In terms of SF comics, 2008 feels a bit… lacking, to be honest; there was nothing with the energy of King City or Wonton Soup, and a lot of the best books were final issues, instead of the start of something new (Collections and reprints-wise, it was a great year, however - I'd point you in the direction of Skyscrapers of the Midwest, The Babysitter and Jack Kirby's OMAC, to begin with - but they weren't really created this year…). It might just be a necessary lull; next year has new work from Paul Pope, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Brandon Graham, James Stokoe, et al, after all. But it did make this year seem curiously anemic in retrospect. So here is the pick, perhaps, of a poor bunch:

BEST
All-Star Superman
Quite simply, the best superhero comic of the last few years. Tapping into the awe-filled tone of the 1950s and '60s Superman stories while still seeming contemporary, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's twelve-part reinvigoration of the Man of Steel finished this year with the perfect send-off: Something positive, optimistic and just a little melancholy.

(Fraction almost ended up on this list twice; his Invincible Iron Man series for Marvel was, to my mind, the ideal follow-up to the movie, finally figuring out a way to make the character interesting without making him an asshole.)

Casanova
Matt Fraction's sci-fi superspy series filled its second run with time-travel, sex and gigantic reality-altering weapons before, in its final issue, folding in on itself with a reveal that, at first, felt like a cheat but ultimately recast everything that had gone before and made you need to re-read it like you need to breath. If only everything was this fearless.

Fight Or Run: Shadow Of The Chopper
You can argue amongst yourself whether this silent series of strips is really science fiction or not, but Kevin Huizenga's videogame-inspired shorts that bring two surreal characters face-to-face to see their response works both as an exercise in comic formalism and experimentation, and as a funny, surprising reading experience. Me, I'd probably run.

Love & Rockets: New Stories
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis analogs slaughter aliens. Surely I don't need to say anything else.

Final Crisis
Yes, there have been a lot of problems with DC's big 2008 "event" - the seeming inability to hit deadlines and switching of artists midway through the story, to start with - but despite it all, Grant Morrison and company's slow-motion apocalypse has been creepy and hypnotic, all the moreso for the way in which it refuses to play by the rules.

Patsy Walker: Hellcat
I don't know if it's the lightness of Kathryn Immonen's writing, the pop of David LaFuente's artwork, or just the sass of the book's star, but there's something wonderful and unexpected in this lowkey miniseries from Marvel about a fashion model-turned-superhero fighting magical demons in Alaska. In the middle of the publisher's highly successful year, this hidden gem is easily the best thing they put out.

Project Superpowers
Again with the "unexpected" thing, I didn't expect much from Alex Ross and Jim Kruger's 1940s superhero revival… and certainly not the most strange and unusual superhero series of the year. The US government creating zombie soldiers in the Middle East? Lying ghosts with hidden agendas? An evil corporation of robots manipulating everyone that just so happens to have the same name as the parent company of the publisher? It's all here, my friends. Just don't ask me what it all means.

Teen Titans: Year One
It took animation writer Amy Wolfram and artist Karl Kerschl to finally fulfill the potential of DC's team of sidekicks, by offering a story that stayed on the right side of cartoony, but kept an undercurrent of angst and insecurity to provide characters who actually acted like teenagers, for a change. Add some of the best art to appear in any comic book this year and you have a very underrated winner.

WORST
Astonishing X-Men: Ghost Boxes
A strange one, this. It's not really the quality of the comic strip itself that lands it in "Worst" position - although the comic strip itself was nothing to write home about, pretty much generic "alternate world"isms from Warren Ellis and friends - but the format. Charging $4.99 for 16 pages of comic book would be a bit much for a small indie company with a lot of overhead and little say in the matter… but for Marvel to do it, especially without letting fans or retailers know that that's what they were doing…? Kind of an unnecessarily low blow.

