Decalcomania

Here are some examples of Decalcomania from the history of art.

Fractal patterns in paint are easily made by a process called decalcomania. Here are the steps.

Put some fairly viscous paint -- finger paint or oil paint from a tube work well -- on a piece of stiff paper fastened to a table.

Cover the paper with another piece of paper

Flatten and spread the paint by applying pressure to the top sheet

Pull the sheets apart.

As the sheets separate, paint adheres to both the top and bottom, forming ridges between the papers.

With increasing distance between the papers, the paint ridges coalesce and a branching pattern appears.

As more and more ridges coalesce, a dendritic fractal forms. Here is an example. Click the picture to enlarge in a new window.

Here are some examples, including recent student projects.