Articles
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- Books
The Marvelous Magic of Massey
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- Books
The Magic of Robert Harbin - The Book
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- Information
- Books
All the Secrets of Magic Revealed by Herbert Becker
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- Books
Successful Magic (Conjuring) for Amateurs by Norman Hunter
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- Books
The (New) Make-up of Magic by Micky Hades
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- Books
Jack Hughes World of Magic Volumes 1-3
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- Books
Magic Books of Harry Leat
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- Books
More Exclusive Magical Secrets by Will Goldston
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- Books
Book of Exquisite Conjuring by F. W. Conradi (Book Review)
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- Books
Magic of the Scottish Conjurers Association - Book Review
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- Books
Jack Gwynne: The Man, His Mind, and his “Royal Family of Magic”
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- Books
Classic Magic with Apparatus Series by Dr. Robert Albo
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- Information
- Books
Ultimate Okito Addendum by Robert Albo has Arrived
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- Information
- Illusions
Evolution & The Endless Pursuit Of Perfection
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- Illusions
On Why Illusions are Expensive: The Artist, the Engineer & the Illusioneer
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- Illusions
Creativity and the Sub Trunk Illusion
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- Illusions
Kissing Frogs and Other Miscellaneous Illusion Show Tips (Edited)
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- Illusions
Classic Illusions - A List of the Great Illusions of All Time
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- Magic Apparatus
Tips for Performing and Repairing Sword Through Neck
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- Other Stage Magic
Vampire's Rose - A Spooky Routine for the Kevin James Floating Rose
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- Beginner Area
The Magic Of Extraordinary Objects
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- Beginner Area
When Does The Show Start?
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- Beginner Area
Professional Attitude by Harlan Tarbell
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- Beginner Area
Blending Your Magic Act: From Random to Routine
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- Beginner Area
Magicians: Be What Fits You
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- Beginner Area
How to Overcome Your Perceived Limitations as a Magician
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- Beginner Area
Examining Your Act - Taking Your Magic to the Next Level
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- Beginner Area
Getting Started with Magic Books
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- Beginner Area
The Art of Practice
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- Beginner Area
If a Fake Magician Can Do It, So Can You.
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- Childrens Shows
11 Kid Show Thoughts For 2011
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- Childrens Shows
On Magic For Children
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- Childrens Shows
The Childrens Birthday Party Business - Magician and Party Personality
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- Childrens Shows
Kid Magicians Take Note: How to Get Kids to Eat Veggies
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- Childrens Shows
What is it That Makes Children Laugh?
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- Childrens Shows
The Secret of Performing Magic for Very Young Audiences (Lessons from the Great Zucchini)
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- Childrens Shows
Children’s Conjurers Clever Comebacks & Comments
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- Comedy and Humor
The Story of Sydney Slater
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- Comedy and Humor
Funniest Magic Acts
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- Mentalism
What Does It Take to be a Mentalist?
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- Mentalism
How to Create an Effective and Entertaining Mentalism Act
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- Mentalism
Mentalist as a Facilitator
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- Mentalism
What makes a Mentalist or Magician Memorable?
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- Mentalism
Mentalism - It’s Back
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- Showmanship
A Hand Is Not A Table
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- Showmanship
Everything Is Infected
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- Showmanship
The Manipulation Of Surprise
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- Showmanship
Forget Me Not: How to be an Unforgettable Performer
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- Showmanship
Improving Your Act: Six Things You Can Do To Be A Better Magician.
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- Showmanship
The Audience Doesn’t Care -- Surefire Ways to Improve Your Act and Stun a Crowd!
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- Showmanship
Proper Magical Presentation by Hermann Pallme
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- Showmanship
How To Please Your Audience by Harlan Tarbell
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- Showmanship
Tarbell on Showmanship and Presentation by Harlan Tarbell
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- Showmanship
What Kinds of Entertainers do you Get in Your Audience?
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- Showmanship
How Can I Better my Magic Show and Myself?
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- Showmanship
When Good Magicians Go BAD!
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- Showmanship
When a Magician is NOT a Magician
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- Showmanship
How to Think Like a Magician... a Good One.
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- Showmanship
Three Secrets Of Success For Every Magician by Harry Kellar
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- Showmanship
The Program: Arranging the Tricks so they Make Sense by H. Syril Dusenbery
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- Showmanship
Your Voice: Speaking Properly for a Magic Performance by H. Syril Dusenbery
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- Business Side of Magic
Magician's Restaurant Workers Secrets - Top 35 Tips
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- Business Side of Magic
Keep Magic in Order with Free Information Management Software
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- Business Side of Magic
Magician's Tax Tips
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- Information
- Business Side of Magic
Magicians: How to Win Audiences and Customers & Influence People
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- Business Side of Magic
You Are The Magic... Always
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- Business Side of Magic
15 Web Site Secrets for Magicians
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- Business Side of Magic
Magic Marketing: 36 Inexpensive Tips to Help Make Magicians More Money
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- Business Side of Magic
Magicians: How to Provide Excellent Customer Service
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- Business Side of Magic
Printing and Literature: Securing your Engagements by H. Syril Dusenbery
When making apparatus that uses the black art principle, you can also use flat black paint but this is not always sufficient for the effect. While black velvet or even felt from a fabric store can work fine, the thickness of the material and the ease of attaching to the prop may not be what you want.
The best value and material I have found the Self-Adhesive, Low-Pile Black Velvet available from McMaster-Carr via mail order (http://www.mcmaster.com/); part number: 88015K1 (plain back) or 88015K2 (adhesive back). The thickness is a mere .030" for the adhesive or .020” for the plain so it does not add a significant thickness to your black art panel.
The trick to installing the self-adhesive velvet is to do it without wrinkles and without wasting the material.- Be sure the surface area to be mounted to is clear from dirt, dust, or flaking paint.
- Using a carpenter’s square, measure the material to be cut. If affixing to a flat panel, this may be used as the guide. Often edges of the material are lacking velvet material so this must be considered when you are measuring.
- With utility knife cut on a flat serviced worktable where any cutting through will not damage the surface. A large piece of scrap plywood on the kitchen table works well.
- To install the adhesive backed paper, peel back about 1" of the removable backing along one edge and crease the backing away from the adhesive.
- Stick the exposed edge into position and press firmly into place making sure it is aligned correctly before proceeding.
- Peel back the protective paper little by little and press the expose surfaces into place being sure that no wrinkles or bubbles form.
- When working with the plain backed paper, use an appropriate glue for the surface you are affixing to. White glue works well for unpainted wood surfaces and also allows for the piece to be repositioned prior to drying if necessary. You may also try one of the various spray mount products for adhering the non-adhesive cloth.
Hopefully, you will find this material easy to work with and invisible in your black art project.