Batman RIP
It started so well, but… well, finished so badly. There's very little way to look back at RIP without getting frustrated at the lack of resolution and all the unfulfilled potential left untouched. It's called Batman RIP people - Couldn't you have done something with that that didn't have a villain who may or may not have been the Devil and the most unconvincing, inconclusive death scene ever? Or, for that matter, had a story that actually ended in its final chapter?

Countdown To Final Crisis
DC's Final Crisis may be flawed but great, but the 52-part prelude series kind of missed out the "but great" part of that idea. As well as missing out the "coherent plots, interesting dialogue and story you feel involved in" bits. And, to make matters worse, it outright contradicted multiple points of the series it was created to lead into. Worst of all, perhaps, was the fact that it took the goodwill that DC had gained from their first weekly series 52 and pissed it away in record fashion. An own goal of almost cosmic proportions.

DC Universe: Last Will & Testament
What do superheroes do when they expect to die the next day? Exactly what you'd expect them to, sadly, according to this uninspired, ponderous comic. While not as much of a disaster as Countdown, Last Will & Testament may have actually been a worse comic by dint of just being… well, not unlike well-illustrated fan-fiction.

Jenna Jameson: Shadow Hunter
From its very conception, you knew that a comic that recreated pornstar Jameson as a comic book demon hunter was a bad idea, but only the comic itself could convince you just how much of a bad idea it actually was. Confusingly written, with overwrought narration and a plot that didn't really go anywhere, this was a celebrity tie-in that made Ed Burns' Dock Walloper look like a good idea.

One More Day
This is, of course, a bit of a cheat; One More Day started in 2007, and the final issue came out in the dying days of that year (December 27th, I believe)… But nonetheless, the full effect of it was what started off this year in SF comics, and pretty much sabotaged the start of Marvel's (remarkably not-as-bad-as-you-think) Spider-Man relaunch - all because Peter Parker made a deal with the devil just to get a divorce (Note: This may be a somewhat biased take on what actually happened in the story itself). Who would have thought that a boneheaded, out of character move that turned your everyman character into a Satan-handshakin' single man would have been one of the big comic news stories of the year? Oh, that's right - everyone.

Secret Invasion
Yes, it was hugely successful, and yes, it was on-time (unlike Final Crisis). But if there was a point to Secret Invasion beyond "Let's try and sell lots of SF comics," I must have missed it. With a story that lacked plot - or, for about half the series, anything actually happening - based around a premise that was abandoned almost immediately (What if aliens had invaded without us knowi- Oh, wait, they've started blowing things up and coming to Earth as giant green monsters), this was slick, showy… and entirely hollow.

Ultimates 3
I was no fan of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's Ultimates, but Jeph Loeb's follow-up was a mind-blowing miscalculation that offered fans of the series almost no continuity with its previous incarnation, garish art outshone only by insanely overblown dialogue and, in a reveal that still boggles the mind, a Black Panther who turns out to be the most white of all superheroes. Pretty much an entire series of WTF that led into Loeb's Ultimatum.

For more fun and comics you can read more about chankom and chan

Once you have drawn a reasonably accurate arabesque it is time to place the main landmarks of the head. That means that we will correctly locate the most important points of the head. These points will then be used as references for mapping out the rest of theheadfeatures.

Here is something that may help you with this undertaking: work with your eyes somewhat out-of-focus. This is called looking with a "soft eye". Somehow this makes it easier to correctly determine shapes and proportions. It also helps you to repress the fixed notions we all have of certain objects.

Let us assume that we are working from a 3/4 head profile.

* The Brow Ridge - is the first critical landmark. To locate the brow ridge you must first take your best guess at where you think it is then to check it by sighting.

Note that to educate your eye it is better to first guess lengths, angles, etc. and verify them second. There is nothing to gain from pre-measuring.

Sighting means to use your pencil with locked arm and marking distances along the pencil with your thumb and index finger (starting from the tip down) and one eye closed.

So then, first sight from the bottom of the chin to a point on the brow ridge (just choose an arbitrary critical point on the ridge, but once chosen you should stick with it).

