The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (2024)

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MJG

New user
40 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (4) Posted: May 15, 2024 08:58 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (5)1

A couple of months ago I attended a lecture with Adam Dadswell and picked up one of his newest releases called Gradient. Having now worked it for the past few weeks at several weddings and corporate events, I have to say this is a fantastic piece of kit that I would recommend checking out if you're looking for something a little different for your close up set and would particularly like something that uses some playing card principles but aren't actually playing cards.

Essentially this is a mentalism utility prop presented as a set of colour cards that you would pick up in a high end paint store when decorating your house. With them you can perform a variety of mentalism effects including direct mind reading that goes much further than simply a colour being revealed. It can be a place, a movie, a song, a type of food etc were from the spectators point of view it can feel like this is actually their own thought being revealed and not necessarily information from the card.

There is also a fantastic stacking system with this which is easy to put back into stack when needed and this can make the whole process feel very natural and hands off. In addition there is a brilliant colour match up routine where what feels like a mixed up set of over 20 colours are then shown to be in an order which has been predicted ahead of time. For me this effect is actually worth the price alone and I think with the right set up and presentation this routine could also transcend to stage.

It's worth mentioning as well this takes up very little pocket space which makes it a great tool for strolling mentalism, which is what I've used it for so far.

Some people may question why would you be carrying a set of colour cards from a paint store, thus far I've just said something along the lines of "I picked these up in a local paint store as I'm currently renovating the house" and no one has bat an eyelid so I don't think it's worth overthinking. That said in some cases I've also placed them down for a few moments on the bar or a nearby table and then picked them up midway through my set as if someone else has just left them there.
Ironically I've also actually recently decorated, so when a few friends have visited I've just left them in view as it's quite plausible that we would have things like that in the kitchen having just painted it a few weeks ago.

They are a very natural looking prop, extremely good quality and it's clear a lot of attention to detail has been made when creating these cards. I don't know Adam personally but I imagine this is the sort of release were quite a few protypes are made while developing this and if this is the case it very much shows in the final product.

If you're looking for something a little different to add to your set I highly recommend checking this out.

https://www.deceptive-secrets.co.uk/store/p/gradient

Kaleb Wade

Regular user
UK
127 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (8) Posted: May 16, 2024 01:33 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (9)1

I have been having a lot of fun with Gradient the past few weeks. The cards are great and look exactly like what you would pick up from the paint section at a DIY store. The cards hide multiple methods, and the supplied routines and teaching are top-notch! I have also enjoyed creating my own routines with Gradient.

Highly recommended!

Cheers,
Kaleb

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https://www.kalebwade.co.uk/three

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magicmind

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3273 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (12) Posted: May 16, 2024 01:39 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (13)1

Too bad he does not include pictures of the product on his page. Interested, but would love to see the props prior to purchasing.

dadswell

New user
48 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (16) Posted: May 16, 2024 02:10 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (17)1

@MJG - thanks so much for picking up Gradient - glad to hear you are enjoying the cards! Appreciate the comprehensive review!

@Kaleb - Thanks! I must say I enjoyed the routine you showed me using the Gradient cards The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (18)

@magicmind - It's a great point, and has been noted! I have added a couple of images to the Gradient product on my site now:

https://www.deceptive-secrets.co.uk/store/p/gradient

Thanks,
Adam

LATEST RELEASE (GRADIENT):

https://www.deceptive-secrets.co.uk/store/p/gradient

FREE EBOOK (EESP):

https://www.deceptive-secrets.co.uk/store/p/everyday-esp-free

Card Magic & Mentalism Membership:

www.patreon.com/DeceptiveSecrets

GRADIENT - LOKI - LEXICON - PERPLEXIONS

rmorrell

Loyal user
266 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (21) Posted: May 16, 2024 10:39 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (22)0

I picked up Gradient from Adam at a recent lecture and can confirm this is a fantastic tool/utility prop for your mentalism. The quality of the cards is first class, they look exactly like something you would pick up from a DIY or Paint shop, but they also spread and handle very well. The thought that has gone into the design is excellent, Adam showed some of his prototypes in the video instructions and you can see the evolution this has been through. Every little detail has been thought out about what to include on the cards, to help you utilise these to the full extent. There is no memorisation needed as everything is cued to you.

