Artex - matching broken leather effect

Guys/Gals - I am repairing a large patch on a bedroom ceiling that has an artex / textured effect 'broken leather'. I have had a practice on a spare bit of board with artex (mix your own not ready mix). Having followed the instructions for consistency required for broken leather, my attempt (using sponge wrapped in carrier bag) is pretty effective, however the resultant effect is not quite the same.

Obviously I don't expect a perfect match, but I'd like to get it closer to the existing and I think it is a consistency thing.

My attempt appears to have sharper / more defined ridges and peaks. The existing on ceiling appears smoother. I assume this may be because my mixture was thicker, so maybe a slightly thinner mixture would result in a smoother effect? Or is it also a question of how thick a layer is laid on (I had a good 3-4mm on my test?)

I only have a limited amount of artex available, and for various logistical reasons I am trying to avoid the need to buy any more, so I only have a limited opportunity for test attempts!
As always, any (constructive!) advice gratefully received (and please let's not get into the love/hate artex, "you'd be better off skimming the whole thing "debate . . . . .).
Cheers

 

Thanks guys, nice to know I was thinking along the right lines. Will do the finger and thumb to gauge the consistency, nice tip.

Not exactly a huge choice of carrier bags in my house, so looks like Co-op may be the bag of choice!