Now raise your pencil straight up so that your thumb is on your point on the brow ridge and note where your pencil point is. It should be a small distance above the top of the head . Mark on your drawing where you can best place that point above the head. This point is called the "check point".

Note that whenever there is a choice, you should always measure the smallest length because doing so tends to be more accurate.

Your point on the brow ridge should, if it was placed accurately, be exactly halfway between the bottom of the chin and your check point. If it isn’t – then changecorrect the position of your brow ridge.

* Hinge of the Jaw - Now you can fix the width of the face. In the 3/4 view the hinge of the jaw is a critical landmark. Again, take your best guess then check by sighting horizontally from the hinge of the jaw to the far edge of the cheek bone and vertically relating that measure from the bottom of the chin.

* Top Nasal Bone - Since we have already established the brow ridge we now only have to estimate a small distance to fix the top of the nasal bone. If you placed the hinge of the jawcorrectly, it should equal the measure from bottom of the chin to the nasal bone. If you’re off a bit, then correct the placement of the hinge of the jaw. Again, assume that the shortest distance estimated is the correct one.

Now that these primarylandmarks are placed you can further work out the arabesque. I find it best to resolve only the back, least intricate, part of the face at this early stage.

* Facial Angle - Finally, you need to draw the facial angle which is the center line of the face. Draw a slightly arching line from the middle of the mental tubercle up through the center of the brow ridge.

The accurate positioning of the facial angle is very important. You have to feel your way through this since as there is no way to accurately measure it.

Once the facial angle is drawn continue resolving the arabesque carefully observing the form of the mouth area, the forehead, and all the other features that are expressed in the shape of the arabesque.

With this, we have ascertained all the basic landmarks that will help us to chart the rest of the features such as the ears and teeth.

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Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert drawing teacher. See his work at Remi's Arts.

Before you embark upon the process involved when you design your own website, you must select and register a domain name. That is your site's brand name and contact name. In order to be given a domain name of your very own, you must make a yearly payment to the appropriate registering entity to obtain the exclusive right to it.

Obtaining a domain name doesn't mean you have a web site or anything close. All you have is a name. It is similar to getting yourself set up with a name for your business is the "real" world - just obtaining exclusive rights to a name doesn't mean you are totally in business. You just have a name.

A web host commonly implements numerous computers that are all linked to the Internet to allow a very large number of web pages to be broadcast all over the world. The first step in making your new web page visible is to use a reputable web host that will give your personalized website a virtual home.

Thinking of a domain name is very much like thinking of a name for your company in the physical world. Similarly, a web hosting account is the equivalent of renting an office for your company. After you have come up with a domain name and signed on with a web host, you will then need to design your own website (http://www.buildyoursite.com/) to attract visitors.

As a beginning web designer, you first need to design your own website in a attractive, and appealing manner. After you have got your basic web page posted you will be able to make any adjustments that you feel are needed. There are free web editors and commercial versions that are widely available.

When you choose to use free software, you can also learn more from a complete tutorial on the web. The step-by-step tutorial will guide you in the process of making your own web page, site map, and comment forms. It will also give you tips on the basic aspects of the software so you can continue to update and improve the site in the future.

A crucial aspect of web development is optimizing your site for search engines. This should be undertaken from the very start of the design process. In addition, there are a number of other concerns involved in developing web pages.

Congratulation, you finely decided to upgrade your business with a website. This is really important step which can take your business to a new level structurally and financially.

1. Well built and properly advertised website can bring you hundreds of new customers who wouldn't have heard about your business otherwise.

2. Most of people do not search for services on yellow pages no more but open Google , Yahoo, MSN, etc. Therefore your presence on the net is a very important strategy to earn new clients.

3. Website is your face when it comes to clients who arrive to you via the net. If your website is well built, even if you are a small business owner, clients will be more willing to work with you.

