I’m going to play around with my smaller slab mold today. I made soap yesterday and played around d with blowing on it. Going from what’s in my head isn’t going to be as easy as I think.
SMF March 2021 Soap Challenge - Air Blow Technique aka Dutch Pour Technique aka Wind Blow Technique
- Thread starter earlene
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
This is a challenge from a few years ago. While the goal was to use cells created by using soap batter that was previously poured, there is a discussion about dropping alcohol onto the surface of the soap. You might find some hints in there. May 2017 SMF Soap Challenge - fluid acrylic cell pour
violets2217
Well-Known Member
So I kept going back and forth on if I want to try this challenge or not! 
I’m wondering though, the base soap can have a design, right? Like an ITP Swirl or whatever. Then after the base is set the next day, cover with white or black batter, then so your blow design?
I’m wondering though, the base soap can have a design, right? Like an ITP Swirl or whatever. Then after the base is set the next day, cover with white or black batter, then so your blow design?
KimW
Well-Known Member
This is sort of my question too...I'm so confused! Analysis Paralysis!!So I kept going back and forth on if I want to try this challenge or not!
violets2217
Well-Known Member
I’ve watched soooo many acrylic pour videos that I’m finding the options are endless.... and this may be way above my artistic ability! But I’m still wanting to try it! But decisions and a plan seems to be the challenge for me. This may just be a wing it pour, which I’m really good at!
user 29214
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2018
- Messages
- 960
- Reaction score
- 2,243
Thank you!
I usually only use the slab mold for my elaborated ones!
From Earlene’s original post:
4. As shown in the sample videos, a base soap is made and allowed to set up, which becomes your canvas upon which you will pour and create your design. You are allowed to use a previously made soap as your base upon which you pour the pallette to create the Air Blow design. Or you may create a new soap as your base, using any design of your choice, including plain soap. The base soap may or may not be coordinated with the surface design, as you choose.
The way I read it, I think we can use any colors and techniques to make the slab “canvas”. I hope so because I just poured mine and it is not solid black, white or uncolored batter.
4. As shown in the sample videos, a base soap is made and allowed to set up, which becomes your canvas upon which you will pour and create your design. You are allowed to use a previously made soap as your base upon which you pour the pallette to create the Air Blow design. Or you may create a new soap as your base, using any design of your choice, including plain soap. The base soap may or may not be coordinated with the surface design, as you choose.
The way I read it, I think we can use any colors and techniques to make the slab “canvas”. I hope so because I just poured mine and it is not solid black, white or uncolored batter.
KimW
Well-Known Member
Ahhh - Thanks, Mobjack Bay, that makes sense. I obviously overthought it - shocking. I am going with this too, so there will at least be two of us doing it this way!
violets2217
Well-Known Member
1. The_Phoenix - I have a feeling my family won't see much of me for the next 26 days.
2. KimW - Thank you for hosting, Earlene! Hope your visit with MIL is pleasant.
3. AMD - hopefully I don't blow this (oh, wait... that's the opposite of what I need to do...)
4. glendam - this sounds intriguing and I need an excuse to make more soap
5. Mobjack Bay - YES, YES, YES!!!
6. bookreader451 - Always willing to try something new.
7. SPowers - I was going to beg off this one til I saw the micas & more video! she's a girl after my own heart and I also liked the straw idea... no more new equipment for me and I know I drop my hairdryer right into the middle of my mold!
8. violets2217 - I’m all in! Ready to up my game!
2. KimW - Thank you for hosting, Earlene! Hope your visit with MIL is pleasant.
3. AMD - hopefully I don't blow this (oh, wait... that's the opposite of what I need to do...)
4. glendam - this sounds intriguing and I need an excuse to make more soap
5. Mobjack Bay - YES, YES, YES!!!
6. bookreader451 - Always willing to try something new.
7. SPowers - I was going to beg off this one til I saw the micas & more video! she's a girl after my own heart and I also liked the straw idea... no more new equipment for me and I know I drop my hairdryer right into the middle of my mold!
8. violets2217 - I’m all in! Ready to up my game!
KimW
Well-Known Member
Okie dokie, first attempt is on the bench thinking about what it did.
FYI: Canned air - not so great. Even with very light and short bursts of air, it would send out "frozen" air after 4 or 5 bursts.
FYI: Canned air - not so great. Even with very light and short bursts of air, it would send out "frozen" air after 4 or 5 bursts.
A
amd
Ok... so I'm going to tackle this next week, just wrapping my brain around some details...
I am a bit confused by this...
The starter soap that we allow to setup before blowing the more fluid soap has to be black or white? Or can it be any color?
OR.... do you mean that when we pour the fluid soap that is blown, the first color has to be black or white?
And then we have to blow 3 additional colors as well?
So what I'm thinking the process is like this...
1. Make soap (black, white, any color?) and pour into slab mold.
2. Allow soap to setup.
3. Make soap and separate to 3 colors (or 4 if one needs to be black or white?)
4. Pour black or white color and blow for background?
5. Pour other colors and blow as needed for design.
I am a bit confused by this...
