Shadow Wall

A shadow wall (aka "silhouette wall" or "glow wall") is an inexpensive way to entertain a lot of kids for a long time. It is a wall covered completely in our Economy Green Glow in the Dark Paint.  Opposite of the wall is a charging light.  You ask the kids to pose in front of the wall. You "flash" the light and a clear silhouette of each child is left on the wall. After a few minutes, the wall's glow returns to black and you can do it again. Kids will always want to "do it again" to try out different techniques. They will soon also figure out that they can make hand shapes.

Glow walls can be made to be permanent or temporary. Some can be folded up and stored. Components can be made out of a variety of materials you may already have.  Costs in almost any case should be low. It also uses the most inexpensive type of glow paint.

Construction:

Walls: Walls can be made out of a variety of materials.  Recently, a product used by sign companies called Corroplast is becoming popular.  It is a lightweight material that comes in 4 x 8 sheets made from plastic.  It is similar to corrugated cardboard (box material).  It has a smooth, easy to paint surface.  It also comes in a variety of colors.  It also comes in a fireproof version.  You can buy a sheet for about $15 at a local sign shop.

On the other hand, almost anything will work. For a permanent wall, use drywall, plywood, or medium density fiberboard (MDF). Smooth surfaces work best, so rough surfaced wood may deteriorate the effect. This can be solved with sanding, but that is a lot of work. For a temporary wall, use canvas tarps, plastic tarps, or 6 mil black plastic sold for paint protection or gardening.

Paint: If you use Coroplast, skip the following two steps.  Make sure that you let the paint fully dry as per the instructions between each of the following steps.  Paint the surface with a sealing primer and let it dry.  (f you

Paint a coat of Krylon Spray paint and let it dry.  For our projects, we use black gloss.  But the color and sheen is not critical, so feel free to try different colors.  Continue adding coats until you get a smooth consistent colored surface.

Next, simply paint on several layers of Economy Green Glow in the Dark Paint.  The higher end Ultra products will stay bright too long and therefore is not suggested.  Store bought paint will not be bright enough and therefore is not suggested.  We suggest that you continue adding layers until you have used a whole quart.

Light Source:

Option 1:  Disposable Camera with Flash.  You can get dozens of free used disposable cameras from local film developing stores.  They are a quick and easy light source for a shadow wall.  Some customers have even modified these cameras to be on an automated timer.  Warning, inside these cameras is a large capacitor.  A capacitor stores energy like a battery.  But unlike a battery, they can release all their energy in a millisecond.  Therefore they can be very dangerous if touched.  Remember, they store energy and therefore can and most likely will be charged even when the battery is removed.  Unless you are a skilled engineer, we do not suggest that you open the camera body for modification.

The other "kicker" with a disposable camera is that you can use the gag of telling the kids you want to take their picture.  The emerging shadow would then be a surprise.

I would also suggest that you tell the kids to close their eyes during the flash so they can enjoy the wall without being blinded first.

Option 2:  Black Light.  A powerful black light turned on for a second is a great source.  Unlike white light, it will not dilate your pupils.  Its ultraviolet light will really charge the glow.  Such lights can be purchased very inexpensively at Walmart.  We suggest that you use the tube version, not the "screw-in" incandescent type.  A typical 6 outlet power strip with an on/off button is a great switch.

Main lighting in room: Since the glow powder is charged with light, you want very dim lighting in the room. You want just enough light to allow the children and the operator to move around safely. For advanced walls, very dim lights can be mounted above and slightly behind the wall. The angle of light never directly impacts the wall, so the the glow is not effected.  In a permanent setup, we suggest that everything in the room be painted flat black except for the glow wall itself.

Notes:

On a 4' x 8' wall, you will need the following paint:

1 Cans of Primer (not needed if you use Coroplast)

2 Cans of Base Color (not needed if you use Coroplast)

1 Quart of Economy Green Glow in the Dark Paint.