water, then I only add a drop at a time IF they need it when I want to load my sponge or brush.

There should only be a wet SPOT not a wet cake! The spot will turn into a hole which then works as the well... all my cakes have holes in them!

Thanks guys, been practising intermittently and you are quite right - much betterwithout the spritz. Got a big party to do in a fortnight, so am going to get this licked by then! Love the tip about having a "well" in the paint - that's working a treat for me. Guess I can't quite manage without the feel of acrylic paint on a canvas...

I discovered some new tricks.... spritz your sponge instead of dunking it & spritz your arty brush instead of dunking it if you use arty cakes. I've gotten much better control of my paint consistency.