This should be easy. What's the best place to get genuine dead flat black paint suitable for repainting a zombie gimmick? Is this something one finds at any paint store, or is there a best source that all magicians know about but me?

Buy the cheapest no name flat black paint from WalMart or other chain. They come in a spray can an sell for usually 99 cents on sale.

Edmund Scientific used to sell a flat black that was intended to kill light reflection on the inside of telescope tubes. You might also look at the black spray flocking available from Rockler Woodworking.

That's an interesting question... why does it need to be flat black?

In other words, if the cloth is, say, bright red, shouldn't the gimmick be bright red? I'm sort of joking here and sort of not joking. It's a very old misconception that flat black paint makes something disappear, when, in fact, sometimes it makes it far more obvious. Flat black works fine in a black-art scenario, but, in the theater world, we find very often that something painted black "to make it invisible" just makes it jump out as something painted black.

Just food for thought...

Any other color creates a shadow. This makes it more visible to the eye. Painting it dull/flat black make it absorb all color and does not show shadow, shadow is going to the black state.

Originally fickle fire gimmick were painted black. Even then if you happen to see a dark image in the magicians hand, you wondered was it a shadow or something in the magicians hand.

On something like the Zombie gimmick it would be best to be black with the back of the cloth black. You can sew 2 cloths together so the clothe toward the audience is colorful. It also make a nick contrast.

The theory that proves this wrong is dove bags against silk. Even if the bag is off a little, you cannot tell if it is 2 cloths that are different or not.

Instead of painting it, cover the gimmick with a black shoe lace and glue the ends shut.
Alex

I found that just a cheap flat black paint works well and BEST! Wal-Mart works and is cheap!! The trick is to keep it from running but even if it does, you still probably won't see it. I've used the black spray flocking before but do not think it is worth the money and isn't any better than plain old "flat black".

Hope this helps a bit.

John

Sherwin Williams sells a dead flat black lacquer that works very well. A gallon goes a long, long way and lasts a long time properly stored. Running is not an issue but it must be mixed well due to the high level of concentrated solids suspended in the liquid.
It's what we used on all of our illusions. It's probably more appropriate if you are going to do a lot of work on your own. For almost any material I have found that cheap can be a relative term. I prefer to aim for the least expensive quality materials I can find- not just the least expensive item period.

I agree flat black paint from Walmart ($.94 today) is by far the way to go. Their flat black actually goes on better than many of the more popular company brands ( AKA Krylon etc.). We just got done retouching up a lot of our props for an upcoming series of shows and that's what we used again. Oh yeah by the way, if you are under 21 years of age Walmart won't sell it to you you would need a legal guardian to buy it!

I would suggest Krylon Ultra Flat black. It is a little more expensive ( about $4) but it covers much better than the cheap flat black paint and drys very quickly.

I agree with the shoelace, that is how mine came, nothing to nick or scratch in the packing, and nothing to nick or scratch the ball itself- it is also just a little bit more comfortable in use, at least to me!
plain black cotton shoelace, nip off the aguilettes (you did know the name for those little tips on the end right!) slip it over the gimmick, and a dab of Aileen's or Elmers and you are ready to float and fly!
Kay

Richard is right about the drying factor. Krylon dries much quicker than the less expensive brands that I have tried.

Regan

And it (Krylon) covers much, much better.

So much for "a simple question..."

Ahhh... but surely a good question.

I put a black cotton shoe lace on mine too..

I wrapped one in black cotton yard a while ago.. it worked even better