Polka-dot paint

Red on yellow polka dots

Polka dot paint is a paint of "polka dot color", i.e., a paint which paints an object with a polka dot pattern.

The paint is traditionally the subject of a fool's errand prank played upon apprentices in the decoration or construction trade, who are sent to fetch a bucket of polka-dot paint. ^{[1] [2] [3]} A polka-dot paint effect has been produced in stage magic, and in the 1950s, a polychromatic paint was invented which created a dotted effect when dry.

Magic tricks

In the United States, several magicians invented a trick in which they demonstrated painting with polka-dot paint. Paul Stadelman also performed a version of the trick where he additionally offered to paint some stripes for the audience, producing a mix of the two and saying that he "didn't get all the polka dots out of the brush". ^[4]

The trick became the subject of litigation when Stadelman sued Harry Albacker for copying the trick in the 1950s. ^{[5] [6]} Albacker's defense was that the magic act was "old as the hills", and hence in public domain.^{[ citation needed ]} Stadelman, in his turn was challenged by other magicians who claimed that he stole the idea from the "Barber's pole paint" trick.^{[ citation needed ]}

The idea of the trick is simple: the object is pre-painted in the desired pattern with oil-based paint and then covered with white watercolor or whitewash. During the trick, the top watercolor is removed with a wet brush. Stadelman said that after he performed this trick at paint dealers' conventions, he would often get letters from people who wanted to market this paint. ^[4]

Another version of the trick involves colorless chemicals on the object which become colored after a reaction with another chemical on the brush.

Real paint

In 1950, a product called "Plextone" by Maas & Walsdtein Co. was advertised, a finishing which is a single application produced "a network of interlaced but separate colors — a 'Polka Dot' paint". ^[7] In 1952, a John C. Zola patented (US 3811904 ^[8] ) polychromatic paint, technically described as "a multicolor paint from lacquer-based colorants suspended in water". The inventor was inspired by French painter Georges Seurat, who created his impressionist effects using small dots of paint. ^[9] Sapolin Paints, Inc. of New York City sold "polka-dot paint" in a spray can, which sprayed droplets of paint; the farther the can was from the surface, the smaller were the dots. ^[10]

In popular culture

• In The Vanishing Private cartoon (1942), private Donald Duck tries to camouflage a cannon by painting it with red, green and yellow stripes, and black polka dots, from a single bucket. ^[11]
• Polka-dot nail polish and marker pens incorporate glitter or non-glitter colored particles to do the trick. ^[12]
• One can create polka-dot brushes for various computer graphics software, such as Photoshop, GIMP, etc. ^[13]

References

1. The Painter and Decorator, Volume 73, 1959, p. 4
2. Peter J. H. Petter-Bowyer, "Winds of Destruction: The Autobiography of a Rhodesian Combat Pilot", p. 72
3. Richard Gordon Charman, The Learning Curve: My Story, 2011, ISBN   0987060007, p. 78
   • Quote: "Like all tradesmen, in all companies, the new apprentices were sent by them to the local hardware store <...> to get 'a left-handed hammer', 'a right-handed scredwriver', 'a box of r/h threaded holes', 'a tin of blue and yellow striped paint', 'a tin of black and white polka dot paint' <...> "
4. "Magician Finds Public Ready For New Paint", The Bulletin, March 3, 1950, p. 9
5. "Another Claims Spotted Pigment Invention As Local Magician Says In's 2 Other Tricks", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 1, 1949, page 3.
6. "General News: Magic", by Bill Sachs, The Billboard , January 14, 1950 p. 47
7. Product Finishing, vol 15, 1950, p. 110 (google snippet)
8. "Novel coating compositions and their preparation - US 3811904 A".
   • Quote: "multi-color coating compositions of two or more phases consisting of at least one dispersed phase consisting of discrete globules or droplets of film-former and organic solvent, which dispersed phase is dispersed in a liquid organic dispersing medium. At least some of the dispersed globules are different in color from the dispersin'g medium"
9. "Dotting the Eyes", The Rotarian, July 1975, p. 50
10. "On the Market for Do-It-Yourselfers", Popular Mechanics, March 1958, p. 207
11. "Walt Goes to War: Part Two", Jim Korkis, January 25, 2017, Mouse Planet
12. "Maybelline Color Show “Polka Dots” Glitter Nail Polish Swatches & Review"
13. "Polka dot brushes for Photoshop, PSP, GIMP, Painter ..."