Now that we understand the importance of a good, reliable website for a business, let's go over some basic steps to make sure your website will be a success story: Christmas Layouts

Many people get tattooed to memorialize a special event in their lives, such as a marriage, a death, or a birth. These life altering times have a large impact on the life of the individual and free tatto designs assist the individual to discover a way to display the event in a manner that will remind them of it. Your tattoo designs must be chosen with percision in order to describe the purpose it's for ,because tattoos always speak for themselves.

If you are uncertain about the free tattoo designs which to chose from but are trying to figure out if your should get it or not, then you probably should not get the tattoo. Many people use the justification that the tattoo can always be removed if you do not like it, but removing a tattoo is not quick or painless. Irreparable damage - as well as permanent scarring - can occur if a person attempts to remove a tattoo. If you do use the free tattoo designs, the image should be something that can be lived with for a number of years without wanting it to be removed.

There are many considerations to make when selecting free tattoo designs. Your most important consideration should always be why you're getting a tattoo. Tattoos are permanent, so frivolous reasons for getting tattooed or being tattooed while intoxicated will almost always make the person regret using the free tattoo designs within several days of getting the tattoo.

Often when selecting trendy free tattoo designs, many people eventually become dissatisfied later. Perhaps they believed a picture would be permanently appealing, or they were persuaded by friends to get tattooed with a design they weren't crazy about. There are thousands of people wearing generic tattoos, fairies, dragons, and cartoon characters because of the design's popularity at the time. If a tattoo has no meaning to the wearer, it can become unattractive to that person, which leads to tattoo removal. Choosing the right type of free tattoo designs can be a difficult decision when based on what the person really likes instead of being based on a whim, so be sure to leave enough time to make a careful decision.

One of the best super internet TV software package is the pc satellite TV 2009 elite. The package has the highest quality and is surprisingly sold at an equally lower cost. There are very many other types of software that are sold for over $100. Heck, even others require you to pay monthly subscription fees. I don’t really get their reasoning since internet TV only costs 49$ one time fee. and if you notice some who are offering pay per view premium programming, you need to avoid this kind of software.

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There are many reviews of best super internet TV softwares that give you information on which packages are worth your money. A good software will give you info on the available stations and programs covered by a software. Since internet TV is drawn from over 50 countries around the world, some of these packages just throw in whatever channel they can get and run to the market to sell it to you.

There are many advantages of turning your pc or laptop to a super internet TV screen. One of the biggest benefits is the fact that internet TV is absolutely free of charge. Compared to cable and satellite dish TV, online television viewing is a blessing. You don’t have to pay a dime to watch the programs and there are definitely no monthly charges to watching internet TV channels online.

One Other major benefit of downloading internet super TV to your laptop or pc is that you can travel with it whenever you go. High speed Internet TV is virtually available everywhere in the world where there is an internet connection. If you download the software in a laptop for example, you will be able to configure it to the hotels wi-fi internet service and use your already downloaded software to capture internet TV on the laptop.

Another major advantage of having super internet TV software download is that you can watch television in total privacy. You might want to watch some xxx rated content or even have a TV to your self, then this is your only chance.

The best internet television benefit is the fact that you can watch online shows at your convenience. It is possible to work on your pc or laptop as you watch TV or listen to radio stations. All you need to do is minimize the TV or radio window on your monitor and drag it to a corner.

The best satellite tv

This way you get to wind down as you continue to work. You will no longer have to stop everything you are doing to go join everyone else in the sitting room to watch television.

Some good software are offering a 30 day trial period, just incase you are not sure of the membership. This is mostly backed by a valid 100% money back guarantee. In the event you don’t like what you see, you can always go back and ask for a refund and your membership will be canceled.

The word tattoo is borrowed from "Polynesian" and means "to mark" or "strike twice". The syllable "Ta" means "hand" (used twice for repetitive nature of action) and "u" means "Color". "Tebori" is the traditional hand method. "Irezumi" means "insert ink" or western style machine or tattoo using tebori.

How is a tattoo marked on the skin?

