Polka-dot paint

It was even a subject of litigation between two stage magicians, Harry Albacker and Paul Stadelman in 1950s.

[4][5] Stadelman, in his turn was challenged by other magicians who claimed that he pinched the idea from the "Barber's pole paint" trick.

[6] The idea of both tricks is simple: the object is pre-painted in the desired pattern with oil-based paint and then covered with white watercolor or whitewash.

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".

The inventor was inspired by French painter Georges Seurat, who created his impressionist effects using small dots of paint.