You get 20 colour cards, two swatch cards and the box to carry them in, and they are thin and light enough just to slip into your pocket for use in close-up/walk around.

The video instructions last over 90 minutes, and cover how to use the cards, four really powerful routines to get you started and a jam session with Lewis Le Val.

The first couple of routines are Adam's take on two classic card mentalism plots, that work *perfectly* with the colour cards and really make sense. Adam shows you how you can predict the outcomes and use them for reading emotions amongst other things.

The last couple of routines, one is a match up routine, that is always ready to go with a strong denouement utilising nothing more than the colour cards you are carrying. You can show despite the spectators free mixing of the cards they have matched the whole deck.

The last routine is Adam's version of Colour Match which allows you to recreate an Anverdi style colour match routine just using the cards you have.

The last part of the instructions is a jam session with Lewis Le Val where Lewis and Adam talk about bonus ideas using the cards for readings and reveals.

And I think Adam has just scratched the surface with what is possible with this utility. Well worth picking up and I can't wait to use it. I am already thinking of how I can routine this maybe starting of with my MD Mini to reveal one of six colours, and ramp it up using Gradient, or maybe routine it with Simon Lipkin's new release Tricolour, or even Mark Lemons Chroma, lots of possibilities to use these recent colour releases together with Gradient. But on its own it stands tall and you could do a whole mini set just with the 20 cards.

A brilliant release, well done Adam!

Rich Morrell
---

The Magician Blog

dirtyfoucault

Special user
UK
736 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (25) Posted: May 16, 2024 11:19 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (26)0

Didn't Spooky Nyman just release something similar?

rmorrell

Loyal user
266 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (29) Posted: May 17, 2024 07:29 am

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (30)0

Spooky’s trick Mental Colour does use the concept of paint swatches but the method is more akin to Mark Lemons Chroma rather than Gradient and is more a one off tell them what colour they are thinking of like Chroma. It might make a good intro into Gradient though. What Adam has done is make a tool that is not just a one off think of a colour and I will tell you what it is although it is certainly capable of that but also so much more.

Rich Morrell
---

The Magician Blog

magicmind

Inner circle
My fence has 20,
3273 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (33) Posted: May 17, 2024 12:51 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (34)0

Quote:

On May 17, 2024, rmorrell wrote:
Spooky’s trick Mental Colour does use the concept of paint swatches but the method is more akin to Mark Lemons Chroma rather than Gradient and is more a one off tell them what colour they are thinking of like Chroma. It might make a good intro into Gradient though. What Adam has done is make a tool that is not just a one off think of a colour and I will tell you what it is although it is certainly capable of that but also so much more.

Seems like we need a demo of this effect. The pictures look great, now that we have seen them.

NeilS

Inner circle
3263 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (37) Posted: May 17, 2024 05:08 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (38)0

Adam has been very helpful and responsive in answering a couple of questions I had. I'll definitely be picking this up.

Neil

dadswell

New user
48 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (41) Posted: May 20, 2024 05:53 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (42)0

Thanks for the wonderful feedback so far - I’m so excited others get to go out and perform with Gradient.

@NeilS I can confirm your order was shipped this morning!

Thanks,
Adam

LATEST RELEASE (GRADIENT):

https://www.deceptive-secrets.co.uk/store/p/gradient

FREE EBOOK (EESP):

https://www.deceptive-secrets.co.uk/store/p/everyday-esp-free

Card Magic & Mentalism Membership:

www.patreon.com/DeceptiveSecrets

GRADIENT - LOKI - LEXICON - PERPLEXIONS

stevie c

Veteran user
342 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (45) Posted: May 21, 2024 09:05 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (46)1

The first thing to say is that these are made from high quality plastic stock which feel nice in the hand and spread, cut and shuffle very well.

