Exploring the World of Close-Up Magic Tool Pads

The close-up magic tool pad is an essential accessory for any close-up magician. This pad is a perfect surface for performing a variety of card tricks, coin tricks, and other close-up illusions. The main idea of this tool pad is to provide a smooth and non-slip surface for the magician to perform on. The close-up magic tool pad is usually made of a high-quality material such as neoprene or velvet. These materials are chosen because they provide the necessary grip and cushioning for the magician's hands and props. The pad is also designed to be portable and easy to carry, making it ideal for professional magicians who perform at different venues.

7) Now stretch the fabric around all the edges, and hold it in place with some staples.

Take your boards if you re making it in the same dimensions as myself, they should be 32 x 2 and 16 x 2 , and use your vertical stapler to attach the planks to the board. Only proves that there are people who like to call themselves a magician and those of us who are entertainers that really see that this thread was started not as a mindless and pointless question but as a very valid point of taking ones art to the next level.

The pad is also designed to be portable and easy to carry, making it ideal for professional magicians who perform at different venues. One of the main benefits of using a close-up magic tool pad is that it helps to create a visually appealing performance. The smooth surface of the pad allows for smooth card manipulations and coin flourishes, adding to the overall visual impact of the magic trick.

Close up magic tool pad

Not just what color but should I get the ones with designs in the corners?
What do you guyz uze?

p.s. I love kards!

www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate,
Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder.

I carry two, one very thin green baize that has an ace printed in the corners. This is a larger that perfectly houses a black mat on top, so that the black on green is perfectly visible. It creates a real "stage". In saying that, it's not that often I get to use this in performance given the mainstream strolling/restaurant type work these days.

Why two? I never have to replace the green and the rubber bottom means I can throw on any table, wet or otherwise. The black is the working surface and can be replaced - but much less frequently thanks to the green base.

Sorry mate, long answer to a short question!

Blue cards show up well, red cards show up well, silver coins show up well, copper coins show up well, $100 tips show up well.

Is there some contest going on about creating the most pointless, stupid threads or something.

You would think with the server issues and cost the Café has been having, people would be more considerate and work on LESSENING the clutter and wasted bandwith instead of adding to it.

www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate,
Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder.

The covering should be green. Green contrast with almost all magic props: coins, card, sponges. Furthermore, green is elegant, and remindful of the opulence of the casino. Black and red cannot make this claim. And if you are using a purple close-up mat, you are probably wasting your time reading this book

Taken from the book, 'Close Up' by Gary Ouellt.

Those of you who believe red or green or black are the best colors for close-up pads would do well to read the following. It is an excerpt from an article by Ron Bauer called “Colorful Magic.”

I ran a series of articles in the New Tops magazine back in the eighties called “How to Perform Magic on Local TV.” I used “local TV” to represent the wide variety of television and video venues that were emerging across the country, and how magicians would do well to prepare to exploit these new markets.

One of the numerous subjects I touched on was the close-up magic pad, and how it should be more than a black, green, or red rectangle. I recommended alternative colors, but never got around to elaborating.

In The Complete Don Alan’s Chop Cup, I wrote: “NOTE: For television, in which strong lights are used, LIGHT BLUE is the best color. Black absorbs light, and will sometimes cause high contrast problems.” This isn’t complete information because I didn’t mention GREEN or RED. Reflections from these colors can detract from the color of your clothing and props, including some playing card backs, but worse they can unpleasantly affect the appearance of your skin! So, here’s some more info.

If you want your hands to look their best when doing any close-up work, black or green or red surfaces aren’t good choices. Use light blue, pink, or beige. How do I know this?

In the sixties, I was employed at the advertising agency for Heinz Catsup, and learned some valuable information from the following experience.

We were shooting a commercial using a meat display in a supermarket. Playing it back, we saw that the meat looked like it was “bad.” Adjusting color controls would fix one element of the pictures, but harmed something else. None of the engineers could fix the problem until someone realized the meat was in a display with GREEN trim. To sum up, the reflections from the GREEN changed the color of the meat! Meat and skin aren’t just variations of RED, you see. There are several colors involved, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that reflections from LIGHT BLUE made the colors look normal.

So, why aren’t you using a LIGHT BLUE close-up magic pad? Don’t say that magic dealers don’t sell them in that color. They’ll sell whatever you’ll buy!

On 2006-03-06 19:25, Daegs wrote:
Is there some contest going on about creating the most pointless, stupid threads or something.

You would think with the server issues and cost the Café has been having, people would be more considerate and work on LESSENING the clutter and wasted bandwith instead of adding to it.

Magic is about presentation and image. You have the spectators, script, drama, choreography, and the suspense all weaved into magic. This goes for stage and close up. For the close up performer/entertainer everything represents the performer and the magic. If one uses a close up mat, then the mat becomes a stage. A stage where drama, choreography of props and suspense is mixed together to create little plays.

The elegant close-up magician not only remembers that there is magic in his hands, but his props reflect his art: new cards, polished coins, clean rope, and fresh sponge balls.

