Hi everybody!! I just made pieces out of pastillage to build little train wagons. They're still drying but I was wondering how to paint them when ready. I read in a topic I should "seal" the pastillage with water before painting, but I'm not sure. And also I wonder what to use as paint. Just food coloring? If anyone knows please advise me. Thanks!!!!!

Yes, you always seal pastillage with water before sealing it. Brush it with water and let it dry completely. If the pastillage has a lot of detail on it, make sure you get water into the detailed areas, but blot out excess so it does not soften the paste. That should form a seal around it. What will you be painting with, food colors? Are you using liquid gels or thinned pastes? Will your final product be translucent or opaque?

Theresa

Hi Theresa, thanks for the help. I actually never painted it before so I'm not sure what I should use. What do you recommend? It's going to be opaque, just brown since the litlle wagons are supposed to be wooden (I just carved little lines as wood texture) Thanks again!!!

For an opaque look, I would just tint the pastillage itself instead of painting.

For coloring it, I personally would use powdered color when I make the pastillage. If it is already made, I would knead powdered color into it. If you do not have a source for powdered color, or not enough time to order it, then use gel paste. If you must use liquid gel color, then you should trade off the same amount of water for liquid gel, so as not to make the paste too wet.

If it turns out sticky, knead cornstarch into it. When you roll it out, roll it onto a greased surface.

Feel free to PM me with any other questions.

Theresa

The last time I painted my pastillage, I used brown paste food color mixed with a little alcohol(vodka) and a cosmetic sponge. It made the perfect wood grain.

Hi girls thanks so much for the help. Theresa, the problem is that I already made the pieces in white pastillage. So I'm going to have to go with sweetflowers tip, not unless there's other choice. Is paste food color the same as the regular food coloring you buy at the supermarket? Thanks again A LOT. It's priceless help.

Not if you're talking about the little drip bottles. Usually paste or gel food color (by Wilton, Americolor, Magic Chef or the like)is only found at Michaels, hobby lobby or a cake or craft store. The food color I have at my grocery store is just the primary colors in little watery drip bottles, too watery to make a good color on your pastillage.

By the way, you can also use Lemon extract instead of alcohol(Gin or Vodka). The too much water will make your pastillage dissolve and take way too long to dry after coloring. I'll try and post my birdcage picture, it was done out of pastillage and after that dried, I colored it with a gel food color (Americolor) with a little vodka with the cosmetic sponge, be sure to let it dry before touching it! Then I put it together with royal icing.

Can't wait to see your wagons!

Thanks so much for all the info. I actually tried mixing the concentrates wilton icing color with Tequila. I didn't have vodka or gin, and since I made extra pieces to practice de coloring I thought I would give it a try and it worked pretty good. I'm not assembling the cake till next month for my daughter's bday but I'll post my pic as soon as I have it. Thanks again!!!!

i just made booties out of pastillage and when they dried, they got wrinkly... they now look like dried up leather.
is that what is supposed to happen? or what did i do wrong?
can i fix it? i would really like them to look more smooth.

Are they way too wrinkled? You can sand them but I don't know how bad the wrinkling is. I use pastillage only for structures or furniture so I don't think is the best to make booties since everybody seems to make them out of gumpaste or fondant. Try a super fine sand paper.

isn't gumpaste and pastillage the same thing ? just french and english?