islandtime

__________________
~~~Elle~~~

lyny

I am not sure I know which one you mean by this post. Do you have a picture, share with us the good and bad practice points too please!

islandtime

No offense, but - duh ...AIR BRUSH! What don't you understand?

__________________
~~~Elle~~~

barefoot_mom

so tell me, how is the learning curve? I've seen Duff use it on his cakes, and I must say it looks like so much fun (wasn't he a "graffiti artist" at one time). I'd like to give it a try, but sadly I'm not much of an artist. Do you use stencils with it?

islandtime

Yes, you can use stencils, but most work is done freestyle. Yes, Duff indulged in graffiti - he got to do it again when he did that cool subway car cake (you can see a pic of it on his website, www.charmcitycakes.com)!

Like anything, it takes a little practice to get used to how much pressure, etc., is used and what part of the cake you're "painting", but it doesn't take long to get the hang of it. So far - just playing with it on paper towels, but I have a couple cakes ready to do (the colors are a tad pricey, so don't want to waste too much on paper towels). Unfortunately, I just realized I ran out of fondant...so off to run that errand before I can get started!

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~~~Elle~~~

texasmesquite

Wow, how very neat Islandtime. I wanted an Air Brush to use in my artwork. I wonder if it is the same thing? Knowing you - those cakes will be just gorgeous. Do enjoy your Charm City Cakes moments. lol

islandtime

Actually, no, you can't use the same type air brush for cake decorating. The pressure and flow are completely different, and the "hobby" type has more pulsation, which doesn't work for cakes. The cake air brushes are designed for very intricate work, and the flow is adjustable. Didn't get a chance to try it on the cake yesterday...cleaning up yard after a huge thunderstorm, but I hope to get to it later today.

Wish I could be a fly on the wall at Charm City, watch Duff in action, and learn a few tricks. He just amazes me (and Geof, too)!

__________________
~~~Elle~~~

texasmesquite

Do keep us updated Elle. I would love to know how the cake turns out, etc.....

Did you know that Duff and the Charm City crew have a book coming out? I don't know if it will be a cookbook or more on the goings on in the shop. I still think it will be "totally awesome".

islandtime

OK - update...first, I love this gadget. It's a lot of fun and I've gotten the hang of the control. However... (there's always a 'however')...it doesn't do well with metallic colors, as it has a tendency to clog. I air brushed a Thunderbird cake in bronze (to match one of my real Thunderbirds), but ended up having to touch up by hand. The second T-Bird cake I did in red (non-metallic) for a friend, and it worked perfectly. I'll be doing another one this weekend to match my other T-Bird in pearl luster dust, but that will have to be done by hand (the luster dust/vodka mix cannot be used in the air brush).

The other trick I quickly learned - wear the vinyl food-prep gloves, as the colors will stain your fingers in a heartbeat!

__________________
~~~Elle~~~