Lesson One-War Paint

Summary

This talks about Abbott Thayer, who is a famous painter and he has another artistic interest was camouflage and the origination and the usage of camouflage. It comes from the French word camoufler, meaning to blind or to veil. The usually usage of camouflage is a kind of protective concealment which protects itself from being seen by enemies. The way is that they disguise an object or a person to avoid being recognized by an enemy soldier or an enemy airplane. Before Thayer’s time, hiding has been use as a military strategy and different forms of camouflage. Obliteration methods works by blending. The gradation between white and dark on the creature’s surface is a camouflage from being discovered by the predator or, on the other hand, the creatures they are hunting. They may blend themselves with either its surroundings or something unlike itself. The animal camouflage works by disruption can make the creatures look like disappear or appear. Biologists don’t believe that animals’ color can attract their mates or frighten predators in Thayer’s methods. But soldier leaders believe that it is useful in the war nowadays. Hiding became an important thing by World War I was due to the survey of airplane. Planes were
usually take pictures of enemy installation and troop action. The first use of camouflage units was in armies. France was the first country to use it in 1915. Camouflage units were used because the commander was an artist and many of his soldiers were in the design business. (Example: architects, designers and painters.) After the French army introduced camouflage many other countries decided to adapt its use. It was successful that thousands of ships were painted odd patterns which could confuse enemy submarines in early 1900s. The Indies of American use paints and symbols to decorate themselves and share their traditional stories. Different pigments can be made from various sources. After being dried over a fire, the pigments were finely ground into a powder. They were then mixed weigh fat for storage and with hot water when they were to be used. The colorful mixes were then applied with a variety of brushes fashioned from sticks and bones. Nowadays, we don't draw the war pain on face; however, it's common to see the 'war paint" on women's face, we call it "make-up". Basically, their functions are quite similar, that is to draw attention away from the features being concealed, and show the best part to people.