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Apart from brushes, what else do you paint with?

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Alicia Tolhurst-Brown

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I recently discovered, after trying to void my canvas of oil paint, that kitchen roll is great for applying and smoothing paint. This painting is no where near finished, but 80% of the sky was smoothed with kitchen roll. It got me wondering, what else others have used for various effects. I'm hoping for some helpful answers 😉 Alicia

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by Alicia Tolhurst-Brown

Margaret Nisbet

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Fabulous waves, Alicia.  I'm another fan of kitchen towel (and paper hankies)!  Mostly on watercolour though.   I have a stick too which is great for ink.

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by Margaret Nisbet

Alan Bickley

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Yes it’s a quick way to cover large areas, a cloth is better as it doesn’t disintegrate on the canvas - the thicker towels probably don’t! However, I always rework those areas, adding more paint with a brush, I want to see brush marks, and don’t particularly care for that smooth finish, that’s my style I suppose! I basically use it as an initial underpainting. I also use a Jackson’s 1in and 2in flat brush, these also gives rapid coverage.

Ellen Mooney

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Old credit cards, cocktail stick, palette knife, bits of card, and I too use damp kitchen roll (the one that stays strong when wet 😄) on occasions.  Ellen
heather self2

Heather Love

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Fingers ... it's a messy business!
michael

Michael Edwards

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Wire wool, sponges, Sandpaper, clingfilm (by applying the paint to the cling film and then placing it on the support rather than appling it to a painted surface) , my favourite ladies blusher brush for blending acrylic paint,  sticks from the hedgerow(used usually with ink),  brayers ' stiff hairs from a yard broom tied together (can produve great grass like effects), the list goes on. For mark making especially when working on mono prints, toy cars, combs, and any object I can lay my hands on which has an interesting edge or surface. Must be many other I can't immediately recall to mind - it's my age. 

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by Michael Edwards

IMG_3630

Paul (Dixie) Dean

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I used toiled roll but not the one with puppies on since my granddaughters pointed on some in the sky,, they though I was been very cleaver too addd the puppies. I use and old toothbrush to get a splatter effect and sand paper for a beach effect.

Tessa Gwynne

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I’m surprised no one has mentioned palette knives. I used to use these a lot, but not so much recently. I do sometimes use kitchen roll, and also the sharp end of a couple of feathers for marking into paint. Anything goes for the right effect!

Margaret Nisbet

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Don't know why I didn't mention pallet knives - use them quite a lot!
our Lady2

Jim Morris

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There's no limit really, Alicia, although I mainly use brushes for watercolour work. The rest, acrylic etc, I 've used credit card, metal scraper, swabs, cling film (I've even painted on tinfoil), toothbrush, twigs, etc,etc. The maestros used all these things without reserve, so whatever works for you. End justifies the means, as they say..(-:

Alicia Tolhurst-Brown

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Thank you, some great answers here. Some of you use sand paper, I've painted and pasteled onto sandpaper, but are you using it to apply paint? Either way, I shall be giving it a go. Also cling film? That's quite unique?  Credit cards, oh yes I've used these and got into trouble.  Thanks again Alicia
IMG_7097

Helen Martell

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I've tried cling film too, onto a wet (acrylic) surface then scrunched up and left to dry then peel off to create a texture. Also often use (dry) kitchen roll, scrunched up then dabbed onto wet acrylic to remove some on the paint and leave an interesting pattern. I've painted onto some bubble-wrap and pressed that onto the canvas for a background pattern effect.
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