Help w/ using Split Cakes

Ok I have read all the posts on how great the split cakes are. I have bought some and made some of my own. However I am having trouble using them. I have tried using different brushes, sponges etc and I can not get the colors to come out right. The colors just run togehter, not smooth lines, or the darker colors over lap the lighter colors. HELP! what am I doing wrong?

Each brand of paint requires slightly different technique.......

Snazaroo - I spray mine lightly and use my sponge - swipe a few times back and forth.

Mehron Paradise and Kryolan - I lightly spray the cake to activate and spray the sponge and load up well.

Wolfe/Diamond FX - I try not to spray. Better to wet the sponge or brush and swipe the cake once or twice and make sure you have a solid load (not splotchy).

I have seen people swear by spraying the sponge after loading, and I have seen people actually dip the end of the sponge in water then squeeze it out before loading. Experiment on your arm and leg to find what is the preferred method.

The sponge or brush you are using can make a difference too..... Sponges - I love the green Fantasy Worldwides. But the Wolfe, art ceramic, and tack sponges work just as well for many people. I like the Snaz ones not as well, but they work.

Brushes- those Dona Dewberry ones in the craft stores work great for the split cakes if you really really load them - they work better if you load almost all the way to the ferrel.

I find it best to use sponges. I cut up cheap foam washing sponges ($1 for a bag of 12 at the dollar store) into squares that are the size of my split cakes. These work BETTER than the face painting sponges.

My cakes are made from a combination of brands...

I dip the sponge in clean water and wring out most of the water, but leave them really damp but not dripping, then I rub it firmly back and forth on the cake... all the moisture is in the sponge, I don't spray the cake or add any other water. You need to really load up the sponge - stroke it back and forth, check it to make sure you are getting all the colours loaded, rub again with pressure where you need it to load up any area that isn't picking up.

Then you need to apply pressure evenly and firmly across the sponge as you press and stroke it on the skin. As the sponges are really soft you can work your fingers across them to press out the colour with more intensity as you drag them along.

It works well.

With the brushes, so far, I have the best luck with a 1" "body brush" which is a very large lush filbert. Again, wet the brush really well, not the cake, and stroke back and forth over and over until it is really well loaded with paint. The colours should be clear on the brush.

Then stroke firmly on the skin...dragging and pressing evenly. The brush needs to be fairly full - natural hair works better as it will hold more paint.

Shannon - Could you post a picture of one of the sponges? Please?

I have sponge issues.

Shannon, Its when I apply it to the skin when the colors run, Or over lap. I get on the sponge ok, its just getting it to come out right on the skin. I'm doing somethin wrong!

I took some photos yesterday of sponges - I'll get them up in a day or so.

Stacey... sounds like your sponge is TOO wet. Have you tried using them with a little less water?

Don't be afraid to press into the cakes really firmly as you need to get the paint a little gooey to stick to the sponge... and really work it back and forth - it needs to be really well loaded.

Are you dragging - as in, pulling accross in one firm stroke or tapping/pressing?

I'm working on some step-by-steps which I hope to have done fairly soon...

The Donna Dewberry 3/4 inch flat or # 12 flat work great for split cakes. They are designed to hold more paint and taper at the tip...so you can also make fine lines.

I do not spray my cake...I dip my brush and then very carefully load my brush by going back and forth...not just in one direction. you want your brush loaded on both sides.

Different brands of make up are activated with different amounts of water...so, that can be an issue. As a rule of thumb...as little water as possible to activate the cake will give you nice clean lines.

IMHO Hope that helps.

TTFN,
Rebecca
WWW.artybrushstrokes

Arty Brush Cakes

Thanks guys for your help. I finally figured it out Yeah! I mist my sponge with a little water and I figured out that I wasn't working the sponge to the cake enough. I love using my rainbow cake now. I can't wait to try the Arty Brush cakes. Can you use a sponge with them?

yes...but, I usually use a 3/4 inch flat bruh
ttfn,rebecca

Just as a note... I find that the new Snaz petal sponges are AMAZING for split cake paint application. I hold the fat end in my hand and run the pointy end over the paint... and then I can apply the paint really easily, and for me it's much more akin to using a flat brush. My fav way of using them!