So with that said it’s easy to see how these could be put to good use for all types of routines normally performed with playing cards, including a novel type of Gemini Twins style presentation. Even better imo would be Roberto Giobbi’s wonderful take on that routine using these cards and a couple of billets or business cards.

For anyone interested in match up type effects, Adam covers a couple of routines in detail. The teaching is clear without too much fluff which I personally like.

However, despite how good this could be for mental magic type effects, as an alternative to playing cards, I feel it truly finds its full value as a mentalism utility tool.

Now I know there are those out there who eschew the use of overt props in favour of minimalist approaches with just billets etc, and I fully get that. But as this is something which appears like it has real world credibility (as most people will have seen similar things in DIY / decor shops etc) this easily fits within my own parameters.

My favourite use of this so far has unashamedly been a take on a one ahead routine that is explained jointly by Adam and Lewis Le Val in the bonus section in the tutorial. Coupled with a pair of billets or business cards, this has got me some great reactions!!!

I love working with cards in a s***k and so this was always going to appeal, but nevertheless I am impressed at the amount of thinking that has gone into this. I’ve done a small amount of memory work but if that’s not your thing then it’s absolutely not required due to the palette cards.

If you prefer the cards to be fully mixed by a participant there is obviously another way (or two) to discern the chosen colour.

The other aspect of this that may appeal to mentalists in particular are the descriptor words for each colour. Without saying too much these open up a world of possibilities!!

Finally just to say that I will be using these for strolling, and if they continue to garner the reactions I’ve had today I’ll also be picking up a spare set.

Best wishes,

Steve

dadswell

New user
48 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (49) Posted: May 23, 2024 05:14 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (50)0

Matthew Barker asked me to share this onto the thread as he doesn’t have a magic cafe account, hope it helps others, massive thanks Matthew!

—————————-
Review of Gradient

What is it?
Gradient is essentially a pack of cards which are designed like colour test cards you would get at a painting and decorating store when deciding what colour to paint your home. With this pack there are a number of mental routines that you can perform.

What do you get?
You get a pack of 22 cards and a box which has the paint brand name on it making it look like a standard non descript box. 20 of the cards have the individual colours with their name plus a colour code, 2 of the cards have all the colours on them which come into play in two of the routines. The backs of the cards are plain and have minimal writing which makes them look like the item they are supposed to represent.

Instructions?
The instructions are in the form of a YouTube video and lasts around 1hr 40 minutes, it is well shot and Adam explains the routines clearly and in full. The first main section is on the history of developing the effect, the second section explains the deck, the markings and a basic routine, the third section is 4 mental effects which are all explained throughly and he is explains 2/3 ways to present each one, the final section is a jam session with Lewis Le Val.

Effects
The four effects that you get are variations on already out there effects, that being said there is fresh thinking and with this deck you add new possibilities with this deck. The effect breakdown is as follows:

Gemini Tones - a great take on the Gemini twins routine which you can cleverly predict what colours you are thinking of painting your house

Emulsion - this is a clever way of predicting a colour and an emotion that the spectator is feeling from a shuffled deck. This can be used with other effects like OTT from Lewis le val to create a really strong prediction routine.

The Influence of colour - through various cuts and shuffles the spectator deals out the cards in perfect order to the colour pallet card. This can be done by the spectator creating a hands off effect

Mental Match - this is a great effect which is one that I will use a lot. Again from a shuffled deck you correctly predict which colours the spectator will paint their house, this is done all in the spectators imagination and Adam explains how you could also do this like a colour match routine

Bonus Jam - this is probably my favourite part this is where Adam is joined by Lewis to discuss the project and we get some of Lewis’ trademark thinking from using his OTT principle to doing readings with the cards and he discusses a few options and ideas for effects.

