Receive Reduced Broadway Tickets

TKTS Booth in Times Square

With the prices of seeing a Broadway show skyrocketing over the past 20 years, it's been imperative for theater lovers to find discounted tickets for their favorite shows. Producers have typically provided a few ways to receive discounted tickets. Many provide "rush" tickets, which are seats that are available on the day of the performance when the box office opens or by a lottery a few hours before the show. Some people visit the TKTS Booth in Duffy Square on Broadway and 47th Street in New York City. The best way to receive discounted tickets for Broadway shows is through discount codes from theater websites.

Instructions

Discount Ticket Codes

1. Go to any major Broadway website. The best ones include Playbill.com, Theatermania.com and BroadwayWorld.com (see References below for links).

2. Find the link to discounted tickets on the site's homepage. On a site like Playbill.com, this is called the Playbill Club.

3. Fill out the short form and register. You will most likely create a user name and password so you can sign in anytime to see the discounts. You can also choose to receive discounted offers by email.

4. Sign into the discount club and see which show sparks your interest.

5. At the bottom of each discount offer, there are usually three options for ordering tickets:

ONLINE: Most sites have links to websites like Telecharge.com or Ticketmaster.com where you can submit a discount code and order the tickets right from your computer.

PHONE: You can call the box office and mention the discount code while you are ordering the tickets.

IN PERSON: Print the discount offer and bring it to the box office of the theater and they will give you the discounted rate.

6. Given the proximity of your ticket purchase, your tickets will either be mailed to you or you can pick them up at the box office.

Define Montage

Montage is a term commonly associated with film and television, describing a scene edited together using connected images to convey a certain theme or to move the story along. They generally contain no dialogue and can be accompanied by a song or a piece of the musical score. Montages have been used since the early days of cinema.

Definition

The dictionary defines a montage as the technique of combining in a single composition pictorial elements from various sources, either to give the illusion that the elements belonged together originally or to allow each element to retain its separate identity as a means of adding interest or meaning to the composition--similar to a photographic collage but with moving pictures.

Background

Montage is a French word that translates to mounting or hoisting. D.W. Griffith, one of the first American directors with films including "The Birth of a Nation" in 1915, pioneered the editing technique that would later inspire other directors to develop and broaden its use in film making.

Early Usage

The deliberate use of the montage dates back to early Soviet directors, particularly Sergei Eisenstein, whose films include 'Strike" and "Battleship Potemkin." Eisenstein believed the montage was a critical part of cinematic storytelling and even wrote books including "Film Form" and "The Film Sense" expanding on that theory.

Modern Usage

The use of a montage as a storytelling device is used in a number of film genres today, from the training sequences in the "Rocky" movies and other sports films to romantic comedies, which frequently feature a montage accompanied by a popular song to show anything from the leading lady trying on various outfits to the leading man wandering the streets as the seasons change around him, as in "Notting Hill."

Self-Referential Definition

A newer, more tongue-in-cheek definition of a montage was provided by the irreverent 2004 comedy "Team America: World Police," which staged a montage sequence containing a song describing montages, including the lyrics "Show a lot of things happening at once, remind everyone of what's going on! And with every shot show a little improvement, to show it all would take too long! It's a Montage!"

Define Film Montage

Montage is an editing technique used since the 1920s.

Of the techniques used to create a film, many involve creative shooting. Montage, however, involves creative editing. Although a montage can be accomplished by skillful shooting, the juxtaposition of shots and scenes make a montage in the end. Comparable to a collage in the art world, a montage is a collage in live action instead of one dimensional pieces like photos and prints.

Definition

A montage is sequencing of shots so that they overlap to create a certain meaning. Montages are used to portray memories and catastrophic actions and are widely used in movie spoofs.

Function

The montage effect is accomplished by fading one shot into another, cutting shots and positioning them so that the meaning of the first shot and the meaning of the second come together to create a third meaning. For example, separate shots of an innocent bike rider and a reckless driver can be juxtaposed to convey an innocent rider in danger.

History

The montage was used in the early days of filmmaking but not extensively. The early days of filming used one continuous take without cuts, jumps or fades. The development of film splicing allowed directors more variation in shooting. This occurred as in the early 1900s, according to the website Film Reference.com, a film terminology resource. However, it was Sergei Einstein in the 1920s who developed what film students study now as montage theory.

