How do aqua draw mats work?

whitecrook

whitecrook

whitecrook

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Hi all

I'm sure you've all seen and some of you have probably used these aqua draw mats of various shapes and sizes. Basically you fill up a pen with water and 'draw' on the white board/paper. Magically the picture appears. To re use just wait till the page dries and it turns back to white.

I'm pretty sure its just a picture with some kind of white chemical painted on top, which turns translucent when hydrated with water or saliva.

But what is this chemical?

Info on this on the net is really hard to find.

edit youtube for illustration http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=U03tjLVdlFw
 
no. When the water dries you can use it again! I got one for 3.99 the other day, it's about A3 size and it's just funky rainbow colours underneath, rather than a picture.
 
Le_Petit_Lapin said:
What is the point in that?

Here kids, if you scribble on this page you'll get a perfect picture everytime!

Thats not going to teach them anything.
Click to expand...


my sons one is the same colour all over (Thomas the tank engine one) it doesnt have a picture behind it or loads of colours. he has a special tool which draws track shape lines on, which he can then put a thomas train on and it follows it..
When it dries it goes blank and can start again... a great way for a 2 yr old to experience painting without the paint imo
 
Don't know but my godson has a mat and a pen, draw a line on it then put Thomas the Tank on it and it follows the water mark round.

Had me amused for weeks.
 
daven1986 said:
the picture is probably under a layer of material that goes transparent when wet and opaque when dry.

edit: maybe not!
Click to expand...


errrr. That's what I said in my OP!! the question is WHAT is this layer made of? Is it a new chemical, why has it taken until 2008 for this kind of product to become widely available? Sadly there's very little info I can find out about it.


Also to reply to someone else above. These products are for teaching kids how to hold a pen, how to draw etc, when they get it right, they get rewarded with a nice thomas picture or whatever, As someone else said you can get the bigger blank/no picture mats which encourage the child to be more creative, with the beneift of no brushes, no ink, no paint to run. If anyone has kids and paint they'll know full when what a disaster that is waiting to happen. (unless you don't mind your tv, sofa, floor walls and doors o be 'redecorated')
 
lolz

298474876.jpg
 
there could be many ways to make this work - i can think of a few ways off the top of my head, probably involving some sort of microencapsulation technology (think fax paper) - possibly with an acid/base type reaction - i would have to actually see one in person to work it out fully.
 
actually i've changed my mind - and actually read the OP :)

so, its a polymer film that goes transparent when wet? that sounds very easy to do - possibly some hydrophilic polymer with liquid crystal tenancies - if you have access to scientific journals you could probably find it with a bit of searching.
 
been around for a good few years now i think... but still cool. Take yours apart maybe, and see if its layers?
 
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