68th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics (November 22, 2015 — November 24, 2015)

P0038: Modern art entanglement: comment s'emmêler les pinceaux

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Authors

• Baptiste Texier, University of Liege
• Zhao Pan, Brigham Young University
• Benjamin Lovett, Utah State University
• Martin Brandenbourger, University of Liege
• Saberul Sharker, Utah State University
• Laurent Maquet, University of Liege
• Tristan Gilet, University of Liege
• Naresh Sampara, University of Liege
• Bruno Le Boulengé, arqontanporin
• Katia Marchiori, arqontanporin
• Jesse Belden, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport, RI
• Stéphane Dorbolo, University of Liege
• David Strivay, University of Liege
• Randy Hurd, Utah State University
• Wesley Robinson, Utah State University
• Tadd Truscott, Utah State University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/APS.DFD.2015.GFM.P0038

From the large facades of our buildings to the refinement of art canvas, paintings literally surround us and make our lives colorful. Artists are continually looking for novel methods to complement their expression and ideas, while instinctively manipulating the underlying physics. We attempt to unravel a phenomenon com- mon to many modern canvas artists. In some paintings small droplets (0.1 – 5 mm) appear as a single color, however, on closer inspection are actually composed of multicolored spiral patterns (e.g., non-newtonian acrylic paint). 

High-speed imaging reveals that these assemblies occur when a droplet im- pinges on the edge of a small pool of paint. Upon impact, the droplet creates a crown with the falling droplet color on the inside of the crown and the pool colors on the outside. Ripping occurs in thin film feeding a rapid roll-up in the thicker ridge-line regions. These twisted formations are projected outward and break into small droplets that form the paint spirals. These beautiful formations, appreciated in their static form on canvas in museums around the world, are formed by equally beautiful physical phenomena.