Painting contrasting colors between ceilings and walls or accent walls.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Late last fall I gutted a tiled shower I installed 20+ years ago. For numerous reasons I am just now getting it finished.

I was at the stage where I wanted to paint the ceiling and a portion of the shower walls above the tile. Then I am going to finish shower hardware and door installation. Then paint the entire bathroom. Sometimes I am able to cut in edges reasonably well. This wasn't the time. I was at a loss. I went youtube and found a couple videos on how to paint a straight line on rough surfaces using painters tape and clear caulk. Sometimes the information I have gotten off of youtube is successful for me, sometimes not. This worked extremely well!

It's also a way people paint an absolutely straight line on an accent wall.

The gest of it? You use painters tape to mark a straight line. Then you shoot a bead of clear caulk on the side of the tape where you want to paint. You wipe the excess caulk off with a wet finger, then using a liberal amount of paint on a brush, paint on the wet caulk. You remove the tape as soon as you finish painting the line. The wet caulk fills in the gaps between the low spots and the tape. I was stunned how well this to provide a straight line between a white and a bluish green Behr's Tasmanian Sea which are two very contrasting colors.

[Tom M King]

It's called "caulking the tape". Uses the fairy crystals in tapes like Frog tape that are supposed to keep the line clean, but don't without the caulk. It doesn't take much caulk. I use clear latex caulk. Paint over it while the caulk is still wet, and pull the tape off while it's still wet.

It works well with fine line tapes without the caulk, if you pull it off while the paint is still wet. Picture of such in the thread linked here:

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?292729-Revelation-on-cutting-in-room-trim&highlight=caulking+tape

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Tom, I am surprised I didn't see your thread. And you are right, it is the easiest way to cut in trim.

Currently I want to paint just a small area above the tile and the ceiling and paint the ceiling area just within the shower. Then I can install the shower hardware and paint the rest of the bathroom. I was stunned how easy that made a very clean line between the wall and the ceiling. The contrast in paints is dramatic and that method pulled it off cleanly!

[Jim Becker]

As much as tape seems like an attractive answer, I've honestly found that a really good brush can paint a nice line with practice to get the feel for how the brush spreads out and retracts based on pressure...the same technique that signmakers use with their quills (a brush with very long bristles) while painting lettering, etc.

[Jack Frederick]

Jim, I agree that a good bush and a bit of practice can do a fine job on a line, but…I end up driving myself nuts on maintaining the proper position to let the brush and technique do their thing. Reach to far out get to close and things go sideways. Unless you do it all the time it is maddening, at least in my case.
We recently had our kitchen painted. Out painter suggested we use Scuf-X paint by Benjamin Moore. It came out beautifully and has a pretty hard surface that cleans well. I would have used it on my shop walls had I known of it. We are very happy with the look and feel in the kitchen. You might check it out Ken. I think it would be very good in the bath.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Guys I am using a good quality Wooster brush of which I have several. The paint was top shelf Behr. It was just the matter of the rough/uneven surface in this case. This technique is used to paint straight lines even on knock-down surfaces according to the video made by a professional painter.

[Tom M King]

I'm particular about which brush to use for what. I don't use all the brushes in this picture, but it made repainting a rental house more interesting figuring out which I like best for what.

The caulk the tape is just another tool to use. The use I like best is cutting in baseboard in previously painted houses. Very often, maybe even most often, the baseboard had dust on it the last time it was painted, and that caused little balls to get rolled up under the paint. Cutting that in with a brush just takes longer crawling on your knees, or bending over. The tape can be stretched out four or five feet at the time, the caulk put on, paint over with the brush you want to leave the wall ready to be finished with a roller, and the whole process might take a minute and a half without getting on the floor. You just don't have to be careful with the brush, so you can use a wider, soft one to leave a smooth finish at the same time.

I don't suggest all of it needs to be done with the tape, but you will be doing yourself a favor in some places to use it.

Also, look again at the transition of paint to stain on the edge of the door in the linked thread. I'm probably close to as good as anyone at cutting in with a brush, but if you can do that with a brush, you're better than I am.

When I'm doing new work, such as putting up this crown molding, painting is part of the process, and that process leaves no cutting in because meeting surfaces are painted before being put up.

[Tom M King]

https://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=462010&d=1627488450