Hello, what do you do?

[Hello and welcome to a new reoccurring bit for this ol' blog called "Hello, what do you do?" We will introduce you to a special product from Jerry's shelves and try to explain its uses and applications. Check back often and learn something new!]

COLOUR SHAPER/CLAY SHAPER

Picture this: You find yourself meandering through our paintbrush section on some sunny afternoon, searching for the filbert with a perfect mix of Orangutan and Bandicoot hairs (which we are currently out of, sorry!) when all of a sudden you come to a small display full of paintbrushes that are made with no hair at all! You pick one up and wonder to yourself, "What could it be for? Is it a strange eraser? Is it a small, oddly-shaped spatula?" No, my friend. It is neither of those things. What you are holding is a Colour Shaper!

A Colour Shaper is an exceptional tool made in the UK by Royal Sovereign Ltd that can be used for a variety of applications. Like a paintbrush, it has a long wooden handle, but unlike a paintbrush the Colour Shaper has a tip made out of solid silicone. Jerry's Austin currently carries the traditional Colour Shaper and the Clay Shaper.

The traditional version can be used with an assortment of painting mediums, including acrylic, oil, alkyds, and gouache and is great for applying, removing, scraping and moving the color around on any surface. The silicone tip does not absorb color and is cleaned simply with a wipe! They can also be used with pastels and watercolor. The Colour Shaper comes in two different styles, firm & soft. The gray tipped "brush" is the Firm one and is sturdy enough that it gives a good amount of resistance, while the white tip (Soft) is much more malleable.

In our sculpture aisle you can find the Clay Shaper, which has a black silicone tip and an extra-firm flexibility. Perfect for adding details to your clay pieces, the sizes go all the way from tiny (zero) to large (sixteen), so you can manipulate the clay with very fine lines or with much larger lines.

Both kinds of Shaper come in five interesting shapes: Flat Chisel, Taper Point, Cup Round, Cup Chisel and Angle Chisel. With the five different tips and the different flexibilities, you're bound to find an intriguing way to put the Colour Shaper or Clay Shaper to use on your next masterpiece.