Montage Theory

Montage theory is creative editing that became known as an art. Sergei Einstein called his montages intellectual because they guided the mind through that part of the film. He deduced that montages were impossible to understand if the audience failed to use some intellect. Another theory of montage is the Kuleshov effect, which involves matching elements such as actor sightlines from one shot to the next to create continuity between the shots in the montage.

Supercuts

Montages were adapted to the age of video-sharing websites and user-created content to form the so-called supercut--a montage of images, sounds and shots cuts to highlight one common theme. For example, fan supercuts take one aspect of a favorite character, like a hand gesture as a common theme. Several episodes of the show are then cut to show this gesture used in each episode. The shots are compiled into a montage, accompanied by music or a narrative.

Decorative Border Pattern Poster Board Ideas

Decorative borders make poster board displays stand out.

Decorative borders enhance poster board signs or displays and come in a wide variety of themes and designs. Decorative border patterns can be used in elementary, middle or high school or at work or anywhere displays or signs are utilized. Border patterns can represent subjects such as astrology, North American history, fashion, plant life or holidays and special occasions.

School Subjects

Teachers may enhance educational poster board displays with decorative border patterns such as numbers and arithmetic symbols for math class, instruments for music class, animals for science class, nursery rhyme characters for kindergarten, books for reading class and trains or planes when teaching about transportation.

Decorative Design Patterns

Borders for poster board signs can be elegant, traditional or contemporary. Examples of border design patterns include scrolls, waves, braided rope, Celtic symbols and leaves. Use black-and-white designs for a sophisticated look or bold colors to attract attention to the poster board contents.

Animal Print Border Patterns

Decorate poster boards with an exotic look by using borders with various animal print patterns. Consider a leopard print with either a tan or black background. Alternatively, opt for a zebra pattern. Background choices for zebra patterns include natural, black and pink. Other animal print borders include tiger, cheetah and giraffe patterns.

Make Your Own Border

When you can't find the exact pattern you are looking for, consider making your own border pattern for a poster board display. Cut scrap-booking paper with the same design into strips to place around the poster board, for example, or use Internet clip art designs repetitively to make a border. Other options include using playing cards, postcards, wrapping paper or teaching flash cards as borders.

Designing Vintage Kitchen areas

Aqua in a 1950s or 1960s kitchen can be striking.

A vintage kitchen reflects a certain time period or popular style. Usually -- but not always -- it's the time period when the house was built. Sometimes older houses have kitchens that have been updated several times over the years and no longer look or feel like the rest of the house. You may have bought a home that has one of those kitchens, and you may want to give the kitchen an older feel without undertaking a total overhaul. You can do that be painting the walls, updating fabrics and adding retro accessories.

Instructions

1. Collect photographs and magazine clippings of kitchens decorated in the vintage style that is similar to your home. Identify key pieces in each photograph that you like and dislike. If the staged photo feels too busy or too stark, make notes. These clippings will help you identify the colors and features you favor.

2. Develop a color palette for the kitchen. You may have a number of colors in your kitchen right now. Decide if you want to change the colors of the appliances, cabinets, counters and floor. Once you decide whether you want to change any of these elements or keep what you have, collect samples of each final color element in a small box so that you can take them to stores when you make your purchases.

3. Take your sample box to a fabric and paint store to purchase paint samples and acquire fabric swatches for curtains or cushion covers. Return home and paint several large spots on each kitchen wall to test the colors you are considering. Observe these spots as the paint dries and at various times during the day, when lighting conditions are different.

4. Paint your walls the color you have selected and choose your fabrics. You can use paint treatments and patterns that were commonly used in the era your home was built. Ironically, your colors and patterns will have a vintage look, but the new elements will give your kitchen a fresh feel.

5. Select larger art for any substantial wall area. One significant piece of art can often influence the entire room. Select accent pieces that are appropriate for the era you are recreating. In a 40-year-old ranch, a '60s wall clock, and aqua counter appliances can give the kitchen a vintage feel. Consider arts and crafts pottery and a patterned wool area rug for the kitchen of a century home.

Chinese Calligraphy Activities

These activities will introduce you to the art of Chinese calligraphy.