I have been very curious about the snaz petal sponges..Now that make sense to use it with the arty cakes..But Not sure if you could actually have the full control as a brush..I finally can do my fishes, flowers and designs with my Donna Dewberry 3/4 brush..The only problem I have sometimes is that the brush splits in the middle while I'm loading...My cakes has a line in the middle...Therefore I'm finding that I'm using less of the paint in the middle area..But as a whole, the 3/4 brush works great

I don't know about using it with the arty cakes because those are pretty small.... but I love them for the cakes that I make, which are pretty big.


I've never had the splitting in the middle problem... probably means that you don't have enough water on your brush. Also you could just squish that middle part back down to even your cake back out.

Yes, the arty cakes are pretty small..I'll try the petals..I know that sillyfarm sells them...Hey thanks

One caution though. Someone had those petal sponges at a training class I took with Rapheal Fieldhouse. A painter started using them on someone and the person she painted complained "loudly" that those sponges were too harsh and scratchy on her skin. I felt them and they were quite harsh.

She may have had a bad batch, but I would get a few more opinions before you invest.

Yeah, I'll wait on the sponges..The sponges I bought from you are great..Love it!....Thanks

Really? Mine are pretty soft... I only use the chisel end, and I don't really apply large bases.. so maybe they feel differently when you use them differently? heh.


Also, I have a VERY soft touch when I paint. After the first time that Nick[Wolfe] painted me, I realized just how harsh I was with pressure and sponges, so I am very conscience about how I apply my makeup on the kids these days...

I just got my order of Snaz Petal sponges in last night - I planned on breaking them in on Saturday - but I think that I am going to test them out tonight. I'll let ya'll know what I found. ~ Deanna

Oddly enough, she had black ones, but I have since seen some red ones as well. I wasn't trying to start a panic only that the black ones were a bit scratchy on the skin. Common sense is king.

I try any new types of sponges on myself... people have different sensitivity levels. If it feels scratchy to me I leave it home in my "workshop" pile of sponges and let the students play with them in class.

Also, if my main models say a sponge is "scratchy" and they do let me know, I'll stop using them too.

Metina wrote:One caution though. Someone had those petal sponges at a training class I took with Rapheal Fieldhouse. A painter started using them on someone and the person she painted complained "loudly" that those sponges were too harsh and scratchy on her skin. I felt them and they were quite harsh.

She may have had a bad batch, but I would get a few more opinions before you invest.

I got the petal sponges last January from Gary, and the ones that I got were very soft and gentle. So, I would consider that what they had got was a bad batch. I'm sure that the sponges being a new design, have gone through a lot of changes.

Jenny

I use Lowel & Cornell yellow sponge brushes with great success for rainbows, crowns. two tone dragons and lots of other designs. They are soft to the touch, firm enuf to make nice sharp lines and are very dense, like FP sponges. Won't paint without them!
They are found in the T-shirt painting section of Michaels art & craft stores, 6 to a package for $1.99 but lots less, using a coupon ; )
I have a photo of them in my Woodbridge, Va Jam Album and the black foam brush is there to remind my students NOT to use them, as they are beyond flimsey and basically worthless for FP!
Susan

PS: A photo of the yellow foam brushes in my ice tube tray is shown on the Professional Face Painters Travel Bag topic. Each foam brush is dedicated to the color shown on the brush ; )
Susan

Ok, silly question, why not use a split sponge?

Take a sponge, slice through one edge but not all the through. Slice it into say 3 ALMOST sperate pieces.

Now, any 3 colors or any 3 cakes, bend the sponge and load one section, then the next then the next. Now, squeeze it slightly together so the sections touch. Sponge away.

Colors don't run together, unlimited number of combinations, and no "special" cakes to buy nor work of cutting them up.

Tried it the other day on a few butterflies and it worked quite nice.

Same idea as a double loaded brush.

It simply takes too long to do as compared with just one stroke or sponge swipe over a split cake. I could do half a butterfly in the time it takes to load a split sponge. In this business, it is the easy ecomomy of motion that helps increase your speed.
Susan

Thats a good idea though to have a few split sponges handy just in case you get a request for certain colors.. I remember this girl wanted rasta colors- green, yellow, red instead of any of the few combos I do have. I think a split sponge would have worked good in that situation.

Thanks for the idea! I'll have to try it out!