Colour Shapers

Can someone please tell me what those silicone tipped colour shapers are used for and how to use them.

In an art catalogue I saw a set of five of them with different shaped tips were retailing at over £25. I bought a set a few years ago for only about £2 but have never seen an article anywhere on how to use them. I would like to know what they can do.

I hope somone can enlighten me. Thanks.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Linda on January 13, 2012 at 8:34pm

I have used them in pastel work John although I imagine they can be used for pencil work too. They can be used to blend colours, and also if you are filling in a background they can be used to push the pastel right to the edge of the subject to prevent from smudging with the finger.

I don't know if this was their intended purpose but it works for me!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dorothy on January 13, 2012 at 10:34pm

As Linda says they are great for pastels to get into awkward areas where either your finger or a stump is too large. I use them a lot and like them. I know you do a lot of graphite work and I think these shapers would also be good for pencil work.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Andreou on January 14, 2012 at 10:41am

Thanks Linda - I have tried blending graphite with them but it wasn't too successful. i have never used pastels but may do at some time in the future. x

Linda said:

I have used them in pastel work John although I imagine they can be used for pencil work too. They can be used to blend colours, and also if you are filling in a background they can be used to push the pastel right to the edge of the subject to prevent from smudging with the finger.

I don't know if this was their intended purpose but it works for me!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Andreou on January 14, 2012 at 10:42am

Thanks Dorothy, I tried them ith graphite but the results was nothing special. x

Dorothy said:

As Linda says they are great for pastels to get into awkward areas where either your finger or a stump is too large. I use them a lot and like them. I know you do a lot of graphite work and I think these shapers would also be good for pencil work.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tony Haas on January 14, 2012 at 12:05pm

I mainly use colour shapers to tidy up wet paint, move paint around like mini painting knives. Especially useful for tidying up edges. For example long straight edges, and a little bit of paints gone over the edge or say rigging on ship where a lines thickened. You can use the shaper to nudge the edges back and clean the edge up.

Tony

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Andreou on January 14, 2012 at 3:50pm

Thanks Tony - next time I paint I will give them a go. I am a very untidy painter so they could prove very useful

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Diane McClung on February 2, 2012 at 9:21pm

I also use them for the soft pan pastels...I don't use them for graphite, because they do not seem to move across my paper smoothly. I blend graphite with stumps or cheap kleenex(without the cream stuff in the paper).

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Howard Cowdrick on February 11, 2012 at 1:03am

I like using color shapers with acrylics. It can be a negative paint process. Apply a layer of color and use the shaper to remove the wet paint and expose what is underneath. Very effective.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dorothy Wilson on February 24, 2012 at 10:16pm

Hi John. I acquired one of these colour shapers .......by mistake last week and I had never used them for pastels, preferring to make a mess with my hands! BUT I had a go with it yesterday and I find it is great for pastels, especially for furry objects. I used it in my kitty painting uploaded yesterday. However, I would baulk at paying £25 for them!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Andreou on February 25, 2012 at 9:12am

Thanks Dorothy - I never use pastels - at least not yet so that doesn't apply to me. I had one reply from someone who uses

them with acrylics though so I will have to play atround with them when I start paintying again. xxx

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by JACKIE JOHNSON on April 5, 2012 at 1:33am

I think I know what you all are talking about they have rubber type ones here in a local craft and gift shop , I use them for cleaning up goofs or making marks in wet thick paint. They probably wouldn't be any good much for pencil or graphite unless it would be to smudge or blend . But I think their great for what I use them for. Beats cotten swabs and doesn't leave any residue or bits of cotten.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Andreou on April 5, 2012 at 9:19am

Thanks Jackie - I have had a try at using them for blending the graphite but not very successfully. I will have to play with them when I finally get around to painting again. xx

JACKIE JOHNSON said:

I think I know what you all are talking about they have rubber type ones here in a local craft and gift shop , I use them for cleaning up goofs or making marks in wet thick paint. They probably wouldn't be any good much for pencil or graphite unless it would be to smudge or blend . But I think their great for what I use them for. Beats cotten swabs and doesn't leave any residue or bits of cotten.