4-tip needles are a great for drawing small lines, petals and flower centers quickly.
Depending on the color base consistency and pressure, the needle will produce different results. Small 1ml syringes are recommended for use with 4-tip needles as they allow for better pressure and flow control.
To create thin, well defined lines, it is best to use a color base that has not started to thicken up yet. Push the needle into the jelly, retract it half way and then apply pressure.
Applying just a little bit of pressure as you pull the needle out will fill the indentations left by the needle tips and not cause the color base to spread into larger shapes.
Practice the needle movement in an unused piece of jelly until you get a hang of the rhythm needed to create thin lines.
Applying pressure while the needle is fully inserted in jelly will create tiny, petal-like shapes.
The more pressure you apply the thicker the petal will be.
Draw little petals in a circle to create an interesting flower or a large flower center.
Another interesting effect can be achieved when the needle tips are separated further apart. Be careful while you are adjusting the needle, it's easy to hurt your fingers with something so small and sharp.
You can melt a larger hole in gelatin for this flower. Use a color base that has started to thicken up and apply only a little bit of pressure for each shape.
Using two shades of color will give some depth to the flower design.
Bending the needle tips back and fort can cause them to break. If you are going to use both regular and wide position of the tips, we recommend using two needles instead of bending the needle multiple times.
The shorter (1/2 inch) needle is suitable for making small and even flower centers as the needle hub helps you maintain the same depth with each insertion.
Longer needles are suitable for longer flower centers and allow you to make larger flowers quickly.
Longer needle can also be used straight, for thin lines, or bent for small petals.
When using a needle with multiple tips, if you pause while making a flower, the color base in one of the needles may thicken up and stop the flow through that needle. If you notice that the color is not coming out from one or more of your needles, you can place the needle under hot running water for a few seconds to restore the flow.
To avoid having individual needles obstructed, you can keep the needle in a small mount of warm water while you work.
To learn more about Gelatin Art, visit our instructions page here.
To purchase high quality gelatin or our easy-to-use starter kit for beginners, visit our online store.
