Opaque Projector Tips
Read these 7 Opaque Projector Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Art Supplies tips and hundreds of other topics.
Using a Professional Opaque Projector
If you are serious about transferring items from an opaque projector onto a surface. If you don't want to run the risk of causing damage to your item by leaving it under the hot opaque projector bulb too long, there is an opaque projector made especially for the serious artist. The Artograph Super Prism Opaque Projector is made for the best quality and most accurate projector of its kind. It also is specially made so that it won't burn or cause your item to be damaged or get too hot.
How Did the Opaque Projector Originate?
The opaque projector has been around for hundreds of years, basically starting as a camera obscura. A camera obscura was first used by the Chinese philosopher Mo-Ti who created an image that was inverted by light rays, which passed through a tiny pinhole in a dark room. This was the first use of a camera obscura. In 1490 Leonardo Da Vinci wrote of this type of camera in his notebooks. He also utilized them in his painting. The camera obscura eventually evolved into the opaque projector.
Opaque Projectors Aren't Just for Classrooms Anymore
Opaque projectors, you commonly see something similar to them in classrooms inside of schools. Teachers use them to make a small object appear larger on a screen so that students can see it also. Did you know that opaque projector's are also a great tool for artists? An artist may take a picture of something he wants to paint on a wall and place it on the projector. He then lines up the projector to the spot on the wall and there is the picture he wishes to use…in large form on the wall. It is a quick and easy way for an artist to draw a small picture onto a larger surface.
Don't Overuse Your Opaque Projector
As previously mentioned, opaque projectors need hotter bulbs and larger bulbs than the average projector. Because of this, it is important that you not leave a drawing or object you want projected onto a wall or other surface in the projector for prolonged amounts of time. Your object will get very hot and could be damaged. Please know that you should take your item out of the opaque projector from time to time to ensure that you are not damaging it.
What are Kopykake Projectors?
A Kopykake projector is a specific type of projector that is actually quite innovative. This type of projector attaches to a tripod, which can then be focused onto a canvas that is placed on an easel, allowing the artist to draw or trace the picture coming from the Kopykake projector. These projectors also work well for use on walls and are great because the tripod is easily adjusted for different heights. Another plus to this type of projector is that it works in the light or the dark, so you no longer need to turn off all the lights and work in the dark when using a projector.
Why Use and Opaque Projector?
Artists use opaque projectors not only to make their work easier, but also because it is a huge time saver to them. By copying an image from an opaque projector onto the surface of your choice you save a ton of time rather than drawing it by hand. You also can transfer the object more accurately than you would if you were hand drawing it.
What is an Opaque Projector?
An opaque projector is similar to overhead projectors used in classrooms throughout the country. Because opaque projectors reflect light they must use brighter and larger light bulbs than a normal overhead projector. An opaque projector takes an opaque object and through a system of internal prisms and mirrors, the object that is set under the opaque projector for viewing is shown enlarged onto a screen, a wall or an easel for easy tracing.
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