Making a tattoo involves placing pigment into the skin's "dermis" that is, the layer of tissue underlying the "epidermis". The ink is then dispersed throughout a "Homogenized Layer" down through the epidermis and upper dermis, where the presence of foreign material activates the "immune system" to attend to the particles. Preceding this the damaged epidermis flakes away and, "granulation tissues" are formed deeper in the skin. These tissue is later converted into connective tissue. The presence of pigment is permanently created. Those people whose skin is sensitive or allergic to metals may react to pigment. They may have swelling or itching of their skin.

Tattoos serve the following purposes:

Decorative and spiritual uses

Historically in some societies, tattoos served as marks of status, symbols of religion, sexual lures, pledges of love, punishment, protection and as the mark of outcasts, slaves and convicts. But today tattoos are more likely to be used for cosmetic purposes, religious, magical, memories or as a sign of belonging to particular groups and gangs.

Identification

Many times tattoos are used for identification reasons. Sometimes people are forced to have a tattoo, such as in many military organisations members have tags or tattoos on their chest. Tattoos are also placed on animals for identification such as a serial number.

Cosmetic

Tattoo is also be used for cosmetics purposes, such as hiding skin discoloration or for hiding moles and for permanent makeup like lips( lipstick), eyes(liner) or to enhance eyebrows.

Medical

In medicine, tattoos are used to convey the medical information like blood group etc about the particular person. Tattoos are used to ensure that the instruments are properly located for "radiotherapy".

How tattoos are negatively associated?

Some Japanese gymnasiums and bathhouses avoid having "Yakuza" i.e. the full body tattoo. Many prisoners and criminals have tattoos like "Tear Tattoos" which is a symbol of murder. Tattoos can have negative effects on women like adolescent girls have a positive correlation between negative feelings towards the body and self-esteem and body-modification. However, in Central American countries such as "E1 Salvador" and "Honduras", people with tattoos can be arrested for gang affiliation.

Removing Tattoos
Traditionally getting a tattoo meant having a permanent marking on your skin.

Latest advances in technology now makes it possible for tattoos to be removed by exposing the tattoo to laser light. Tattoo removal will break the ink from the pigment and that ink will then be absorbed by the skin and the tattoo will be removed.

Tattoo Care

After having a new tattoo you have to take care of your skin. The tattoo should be wrapped for the first twenty four hours, or you have to keep bandages for the next two hours. For the first two weeks you have to avoid hot water or soaking in a tub, just to keep part of the tattoo ink from over-hydration and infection because of bacteria and chlorine exposure. You have to keep your tattoo clean. Various products are there to keep clean the tattoo like "Cocoa Butter", "Salves" and "Lanoline".

Composition refers to the relationship of a number of elements that constitute a drawing. The positioning of shapes is one of those elements.

A viewfinder is a see-through adjustable piece of cardboard that lets you frame and isolate certain parts of the composition you are trying to realize. It is an invaluable tool to plan your composition.

You can easily construct a viewfinder as follows:

From a piece of cardboard, cut two identical L-shaped forms.

Join the two pieces together using two paper clips so that they form a square frame.

Because we used two pieces it is now possible to adjust the window of your viewfinder to the size of the scene you want to view.

For the purpose of composing a drawing we must take into account not only the positive shapes (the objects themselves) but also the negative shapes (the empty spaces in-between the objects). In addition, you also must see all those shapes in relation to the dimensions of your drawing paper.

With your viewfinder as an aid you can now apply some or all of the following guidelines:

1. As already pointed out, be aware of the format of your paper when placing your shapes.

2. Throughout your drawing effort be constantly aware of the location of your chosen focal point.

3. Unify not only the positive spaces but also do the same for the negative spaces. A good composition balances both the positive and negative shapes with respect to the focal point.

4. Two equally sized shapes should be positioned more or less the same distance away from the focal point. When one object is much smaller than another then the small object should be proportionately further away from the focal point than the larger one. Thus, in the end, the focal point should approximately function as the centroid of your drawing.

