Jack Richeson121502 Shiva Oil Paintstik, Professional Colors, Set of 12

I AM NOT AN ARTIST! This is a layman's review, lol. I mostly work with adding images to vintage clothing with my own stencils for my store. I love art supplies and I am always looking for something unique to play with. I used these paints on a vintage "wife" style cotton tank top with a hand cut stencil. I allowed the ink to dry for a day and then heat set it with a low iron and a sheet of paper towel to protect- the shirt came out beautifully. I also used this paint on a vintage leather jacket- it took several days to set, maybe I used too thick of an application, but it was worth the wait!!I applied the paint to both items with an inexpensive short bristle stencil brush, and used the colors straight- not custom mixed. I found the paint easy to work with. I did watch some videos on youtube about the paint, and it was suggested that not load my brush directly over my piece as it can shed a bit onto your work. I used a sturdy paper plate as a palette. My customer says the shirt has not bled, faded or otherwise deteriorated since purchase last summer. Rich, opaque colors. Wonderful product to have on hand for someone who doesn't paint frequently as they won't dry out like other paints.

You can be expressive and gestural with these paint sticks without getting overly messy. Working in oils is more traditional and grounded and rich.

I had a few Shiva Painstiks at home that I purchased on clearance at a local art supply store, but they sat unused because I didn't know how to use them. I was lucky enough to take a class in them at a local quilting show, and wow are these awesome. The colors are so vibrant and go on smooth and easy depending on the method in which they are applied. I prefer the use of a short bristled stiff stencil brush. And can get great designs when you use the paintstiks in combination with rubbing plates. The professional colors are more expensive than the student version, but worth the price when you see the results.

Quality professional paintsticks. I purchased both the standard colors & the iridescent colors. Amazon price is very competitive. The "paintstik is covered with a slight film that needs to be removed before use. You can remove it with a sharp knife or pinch & twist the stick in a paper towel. The pinch & twist method didnt work well for me as a piece of the stick broke of and cracked the stick. Since the product is expensive, I would recommend using a knife to remove the film. You need a good workplace to spread out your fabric & paint so you can use your tools effectively. Since this is oil paint you want to work in an area that provides easy clean & accidental stains. This is a much cleaner method to use oils & this product can be used with oil paint mediums. So far I used Martha Stewart sponge daubers, stiff stencil brushes by Cedar Canyon and Tim Holtz rounded sponge dabbees also used for ink. The tools you use can very based on the type of fabric you use. So far I have painted on silk, cotton, and heavy canvas cotton with really good results. Blending is fun especially on silk. I would recommend this product for textile artists and mixed media artists.

I recently added Shiva Oil Paintsticks to my R&F collection as shown in the collage. I am now liberated from pastel painting - no more dust. I can sketch as much as I want and still have permanent paintings for framing or even for cutting up for collage. I found that the Shiva paint sticks dry within a day compared to several days for R&F. But, I usually combine both types to get a full range of colors. Both types blend nicely using my gloved hands. Thanks to Amazon for stocking these wonderful art supplies and for helpful suggestions from reviewers.

suppose to gently remove skin on tip, but end breaks off at paper edges. Wasting alot of the stick and very messy.

These were used for an art workshop.

I work in mixed media and these are a great addition to my art materials. I love that they arrived unbroken and in perfect condition. A nice size so they'll last a while. Easy to apply, the colors are nice, and they add a sheen to my watercolor and acrylic paintings.