Why carrier flight-deck camouflage had limits

Did aircraft carriers camouflage their flight decks, and could the paint disguise the ship from aircrew?

They used some camouflage, but it was limited so that landing and operating markings remained visible.

Carriers did receive camouflage and painted deck patterns. Flight operations imposed a harder constraint than on an ordinary upper deck. Pilots and deck crews still needed clear landing and handling references. The resulting schemes balanced visual deception against the requirement to operate aircraft safely.