Final Thoughts
When I look at an effect I think to myself will I use this? And the answer is yes, it’s well made, colourful and easy for the spectator to see. As I was watching the download I was thinking of ways I would use it and at the very end of the bonus jam Lewis and Adam said the same thing I was watching. You could very easily get 3/4 effects to the same table as a set around 15 minutes of material and just use this deck with a few blank cards and keep them engaged. This is not a trick it is a tool, exactly the same as a deck of cards or ESP cards

My favourite part of the whole project is the jam session but I am a big fan of Lewis’ thinking and own pretty much all his stuff. I will definitely be picking up a couple of spare gradient decks as this will be something I will use for years to come

For this I give a huge 5/5

LATEST RELEASE (GRADIENT):

https://www.deceptive-secrets.co.uk/store/p/gradient

FREE EBOOK (EESP):

https://www.deceptive-secrets.co.uk/store/p/everyday-esp-free

Card Magic & Mentalism Membership:

www.patreon.com/DeceptiveSecrets

GRADIENT - LOKI - LEXICON - PERPLEXIONS

Nathan Alexander

Inner circle
2043 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (53) Posted: May 25, 2024 11:39 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (54)0

Okay, here are my thoughts.

TLDR: Gradient is a killer tool now living in my Maverick. I love it and will use it. They’re marked swatch cards (both sides for different reasons), they can be used in a stack, and the markings tell you the unique names of the colors before and after. The clever work of the cards are totally organic, and perfectly innocent and justified. There are four routines taught with a bonus jam with Lewis Le Val. The cards and box are just as top quality as the tutorial. It’s all very good. A+

Longer thoughts: If you’ve seen me review things, I’m usually one extreme or another. I looked at my google restaurant reviews and I had to laugh, because it’s the exact same. I’m pretty black-and-white, love-it-or-hate-it, and I’m never really on a gradient with how I feel (see what I did there?). So take this review with a grain of salt because I get excited about things I love. But I think you will too.

My style and tastes have changed in the kinds of magic and mindreading I like to perform over the years, and funnily enough, I’ve nearly come full circle and returned to good ol’ fashioned and ‘simple’ card tricks with just a regular, non-gaffed deck of playing cards. (Well, funny to me, because I used to find those things “beneath” me after years of doing only card tricks.) I also went from calling things ‘tricks’, to calling things ‘effects’, and have now gone back to tricks. Hey, I do tricks. Sue me, I didn’t go to Harvard, I’m just a simple guy, and I’m friendly, so I like to show people tricks.

Anyway, I started out purely a card guy in my early teens, and still consider OOTW (impromptu version) and Fogel’s 3 card prediction to be some of my strongest pieces. But I moved away from that as trends changed and I was lured over the years by the gadgets and toys of commercial magic that now seem to be coming out weekly. (My father would have been blown away by the incredible magic made capable by apps, now.) So we all have more magic choices than we need. Professional or hobbyist.

All that’s to say, that’s why I love Gradient, because it’s so versatile and can play so many ways. So if you know me, you know it says a lot to be saying I’ll be using this.

Gradient is a tool. Firstly, though, and this is me personally, I’ve struggled and gone back and forth between justifying why I might carry something like this on me. Sometimes I have reasons, and sometimes I say to myself, “So what? I’m a magician, I have weird things on me sometimes and do weird things with objects around me” and leave it at that. The former is good for certain times like needing to introduce them at a gig, and the latter works for those that already know me. But I really loved that Lewis Le Val covers this, and what he does and thinks about it in the bonus jam part. In my opinion, he says it perfectly, so I was so excited to hear him cover it.

This deck, like Snaps, ABSee and others of a similar nature, allows you to do ‘cool stuff’ ranging from mental effects, to card tricks. Going back to my thoughts above, that’s why this is so cool. You can do card-trick style tricks, mind-reading and more.

