Colour Shapers for Oil Paints.

You know me. Always searching for the ultimate in materials, the ideal way to translate my vision onto the canvas, quickly, easily, no fuss.

My latest new toy is Colour Shapers, sort of silicone brushes, different size and shapes, need no cleaning, just a wipe, that's what attracted me to them, and the thought that I could put on a smooth surface all in one go.


I bought a whole load of them, from the very smallest pointy one to a flat 4 inch brush.
Was my money well invested?
.
In the cold light of day I found that my expectations were not quite met, but I'll show you a few things that I did discover.

• The tips are hard
• They don't actually carry much paint, or rather you can put the paint on the canvas in one dollop and then spread it around with the shaper, but by it's very nature this instrument holds no reservoir of paint.
• I had thought I might be able to draw with the small point but in the conventional way that is not the case, but you can draw by taking out an area of wet paint but there is no fine line.
• The larger brush went all wrinkly when exposed to a lot of paint and turps. It dried flat again but this is not good. I haven't tried it with acrylic yet.
  
• The one inch chisel and the small chisel seemed the most useful, the others scoop out the paint and don't spread very well.
• They are easy to clean requiring just a wipe with a rag.

  

  Paint taken out from the horizon with small chisel.

  
  

  

  Wavy lines drawn in thick paint.

  
  

  

  One inch chisel.
  See the ground showing through.

I had hoped I could use these for two things, as a detail brush and for spreading large areas of paint, neither of which they did.
I should have known better really because I know in my heart of hearts there are no quick fixes, it's just knuckle down and get on with the painting!