Well, I
thought I was going to stop my translucent blue experiment, but then I found some proper food dye that doesn't cause the Polycrylic to clump, so I will add a layer per day to this for a while and see what happens.

I'm using a small soft bristled paintbrush and short brush strokes. That way, I can gently apply new layers without risking peeling of the finish as I apply it (and also to avoid bubbles that my foam brush was creating). Plus, the short brush strokes will probably contribute a bit of texture to the final result.
The working time of this stuff is short, so you have to resist the urge to keep brushing it to try to smooth it out. The cure time, by contrast, is long (about 24 hours until it can be safely handled).