The cards are exactly what you’d find them to be: innocent and realistic for swatch cards, both in design and feel. They are credit card size, which I absolutely love, and spread easily and smoothly. They come with two crib cards, which can actually be out in the open as they don’t tip anything except to you, and the box itself serves the same, also innocently.

Of the four tricks taught (or, “effects” for you high-brow people), I like Emulsion and Mental Match. Emulsion is his work with a great effect by Dai Vernon, so heck yeah, it’s good. Mental Match is another trick I like because the colors are ancillary to the effect. The other tricks “The Influence of Colour” and “Gemini Tones” are also great, and I will be trying/using those too, they’re not fillers.

I imagine he could have put 15 other routines on here, but there’s no need. These four and your imagination will allow you to use these as you see fit. That’s what’s great about these cards. Because I am still into mentalism/emotional magic, these cards make a great tool to aid in the magic I already do. But when I feel like doing a cool trick, these cards can do the same (where the colors and cards are more “hands-on” for the spectator).

Long story short, I love these! This is my first thing I’ve gotten from Adam Dadswell, so I’m curious to see what else he has. The guy is clearly a worker. And this is a winner all around if you like what you see. Two thumbs up.

NeilS

Inner circle
3263 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (57) Posted: May 26, 2024 11:36 am

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (58)0

I have been away for the last few days and with Gradient waiting for me on my return.

I have yet to look at the instructions but from first impressions am really impressed. They look so authentic and are obviously so well designed that I can see how they can be used in so many ways ie using a colour as a springboard to something else.

I can see I am going to have a lot of fun over the next few days as I get to learn more about Gradient. This really looks a winner.

Neil

x3magic

New user
28 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (61) Posted: May 28, 2024 02:24 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (62)0

Will this be made available at Murphys's dealers like Penguin or Vanishing Inc any time soon?
Not that I don't want to support the creator by buying directly, but looking for dealers that offer free or at least affordable worldwide shipping options.

Believe, and the magic will follow

magicmind

Inner circle
My fence has 20,
3273 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (65) Posted: May 28, 2024 04:00 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (66)0

Quote:

On May 25, 2024, Nathan Alexander wrote:
Okay, here are my thoughts.

TLDR: Gradient is a killer tool now living in my Maverick. I love it and will use it. They’re marked swatch cards (both sides for different reasons), they can be used in a stack, and the markings tell you the unique names of the colors before and after. The clever work of the cards are totally organic, and perfectly innocent and justified. There are four routines taught with a bonus jam with Lewis Le Val. The cards and box are just as top quality as the tutorial. It’s all very good. A+

Longer thoughts: If you’ve seen me review things, I’m usually one extreme or another. I looked at my google restaurant reviews and I had to laugh, because it’s the exact same. I’m pretty black-and-white, love-it-or-hate-it, and I’m never really on a gradient with how I feel (see what I did there?). So take this review with a grain of salt because I get excited about things I love. But I think you will too.

My style and tastes have changed in the kinds of magic and mindreading I like to perform over the years, and funnily enough, I’ve nearly come full circle and returned to good ol’ fashioned and ‘simple’ card tricks with just a regular, non-gaffed deck of playing cards. (Well, funny to me, because I used to find those things “beneath” me after years of doing only card tricks.) I also went from calling things ‘tricks’, to calling things ‘effects’, and have now gone back to tricks. Hey, I do tricks. Sue me, I didn’t go to Harvard, I’m just a simple guy, and I’m friendly, so I like to show people tricks.

Anyway, I started out purely a card guy in my early teens, and still consider OOTW (impromptu version) and Fogel’s 3 card prediction to be some of my strongest pieces. But I moved away from that as trends changed and I was lured over the years by the gadgets and toys of commercial magic that now seem to be coming out weekly. (My father would have been blown away by the incredible magic made capable by apps, now.) So we all have more magic choices than we need. Professional or hobbyist.

