The Art of Painting: Before Paint Rollers Were Invented

In the world of painting and decorating, we often take for granted the tools and techniques that make our work easier and more efficient. One such innovation is the paint roller, a common tool for applying paint to walls and surfaces today. However, before the advent of paint rollers, artists and craftsmen relied on a different set of tools to bring their visions to life.

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The Humble Paintbrush

Before the s, the paintbrush reigned supreme as the primary tool for applying paint. Paintbrushes have a long and storied history, dating back thousands of years to civilisations such as the Egyptians and the Chinese. These early brushes were often made from natural materials like animal hair or plant fibres and were used for everything from intricate artwork to practical tasks like house painting.

The Versatility of Brushes

One of the remarkable aspects of paintbrushes is their versatility. Different types of brushes were developed to suit various painting needs:

1. Round Brushes: These brushes, with their pointed tips, were ideal for creating fine lines and intricate details in paintings. They allowed artists to achieve precision and finesse in their work.
2. Flat Brushes: Flat brushes were perfect for covering large areas with broad strokes. They were commonly used for backgrounds and base layers in artworks.
3. Fan Brushes: Fan-shaped brushes were employed for creating subtle blending effects and soft transitions between colours. They were especially popular among landscape painters.
4. Sash Brushes: These brushes had angled bristles, making them well-suited for cutting in around edges and corners when painting walls and ceilings.

The Art of Brush Care

Using paintbrushes effectively required not only skill but also proper care and maintenance. Artists and painters of yesteryears had to take great care to clean their brushes thoroughly after each use, ensuring the longevity of their tools. Brushes were often cleaned with a combination of turpentine, soap and water, and meticulous attention was given to reshaping the bristles to maintain their original form.

The Transition to Paint Rollers

While paintbrushes were a staple in the world of painting for centuries, the mid-20th century brought about a revolutionary change in the industry. The invention of the paint roller by Canadian Norman Breakey in transformed the way walls and surfaces were painted. The roller allowed for quicker and more uniform coverage, making it a game-changer for both professional painters and DIY enthusiasts.

Conclusion

Before the era of paint rollers, paintbrushes were the trusted tools of artists, craftsmen, and house painters alike. Their versatility and ability to create intricate details were unmatched. While paint rollers have since become the go-to choice for efficiency and speed, the artistry and tradition of using paintbrushes still hold a special place in the world of painting and decoration. So, the next time you pick up a paint roller, take a moment to appreciate the humble paintbrush and its rich history in the world of art and design.

Back in , a Canadian named Norman Breakey invented the paint roller&#;a leap forward in painting technology. Immediately, professional painters panicked, fearing large-scale job loss, and for years, paint rollers were banned from professional painting jobs. But of course, large-scale adoption was inevitable and now we all use paint rollers.

Fast forward 77 years, and we have a whole new wave of &#;techno panics.&#; Taxi drivers have demonstrated against ride-sharing services in New York, London, and Tokyo. India&#;s minister of transport and highways has declared that self-driving cars will be banned before they even take hold.

Is there reason to panic? It&#;s true that technology is causing disruption in many sectors &#; even after recovering 300,000 jobs since the depths of the Great Recession, the auto industry still has about 325,000 fewer jobs than in . And the steel industry has suffered even more, with 75 percent of its U.S. jobs eliminated between and .

But we&#;ve been here before, and we&#;ll be here again. The mass production of automobiles killed the jobs of backsmiths and carriage drivers, but raised thousands of autoworkers into the middle class in the early 20th century. Our current moral panic over drones, data, and the right to privacy began back in , when the first Kodak camera made everyone a photographer. Today, we worry about the social upheaval caused by virtual reality or genetic engineering.

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Change is a given. How will we respond?

We are engulfed by technology-driven change, but the question isn&#;t whether or not disruption will happen, it&#;s how will we respond?

One option is panic, denial, and resistance &#; the response of painters and railway workers 80 years ago. But I believe that if technology played a role in creating this disruption, technology can also help us deal with it.

Studies have shown that in several areas, new technologies are actually helping to create more jobs than they eliminate. A recent report from MIT predicts that artificial intelligence (AI) will create whole new categories of work that have never existed before. And many of them will be non-technical jobs&#;&#;empathy trainers&#; for AI devices, and &#;explainers&#; who bridge the gap between technology and business leaders. There will even be a renewed demand for people with liberal arts degrees, to help bring human values into AI applications.

For Amazon, automation has resulted in not just more, but better jobs. Since , the company has deployed 100,000 robots in its warehouses&#;and hired 80,000 new employees. The robots take the heavy, repetitive jobs, and the employees do the more interesting work of monitoring and controlling the robots.

New Skills to Complement New Technologies

Technology companies and employers must work together to give workers the skills they will need to work with these new technologies. The World Economic Forum (WEF) found that 25 percent of workers in developed countries say their skills don&#;t match their current jobs&#;and 35 percent of the skills needed for jobs will change by . A WEF task force is working on a strategy for giving workers the skills they will need for 21st century jobs. Chuck Robbins, Cisco&#;s CEO, is leading this initiative. He believes that we have the responsibility and power to retrain workers for the new jobs technology will create. It won&#;t be easy, but it&#;s a matter of vision and will.

Paint rollers and self-driving cars have a lot in common &#; they represent a huge leap forward in productivity and innovation, and they force us to confront our fears about change. Paint rollers caused industry disruption, as will self-driving cars, robots and AI. But I&#;m betting on the unimagined opportunities that are bound to come on the heels of technology disruption. Because after disruption comes transformation.

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