Painted on pencil line?

[coffeetime]

I was brainstorming for a new look for a new scent of my soap, and thought of mixing cocoa powder in a bit of oil to make 'paint' and then brushing or smoothing it on to make a pencil line, instead of using a dry powder. Has anyone done this? Does it help to avoid the perils of separation at the line?

 

[newbie]

Never done that, but I wonder if the cocoa powder in oil would be fine enough for you to use a small spray bottle to spritz it on. Depending on the firmness of your first layer, it may be difficult to brush on without leaving drag marks or unintended peaks. I would think it would work in oil if you could find a way to get it on evenly. In oil, the layer could potentially be thinner, avoiding the layers falling apart, but you'd have to want a line that thin for your design, as well.

 

[coffeetime]

The idea was to do a drop swirl on top of the pencil line to push it into the bottom layer. So completely even or straight is not necessarily needed. I think I will try it tonight and see how it goes. I already have the lye cooled.

 

[coffeetime]

Hmmm, it might also be challenging to have the bottom layer set up enough to hold the cocoa oil but still let the drop swirl happen. Might be tricky...

 

[TVivian]

Never done that, but I wonder if the cocoa powder in oil would be fine enough for you to use a small spray bottle to spritz it on. Depending on the firmness of your first layer, it may be difficult to brush on without leaving drag marks or unintended peaks. I would think it would work in oil if you could find a way to get it on evenly. In oil, the layer could potentially be thinner, avoiding the layers falling apart, but you'd have to want a line that thin for your design, as well.

I've thought of doing this!... But then I thought about how the sides of my mold would get messy and color would be all over the sides of the bars... Unless there was a way to cover the sides while spraying.

 

[newbie]

If you gently drop the oil mix on the top of your first layer, it won't fall through. I pour micas in oil on top of batter when I'm loading a bowl and it won't drop but it could be difficult to get it to cover a wide enough area to get the look you want.

TViv, you could always plane of the thinnest layer from the sides to get rid of the color. It's not that easy to rinse off- you have to rub it under water to get it off. Maybe one of those thin mylar sheets on the sides of the mold?? Or I wonder if you put some saran wrap down the sides, pour, spray and then pull the saran out. It might take a little soap with it along the sides, but maybe not enough to disturb your swirls or whatever you have going on in that layer.

 

[coffeetime]

Ok that did not go well. I mixed the cocoa powder in with 50g Sweet Almond Oil and it was very thin. It basically just gushed up around the soap I was pouring. Way too thin and now I have a thin oily mess on top of my soap. Ugg.

 

[MorpheusPA]

Maybe it'll absorb if you let it sit for a day or three?

OK, probably not. Perhaps a lot less oil next time? There's always a rebatch...

 

[coffeetime]

I'm going to force it through gel and see what it looks like after. I'm hoping it will be absorbed, as the SAO was a part of the total oils.

 

[lenarenee]

Is this what you're trying to do?

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_PNm29CXOI[/ame]

I love doing this with a white or very light batter and bright/dark micas. Its really very easy.

 

[coffeetime]

Do you have a pic of how it turns out, Lenarenee? The video doesn't include cut pics and I didn't catch the woman's business name to look for them.

 

[coffeetime]

Amazing! I just peeked (can't sleep) and all the oil has been absorbed!

 

[Obsidian]

Here is the cut video

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb81UWuieic[/ame]

have you watched this video on pencil lines? It might help
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWfL8dPl7IE[/ame]

 

[newbie]

You had better post some cut pics, coffee!!!! That was a lot of oil! My eyes about popped out of my head. Who knows? You may have come up with a great new technique.

 

[Luv2Soap]

Oh!!! I'm so excited to see how this worked out for you!!!! I agree with Newbie, please post pictures!!!

 

[rogue]

This may be a stupid question but what about mica in alcohol and then sprayed onto the surface? Would give a super thin line but would be able to focus it way better. Hmmm. Love the mica swirl vid!

 

[coffeetime]

Thanks for the vids, Obsidian. The effect I was hoping for was basically an outlined drop swirl. I wanted the dropped soap to push the coloured oil down with it. I will post pics tonight if it's ready to cut.

 

[Obsidian]

I've seen outlined drop swirls like that before, they are really pretty. I'm going to try something today, maybe between the two of us we'll find a easy way to do it.

 

[lenarenee]

Do you have a pic of how it turns out, Lenarenee? The video doesn't include cut pics and I didn't catch the woman's business name to look for them.

I'm sorry that I don't have any pictures. My computer no longer cooperates with my phone and I have no skills to convince it to do otherwise.

The person I posted is the only one I've found who does this technique. Maybe because it's really a delicate look compared to all of the more sophisticated swirl technique. And it takes more mica than you'd expect. The first time I did it there was barely any noticeable color.

It looks like your soap is going to be a success after all!
Were you able to get some sleep after you peeked?

 

[coffeetime]

Thanks, yes. There is still a tiny bit of oil around the sides of the liner when I pull it away and it's too soft to cut so it might have to be in the morning. But the sides look really interesting anyway.