The Etch A Sketch® is a closed drawing system that allows people to create art without the use of other materials like paper, pencils, crayons, paints, pastels, or pens, as well as without any preparation or clean-up. André Cassagnes, a French electrician, came up with the idea of drawing with aluminum powder that was moved by static electricity and could then be shaken free of the drawing surface to create a new picture.
He presented his invention at the International Toy Exhibition in 1959, naming it “Ecran Magique,” which means “magic screen.” With the first model produced on July 12, 1960, an introduction to Jerry Burger, then Chief Engineer for the Ohio Art Company, led to a collaboration that resulted in the system that is still at the heart of the Etch A Sketch® product today.
The finished Etch a Sketch® resembles a television in appearance, with a gray rectangular screen with rounded corners set in a red plastic frame. A dial is located in the lower left corner, and another is located in the lower right corner. You begin a sketch by vigorously shaking the box. Static electricity causes the aluminum powder to stick to the screen.
To begin, turn one of the dials to move the stylus inside across the screen, removing the powder and revealing the location of the stylus with a tiny dark gray line. The stylus is moved up and down by one dial, and left and right by the other. Drawings of incredible complexity can be created by carefully adjusting the dials individually or in tandem. The image can be saved or erased by turning the Etch A Sketch® over and shaking it to recoat the screen with powder.
Etch A Sketch® toys are now available in a variety of sizes, including mini, pocket, travel, and the classic size, which has a 5 inch by 7 inch (12.7 cm by 17.8 cm) screen. There are also themed Etch A Sketch® toys based on well-known children’s characters like Dora the Explorer®, Go Diego Go®, and SpongeBob SquarePants®.
To preserve the artwork, Etch a Sketch® artists like George Vlosich III, who specializes in portraits, remove the aluminum powder and the built-in stylus from the toy. Vlosich’s drawings can take anywhere from 70 to 80 hours to complete. Kevin E. Davis, who copies famous works of art as well as architecture, and Tim George, who began using the toy to entertain his daughter while she was in the hospital, are among the Etch A Sketch® artists, as are Jeff Gagliardi, Ron Morse, Nicole Falzone, and Pauline Graziano.