by Ismael Shepherd
When I was in college, many of my friends were buying glow paint to decorate their dorm rooms and apartments. There are many different types of glow paint, but this particular kind was very neat. When you use the paint on your walls it would glow when you turn the lights down, or when you use the black light. However, when the lights were out and when the sun was shining through the window, you would see nothing on the walls what so ever.
Bid her paint till day of doom,
To this favour she must come.
Bid the merchant gather wealth,
The usurer exact by stealth,
The proud man beat it from his thought,
Yet to this shape all must be brought.
—Francis Beaumont (1584-1616)
This particular type of glow paint was made to show up only under certain lighting conditions. I think they have certain types of ink out today that use the same pigments. My dad just got a shirt for Christmas that was made with this type of glow paint. When you look at the shirt in the house you see nothing more than a simple black and white drawing. However, when you wear the shirt out into the sun a very intricate pattern and picture begins to emerge. That is when you can see the entire picture.
Though glow paint has been around for a long time now, it is certainly becoming more and more popular. They are beginning to use glow paint on many items that you have in your home. This is something that is popular with children and teenagers, and even some adults. It is very much putting a new twist on an old idea. You can buy glow paint to use in your own home, and you can use it on just about anything. When you are out of décor ideas, this may be something you want to try.
There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted.
—Henri Matisse (1869–1954)
The glow paint that we used in college did not cost very much, but it was more than regular paint. You know in college that a lot of students don’t have a lot of money. Some of my friends found a way around this problem. They used to Tide detergent as a substitute. When painted on the wall during the day, you could see very little of the detergent. However, when you turn the lights down and applied a black light, the wall would come to life. The only problem with this was that Tide only came in one color, so you did not have the same options you had if you were to buy it for glow paint. The Tide would also catch dirt and dust from the air, and could leave the wall looking dingy during the day.