All that’s to say, that’s why I love Gradient, because it’s so versatile and can play so many ways. So if you know me, you know it says a lot to be saying I’ll be using this.

Gradient is a tool. Firstly, though, and this is me personally, I’ve struggled and gone back and forth between justifying why I might carry something like this on me. Sometimes I have reasons, and sometimes I say to myself, “So what? I’m a magician, I have weird things on me sometimes and do weird things with objects around me” and leave it at that. The former is good for certain times like needing to introduce them at a gig, and the latter works for those that already know me. But I really loved that Lewis Le Val covers this, and what he does and thinks about it in the bonus jam part. In my opinion, he says it perfectly, so I was so excited to hear him cover it.

This deck, like Snaps, ABSee and others of a similar nature, allows you to do ‘cool stuff’ ranging from mental effects, to card tricks. Going back to my thoughts above, that’s why this is so cool. You can do card-trick style tricks, mind-reading and more.

The cards are exactly what you’d find them to be: innocent and realistic for swatch cards, both in design and feel. They are credit card size, which I absolutely love, and spread easily and smoothly. They come with two crib cards, which can actually be out in the open as they don’t tip anything except to you, and the box itself serves the same, also innocently.

Of the four tricks taught (or, “effects” for you high-brow people), I like Emulsion and Mental Match. Emulsion is his work with a great effect by Dai Vernon, so heck yeah, it’s good. Mental Match is another trick I like because the colors are ancillary to the effect. The other tricks “The Influence of Colour” and “Gemini Tones” are also great, and I will be trying/using those too, they’re not fillers.

I imagine he could have put 15 other routines on here, but there’s no need. These four and your imagination will allow you to use these as you see fit. That’s what’s great about these cards. Because I am still into mentalism/emotional magic, these cards make a great tool to aid in the magic I already do. But when I feel like doing a cool trick, these cards can do the same (where the colors and cards are more “hands-on” for the spectator).

Long story short, I love these! This is my first thing I’ve gotten from Adam Dadswell, so I’m curious to see what else he has. The guy is clearly a worker. And this is a winner all around if you like what you see. Two thumbs up.

Does your set look similar to

these?

As I have thought about your other post for awhile and want to be certain before ordering. Thanks again for the review!

NeilS

Inner circle
3263 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (69) Posted: May 30, 2024 07:02 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (70)0

Over the last week I have been getting familiar with the Gradient cards as well as watching Adam’s excellent explanatory video.

Although I knew the cards were marked I never once realised how extensive the marking system was and how cleverly designed it is. In addition, I very much liked the names given to the colours and with these opening other possibilities or being used as a springboard to something else. As others have observed, there is a lot you can do with these cards.

Adam also runs through a few effects you can do with Gradient and of these I especially liked ‘Mental Match.’ A lot of this particular effect takes place in the spectator’s imagination and I can see this not only coming across strongly but gives added reason for using the Gradient cards.

This really is an excellent release and one I will definitely be using.

Neil

Nathan Alexander

Inner circle
2043 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (73) Posted: May 30, 2024 07:36 pm

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (74)0

Quote:

On May 28, 2024, magicmind wrote:

Quote:

On May 25, 2024, Nathan Alexander wrote:
Okay, here are my thoughts.

TLDR: Gradient is a killer tool now living in my Maverick. I love it and will use it. They’re marked swatch cards (both sides for different reasons), they can be used in a stack, and the markings tell you the unique names of the colors before and after. The clever work of the cards are totally organic, and perfectly innocent and justified. There are four routines taught with a bonus jam with Lewis Le Val. The cards and box are just as top quality as the tutorial. It’s all very good. A+

Longer thoughts: If you’ve seen me review things, I’m usually one extreme or another. I looked at my google restaurant reviews and I had to laugh, because it’s the exact same. I’m pretty black-and-white, love-it-or-hate-it, and I’m never really on a gradient with how I feel (see what I did there?). So take this review with a grain of salt because I get excited about things I love. But I think you will too.