5. Generally speaking, a shape-unbalanced drawing or painting will look inharmonious and produce discomfort for the viewer. If this is not your intention you should improve the shape balance. On the other hand, unbalancing your shapes is a good way to purposely create an uncomfortable tension in your work.

6. Objects and/or subjects are best arranged asymmetrically relative to the focal point. Also, tall shapes look often better when they are further away from the focal point, unless they happen to be the focus themselves.

7. For some reason, it is more pleasing to the eye to see a group of an odd number of shapes than a group of an even number of shapes.

8. Your shapes should be arranged in such a way that the eye is always being led back to the focal point.

The few guidelines should give you a good start in your handling of shapes. However, remember not to apply the rules too strictly. Give your intuition and natural ability plenty of room when composing your next masterpiece.

How to draw with pencil and beginners oil painting tips published on these top quality educational web sites.

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Today, oil painting brushes are made from many different types of materials. Each material has of course advantages and disadvantages. Beginning as well as advanced painters should have some familiarity with the properties of these hair-making materials.

Badger Hair - Badger hair brushes are used for blending and have a long tradition. The hair can be found in many parts of the world but varies greatly in quality. It is thickest at the point and quite thin at the root and has therefore a distinctive "bushy" appearance.

Synthetic Hair - Synthetic hair is of course man-made from nylon or polyester. The hairs can be tipped, tapered, flagged, abraded or etched to increase its paint carrying ability. The filaments are often dyed and baked to make them softer and more absorbent.

Some of the advantages of synthetic brushes are: 1) They are durable in the face of paints and solvents; 2) They are easier to clean than animal hair brushes because they are less likely to trap paint.

Raphael Kevrin Mongoose Hair - Raphael Kevrin Mongoose hair is strong and resilient. It combines the strength of a bristle with the control of sableand makes a long-wearing, medium-to-high quality brush.

Kolinsky Sable Hair - Kolinsky sable does not come from a sable but from the tail of a mink species found in Siberia and North-East China. In these regions, hair from the winter tails of males grows long and strong because of the extreme weather conditions. It is the best material for oil brushes because of its unusual strength, spring and snap (i.e., its ability to retain its shape). A Kolinsky sable brush can hold a very fine point or edge and a professional grade of hair.

Hog Bristle Hair - Hog bristle hair comes from hogs with the most sought after coming from China. Bristle hair forms a unique V-shaped split or flag at the tip and tends to have a natural curve. A brush with "interlocked" bristles, with the curves formed inward to the ferrule, has a natural resistance to fraying and spreads medium to thick paints smoothly and evenly. It is also a less expensive alternative to other good-quality hairs.

Red Sable Hair - Red sable hair is obtained from a red haired weasel and not from sable. Quality and characteristics can vary greatly. A good quality pure red sable brush is a good alternative to the more expensive Kolinsky sable brush, with similar performance and durability. Note that weasel hair is often blended with ox hair to make a more economical brush, but, in the process, the fine point is sacrificed.

Ox Hair - The best quality ox hair comes from the ears of oxen or cattle. It has a very strong body with silken texture. It is also very resilient and has good snap. However, it does lack a fine tip. The hair is most useful in flat shaped or medium-grade wash brushes. Ox hair is often blended with different natural hair to increase its resiliency.

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In this article I will give you an overview of my personal approach to the creation of an oil painting. There are of course many valid approaches to painting and with experience you will develop your own specific approach. But if you are a beginning painter you may want to try and practice the following approach.

The Drawing Phase - Usually I first execute a regular drawing on the canvas. This drawing can be anything from a few lines to a completely detailed map of all the forms. This may even include indications of where the lights and the darks are and what colors need to be used.

A good drawing tool for an oil painting is charcoal. Of course, the best tool is some neutral mixture of thinned paint and a brush. However, this takes some getting used to. Often, I actually use a graphite pencil and when the drawing is finished I spray the drawing with workable fixative.

The advantage of starting with a drawing is that many important decisions can be made up-front and that everything is in place by the time you finish the drawing. After that, all that is left is painting.

