Personally, I'd ditch the bowl; it's an extra step that prevents you from getting to see and feel how it's building.
First get your brush damp, not sopping wet. Doesn't matter what kind of brush it is, damp works with all of them. So soak and squeeze a bit. Get the top of your soap wet, if using a puck. That puts moisture at the brush tips. Swirl til it loads up and looks thick and creamy. Add a few drops of water if needed. Then start face lathering and dip in water to build it up.
If using cream instead of soap, use more cream to start with.
Soap and cream will take more water than you think to get to that bubble-less, creamy lather you need. But you need to start with less water and add as you go. It's an emulsion process; if your brush is too wet, or you add too much at the beginning, you get soggy bubbles that go nowhere.
It sounds more difficult in print that it is. Practice without needing to shave. Soap costs next to nothing.