My style and tastes have changed in the kinds of magic and mindreading I like to perform over the years, and funnily enough, I’ve nearly come full circle and returned to good ol’ fashioned and ‘simple’ card tricks with just a regular, non-gaffed deck of playing cards. (Well, funny to me, because I used to find those things “beneath” me after years of doing only card tricks.) I also went from calling things ‘tricks’, to calling things ‘effects’, and have now gone back to tricks. Hey, I do tricks. Sue me, I didn’t go to Harvard, I’m just a simple guy, and I’m friendly, so I like to show people tricks.

Anyway, I started out purely a card guy in my early teens, and still consider OOTW (impromptu version) and Fogel’s 3 card prediction to be some of my strongest pieces. But I moved away from that as trends changed and I was lured over the years by the gadgets and toys of commercial magic that now seem to be coming out weekly. (My father would have been blown away by the incredible magic made capable by apps, now.) So we all have more magic choices than we need. Professional or hobbyist.

All that’s to say, that’s why I love Gradient, because it’s so versatile and can play so many ways. So if you know me, you know it says a lot to be saying I’ll be using this.

Gradient is a tool. Firstly, though, and this is me personally, I’ve struggled and gone back and forth between justifying why I might carry something like this on me. Sometimes I have reasons, and sometimes I say to myself, “So what? I’m a magician, I have weird things on me sometimes and do weird things with objects around me” and leave it at that. The former is good for certain times like needing to introduce them at a gig, and the latter works for those that already know me. But I really loved that Lewis Le Val covers this, and what he does and thinks about it in the bonus jam part. In my opinion, he says it perfectly, so I was so excited to hear him cover it.

This deck, like Snaps, ABSee and others of a similar nature, allows you to do ‘cool stuff’ ranging from mental effects, to card tricks. Going back to my thoughts above, that’s why this is so cool. You can do card-trick style tricks, mind-reading and more.

The cards are exactly what you’d find them to be: innocent and realistic for swatch cards, both in design and feel. They are credit card size, which I absolutely love, and spread easily and smoothly. They come with two crib cards, which can actually be out in the open as they don’t tip anything except to you, and the box itself serves the same, also innocently.

Of the four tricks taught (or, “effects” for you high-brow people), I like Emulsion and Mental Match. Emulsion is his work with a great effect by Dai Vernon, so heck yeah, it’s good. Mental Match is another trick I like because the colors are ancillary to the effect. The other tricks “The Influence of Colour” and “Gemini Tones” are also great, and I will be trying/using those too, they’re not fillers.

I imagine he could have put 15 other routines on here, but there’s no need. These four and your imagination will allow you to use these as you see fit. That’s what’s great about these cards. Because I am still into mentalism/emotional magic, these cards make a great tool to aid in the magic I already do. But when I feel like doing a cool trick, these cards can do the same (where the colors and cards are more “hands-on” for the spectator).

Long story short, I love these! This is my first thing I’ve gotten from Adam Dadswell, so I’m curious to see what else he has. The guy is clearly a worker. And this is a winner all around if you like what you see. Two thumbs up.

Does your set look similar to

these? As I have thought about your other post for awhile and want to be certain before ordering. Thanks again for the review!

Hahaha! Got me good. Nice.

dooblehorn

Inner circle
Pittsburg, CA
2505 Posts

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (77) Posted: May 31, 2024 04:31 am

The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (78)0

Quote:

On May 28, 2024, x3magic wrote:
Will this be made available at Murphys's dealers like Penguin or Vanishing Inc any time soon?
Not that I don't want to support the creator by buying directly, but looking for dealers that offer free or at least affordable worldwide shipping options.

Yes, feel exactly the same, hoping for better shipping options to/in U.S., may hold off for now, though I really like this effect.

The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Latest and Greatest? » » GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL(5Likes)
The Magic Cafe Forums - GRADIENT BY ADAM DADSWELL (2024)

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