The Block-in Phase - This is the first painting phase. I use fairly thinned-out paint and a brush that feels a little large than it should be. Here you focus on the big shapes that you see in your drawing. Don't pay attention to detail. What is important here is that you observe the colors of the shapes correctly and that you maintain the integrity of the drawing.

Usually I start out with the dark shapes. Then I proceed with the brightest colored shapes, always making sure the colors stay harmonized. Finally, I put in the more subtle colors many of which will be duller and more difficult to judge.

Again, in this phase hold back on painting details. Maintaining the correct geometry of the large shapes, their exact color (hue, intensity, and value), and their correct position within the composition is the task at hand. And don't forget to include the background.

At the end of this phase my canvas is usually completely covered with paint, i.e., no white areas are left unpainted. This gives you a good idea of how all the colors look like relative to each other and if they harmonize without the influence of bright white areas.

The Shaping Phase - Now you can begin to model the large shapes and refine them so they start to resemble the actual objects you are trying to paint. In this phase I use a thicker paint than in the Block-in Phase and also a somewhat smaller brush. Also, I refine the color relationships in terms of hue, intensity, and value as best as I can.

This phase usually requires the most time and effort. Still, do not be tempted to put in fine detail. At the end of this phase you should already have a very good idea of how the end product will look like.

The Detail Phase - This is the last phase. This is the time to indulge in the details. Details include things like small twigs, pupils and irises for the eyes, small lines and curves, and highlight, in other words, anything that cannot be done with a large brush. Some details require thin paint (best done over a dry underground) and others, such as highlights, often require lots of thick paint right out of the tube.

The above guidelines are admittedly not complete in detail but are a good starting point for any beginning oil painter.

For more tips in the neighbor area - read how to draw with pencil.

For upper back tattoos info, read this publication.

This phase is the second phase of a basic approach to the creation of an oil painting. The first phase is the drawing phase and involves the drawing of the scene you wish to paint. So, at the start of the block-in phase we assume that we have a canvas with the drawing of our scene on it.

The block-in phase consists of establishing the large shapes of color as indicated by the drawing. The emphasis here is on correctly observing the color of these shapes and making sure you maintain the correct geometry.

In this stage you should not be concerned with painting any details. I use usually work with fairly thinned-out paint and a brush that feels a little too large than for the work I'm doing.

Start out with the darkest shapes. Make sure you do not misjudge these dark colors. You will rarely find anything that is totally black. Most dark colors have a certain bias such as blue, brown, or purple.

Next I fill in the brightest colored large shapes (i.e., those colors that stand out or leap at you). Observe and analyze the color according to hue, value, and intensity. Also, make sure the colors stay harmonized.

Finally, I put in the more subtle colors many of which will be duller and more difficult to judge. Note that these more muddled colors are just as important as the bright colors. In fact, they are part of the reason why the bright colors can shine as they do.

Again, in this phase it is important to forego the details. Only two things count in this phase:

1) The correct coloring of the big shapes. This requires careful observation, analysis, and color mixing. It is important to check and recheck and if you feel the color is not quite right you should take the time to correct it even if you have to scrape it off the canvas.

2) Duplicating the geometry of the drawing. There is often a tendency to grow things. For example, when painting the large areas of a flower we tend naturally to make the flower larger. So, be disciplined and keep looking at the drawing and stay within the lines. Keep everything in its position and its proper dimensions and don't forget to paint the background if there is one.

At the end of this phase the canvas should be completely covered with paint. This way you have a good idea of how all the colors look like relative to each other without the presence of the harsh white canvas. You will also be in a good position to judge how well the overall color scheme harmonizes and if you need to make any corrections. And one more time, restrain yourself to add any details.

In this article we had a detailed look at the so-called block-in phase of the painting process. The end result is a fully colored canvas of large shapes all with the correct color in terms of hue, value, and intensity. During this phase we have also paid attention to the harmony of the colors.

Read more about how to draw with pencil and upper back tattoos.