The Basics of Airbrushing Cookie Stencils
Are you thinking about decorating cookies with cookie stencils using an airbrush rather than royal icing?
Airbrushing cookie stencils is an ideal option to build up layers gradually, allowing you to create more depth to a look. To do this successfully, whether with edible paint or food coloring, you must practice getting the final look right.
Here, we will walk you through the basics of airbrushing cookie stencils.
How To Paint Using an Airbrush
Even with edible paints, you need to know how to hold an airbrush and how far away to hold it from the surface you want to use it on. Our step-by-step method teaches you everything you need to know.
What You Will Need
- Flooded Sugar Cookies (try our sugar cookie recipe, and our royal icing tutorial)
-
AirGenie Airbrushing System
- DecoPac Airbrush Food Coloring
- Cookie Stencils
-
Stencil Genie Think of it as a second set of hands while stenciling.
- Screen Genie to help you achieve crisp airbrushing results without underspray.
-
Cookie Magnets to hold the stencil close against the cookie while spraying.
- Scribe tool or wooden skewer to help hold stencil flush against the cookie.
- Notta Cookie Reusable Practice Cookie
- Cleaning liquid if using multiple colors like grain alcohol or vodka.
1. Let's Get Started! Make sure your stencil is flush against the cookie to prevent underspray.
- Insert the Stencil into the Stencil Genie according to package directions
- Top with the Screen Genie
- Place this on top of the cookie
- For added security, top with cookie weights.
2. Fill Up Your Cup (Mazel Tov) and start spraying!
Add your airbrush colorant to the cup on the airbrush. If you are mixing colors, do so in plastic dropper tip bottles and use that to apply to the cup.
Hold the airbrush as you would a pen in your dominant hand. Test color and airflow on paper towel then move straight to cookie.
Apply the paint to the flooded cookie by pressing down on the trigger with your index finger using gentle pressure.
Hold the nozzle of the airbrush away from the icing based on the intensity of the color.
To get the best results, hold the airbrush gun vertically about 6-8 inches above the cookie. Pull the trigger lightly and move the gun up and down or back and forth across the cookie. Allow each layer to dry before you apply the next one! Even if you can't see it at first, it is there.
By building the layers this way, you will get light and pretty airbrush shades that you can't get by applying the colors too quickly. It's ideal for light skies, grasses, and other pictures that may need a lighter base and then to be built up.
3. Using Different Colors:
If you are using multiple colors on your cookie, you will need to clean the gun. To do this, flush it out using water or grain alcohol.
To ensure you clean the compressor fully, run the airbrush, holding down the trigger over paper towels until it runs clear.
Allow each layer to dry before building up the next layer to prevent uneven coloring.