The starter soap that we allow to setup before blowing the more fluid soap has to be black or white? Or can it be any color?
OR.... do you mean that when we pour the fluid soap that is blown, the first color has to be black or white?
And then we have to blow 3 additional colors as well?
So what I'm thinking the process is like this...
1. Make soap (black, white, any color?) and pour into slab mold.
2. Allow soap to setup.
3. Make soap and separate to 3 colors (or 4 if one needs to be black or white?)
4. Pour black or white color and blow for background?
5. Pour other colors and blow as needed for design.
violets2217
Well-Known Member
After previous posts and re- reading original challenge post. The slab base soap can be any color or design. Once that’s set and ready to blow, you will pour a thin layer of batter that is white or black for neutral background and good flow surface, then pour your design with colored batter to blow. Not sure if that makes sense, but that’s how I explained it to my brain!
My first soap is made!
Clarifications:
Base soap (or starter soap) can be anything you choose: previously made or newly made soap of any color combination or design. It does not have to color coordinate unless you want it to.
The soap that gets poured onto the base soap has to be white (or uncolored soap) or black. If your attempt at black fades (as sometimes happens with black when not enough colorant is added), it will be acceptable, as long as your attempt is black and it doesn't fade to a light grey.
Picture it this way: the base soap (or starter soap, if you will) is the fabric canvas stretched onto the wooden frame of a canvas upon which you will 'paint' your picture. It is dry before the painter starts painting. It cannot be blown around because it is dry just like a real canvas is dry.
The white (or uncolored) or black soap is poured on top of the dry canvas and spread out to cover the surface of the canvas and remains wet throughout the rest of the process.
The colors are poured in a design of your choice on top of the wet background. The videos show more than one method of pouring the colors, but notice that the background below remains wet during the process, and the white (or black) get blown and fold over and intermingle with the colors during the blowing process.
I hope that clarifies the rules.
Base soap (or starter soap) can be anything you choose: previously made or newly made soap of any color combination or design. It does not have to color coordinate unless you want it to.
The soap that gets poured onto the base soap has to be white (or uncolored soap) or black. If your attempt at black fades (as sometimes happens with black when not enough colorant is added), it will be acceptable, as long as your attempt is black and it doesn't fade to a light grey.
So I kept going back and forth on if I want to try this challenge or not!
amd, the 'backgroud' will be white (uncolored) or black. That gets smoothed out on top of your base soap to create the medium upon which the added colors will be blown around..
Picture it this way: the base soap (or starter soap, if you will) is the fabric canvas stretched onto the wooden frame of a canvas upon which you will 'paint' your picture. It is dry before the painter starts painting. It cannot be blown around because it is dry just like a real canvas is dry.
The white (or uncolored) or black soap is poured on top of the dry canvas and spread out to cover the surface of the canvas and remains wet throughout the rest of the process.
The colors are poured in a design of your choice on top of the wet background. The videos show more than one method of pouring the colors, but notice that the background below remains wet during the process, and the white (or black) get blown and fold over and intermingle with the colors during the blowing process.
I hope that clarifies the rules.
user 29214
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2018
- Messages
- 960
- Reaction score
- 2,243
I plan on leaving the top unscented to make sure it stays fluid, using the same recipe from masterbatch
I have not tried yet, but I wonder if your design could include little dots (like the mandala like dots from one of the videos) and upon blowing air on them they could expand and look like the cells formed by the acrylic paint.
KimW
Well-Known Member
I just want to say thank you @earlene for this challenge. I really liked the outcome of last month's taiwan circling swirl technique, but I am loving the freedom and just absolute fun of this one. Do I want a drop of batter there? Hmmm - maybe one there too....oh yes, that's nice. Maybe blow this more over there...oops, too much...I'll fix it with a blow this way - oh yes, that's nice. I kept thinking about Bob Ross and how towards the end of his paintings I'd be yelling, "Stop doing stuff! It's already perfect! You're going to ruin it!" Of course, he never did ruin it!
violets2217
Well-Known Member
#soaplikeaRoss
So my first attempt was a total FAIL! I’ve just decided it’s too cold in my house to even try a pretty design that requires fluid batter. My soap was perfect, until I started to pour! I didn’t even get to try to blow my batter. I turned my hair dryer on high and nothing moved. I’m not sure if I’ll get more time to try again. I’m scared to try and cut this soap tomorrow. The base sat for almost 2 days cause I could make time to soap and it is very hard soap already! Lol!
Welcome to the too-cold club! I can totally sympathise; I'm trying to figure out if there's a formula I can use which is mostly liquid oils to stop this happening... maybe where you live there are more options for oils?
violets2217
Well-Known Member
Maybe, but I’m not really very adventurous when it come to exotic oils. I kinda stick with the basics, I think so anyways...
my fav recipe is half lard, with a splash of coconut, olive and castor. It’s always worked for me before, today I even tried warming my house up a bit but the soap was not having it! Thinking about soft oils... my chamomile infused bastile is a pretty fluid batter.. of course it’s mostly olive oil so there’s that & it’s a kinda soft soap in the end.