As Daegs wrote above, "Is there some contest going on about creating the most pointless, stupid threads or something. " Only proves that there are people who like to call themselves a magician and those of us who are entertainers that really see that this thread was started not as a mindless and pointless question but as a very valid point of taking ones art to the next level. An entertainer knows in his heart and mind that there is more to magic then doing tricks. An entertainer’s purpose is to entertain and hopefully be remembered.

To entertainers a small point such as the color of a mat or prop really does matter. The entertainer and his/her props (tools) are one and the same. The entertainer relies on his/her skills and tools of the trade. He/she is a craftsman who takes pride in what he/she represents to their clients.

For someone making such a statement as to this being a stupid thread hasn't reach the level of an entertainer yet. They are still thinking about fooling their buddies and looking cool. That is fine if that is where one is at in their magical journey. But, for those of us who are beyond this stage, then we need to think about everything we do, say and the condition of our props. After all to be paid as an entertainer, one much look and act as one.

Ray Noble
Posted: Mar 6, 2006 10:02pm

Strong lights do reflect, distort and change colors of props and clothes. Next time I am doing a close up gig in a meat display in a supermarket I will remember to use Blue! LOL. I am just kidding but I was impressed with your post. It is just like working on a stage where you must be careful of the color of your lights.

Thanks for sharing.

I think what is viewed on TV is very different than viewed in person.

If I were doing a tv do-dah, I would definitely go the light blue route.
In person, it's less restrictive, I think, and doesn't really matter at all.

As an example with the Patrick Page shell game video, the pea is red, and I think and the matt is green (not 100% sure) but whatever combination it is, the pea is almost impossible to see and looks black. I think the heavy contrast and the dark matt overwhelms the color of the small pea and almost sucks it out of existance like a black hole.

For a live audience this topic is null and void.
For TV I actually think it does have significance.

"Clean" would be the recommended adjective for this thread, for a non-recorded event.

www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate,
Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder.

Just a good quality contrasting plain one. I use Trevor Duffy's black mats. There superb. Can be washed and left to dry and they are like brand new! (They are made out of the stuff that they make divers' wet-suits from!)AND, they don't gather dust!

On 2006-03-07 09:49, bsears wrote:
Seems to me most casinos use green. And most pool tables are green. Probably a good reason for that.

Right on Magical Dimensions and Amen too Frank. As I work live light blue is not yet an issue, but thank you Cameron Roast for the heads up. I have a black, red and blue mat as well as burgandy velvet with padding that I will use to cover a whole table. I choose color based on variables such as lighting, deck color, location etc.

Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're probably right.

On 2006-03-06 19:38, Frank Starsini wrote:
Amen.

Green, because if you are using red or blue and use those color decks they won't show up, so GREEN in the FINAL ANSWER. lol, Ed, (Eddini) . Ooooowww .

We don't stop playing when we grow old. we grow old when we stop playing.

God is enough, let go, let God. Gal 2:20

"Anything of value is not easily attained and those things which are easily attained are not of lasting value."

On 2006-03-06 23:59, Frank Starsini wrote:
I think what is viewed on TV is very different than viewed in person.

On 2006-03-06 23:59, Frank Starsini wrote:
I think what is viewed on TV is very different than viewed in person.

The non-slip surface ensures that the props and cards stay in place, preventing any accidental slips or mishaps during the performance. Another main idea is that the close-up magic tool pad provides a convenient surface for storing and organizing the magician's props. The pad usually has pockets or compartments where the magician can store their cards, coins, and other small props. This allows the magician to have quick and easy access to their props during the performance, enhancing the flow and rhythm of the tricks. In conclusion, the close-up magic tool pad is a must-have accessory for any close-up magician. It provides a smooth and non-slip surface for performing tricks, enhances the visual appeal of the performance, and provides convenient storage for props. Its portability and ease of use make it a valuable tool for professional magicians who want to deliver captivating close-up magic experiences..

Reviews for "The Close-Up Magic Tool Pad: Your Ultimate Guide"

1. Sarah - 1/5 stars - I was really disappointed with the Close up magic tool pad. The quality was extremely poor and the tricks didn't work as advertised. The pad itself felt flimsy and cheaply made, and the tricks were difficult to perform without them being obvious to the audience. I would not recommend this product to anyone looking for a good magic tool pad.

2. John - 2/5 stars - The Close up magic tool pad was just okay for me. I found the tricks to be quite complicated to learn and execute, and the pad didn't provide much assistance in making them appear smooth and seamless. The instructions that came with the pad were confusing and didn't provide enough detail to fully understand the tricks. Overall, I think there are better options available for aspiring magicians.

3. Emily - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for the Close up magic tool pad, but it fell short of my expectations. The pad itself was uncomfortable to use and didn't provide the necessary grip for performing tricks effectively. The tricks included were also quite basic and didn't offer much variety or excitement. I would recommend looking for a better quality magic tool pad that offers more comprehensive tricks and better functionality.

Enhancing Your Close-Up Magic with the Right Tool Pad