Chinese calligraphy is regarded as one of the highest forms of art in many Asian cultures, as it has been throughout much of China's history. Calligraphy has been performed by people in China and across the globe from all walks of life, and its practice has been shown positive effects on health and longevity across the board. The word "calligraphy" derives from Greek origin, and literally means "beautiful writing," and this method of writing Chinese characters is as much an art form in itself as the words and poetry they represent on paper.

Make a Scroll

In Asian art, the scroll harmoniously combines calligraphy, poetry and imagery to create a unique piece, and is often referred to as the "voiceless poem." Make a vertical, horizontal or "album leaf" scroll, which is shaped like a fan, of your own by painting a picture to accompany a short story, poem or message written in Chinese calligraphy. Asian scrolls often feature landscapes, animals, birds or flowers as the subject, but what you write in Chinese calligraphy is completely up to you.

Practice Calligraphy Strokes

There are more than 50,000 Chinese calligraphy characters, but all are made up of different combinations of eight basic brush strokes. Practice the eight strokes, the dot, dash, perpendicular down-stroke, left-falling stroke, or down-stroke to the left, right-falling stroke, or wave-like stroke, hook, upstroke to the right and the bend, or twist, to gain a better understanding of how each character is made in Chinese calligraphy. Once you've mastered these basic strokes, you can start reproducing simple Chinese characters by using the three steps used to practice calligraphy: tracing, copying and writing.

Create Chun Lian

The Chinese New Year is the most widely-celebrated holiday on the planet, and you can join in the festivities by creating chun lian, special New Year's decorations, with a little calligraphy know-how. Chun lian are couplets, called duilian in China, written in calligraphy on vertical strips of red paper to be hung around the front doors of homes and businesses. Chun Lian are drawn and hung anew each year to celebrate the coming spring, and you can make your own by painting Chinese characters in black on red, diamond-shaped paper.

Practice Making Ink

Traditional Chinese calligraphers typically choose to make their ink fresh from solid sticks made of a compressed mixture of natural glue and fine vegetable soot. Practice making fresh ink for yourself by placing some water in an ink stone and lightly grind the ink stick in circular motions until your ink is the color and consistency you desire. You can make the ink darker or lighter, thicker or thinner by adding more water when necessary, for if it is too thick, your writing will look choppy, and if it's too think, it will run and look blotchy.

Creative Drama Activities Related To Schoolage Children

Creative movement activities are an essential component of drama.

According to Youth Stages, an arts and education organization for school-age children, "Creative drama is an improvisational, non-exhibitional, process-oriented form of drama, where participants are guided by a leader to imagine, enact, and reflect on experiences real and imagined." Creative drama activities for school-age children incorporate storytelling, creative movement, voice and puppetry. These activities promote confidence, imagination, an exchange of ideas and social interaction.

Pantomime

Frame pantomime activities around action. "In creative drama," write authors Janet Rubin and Margaret Dee Merrion, "pantomime is the expression of feelings, actions and ideas ... the body, not the voice, is the instrument of communication."

Children can work in groups to pantomime a single activity such as performing with an orchestra or taking a dog for a walk. Without the use of props or speaking, the actors must use facial expressions and body language to portray the action. The children will exaggerate movement and move in slow motion while the class guesses the activity.

Role Reversal

Brainstorm a list of role reversals and write them onto slips of paper. Consider the children's book "The Prince and the Pauper" as an illustrative example of role reversal.

In a group setting, children are given a card with role-reversal concepts to perform. They will have up to 30 minutes to create a script based on the selected role and jot down dialogue as needed; they can can use props if relevant. The groups will perform their skits, and the teacher and class can provide feedback at the end. Role-reversal skit activities help children work on interactive dialogue, vocabulary and concept building.

First Lines

Generate a list of first lines taken from poetry, age-appropriate books or class-selected readings, and write three lines per card to hand out. Have the children arrange themselves into small clusters.

Working from a card, each group discusses the lines and how they wish to interpret them through play-acting or combine them to create a larger skit. Taking turns, each group will perform their line as a "role" rather than reciting it verbatim to the class. The class can then speculate about the presented material or its source.

Improv with Emotion

"Becoming a master of displaying emotions is essential to growing as an actor," says Bob Bedore, comedian and author of "101 Improv Games for Children and Adults." He continues to say that for beginners, "Each of the emotions should be as big as possible."

Emotive improvisation requires participants to take part in a social gathering. Assign one child as the party's host and the rest of the class as guests. To begin, hand each guest a card with an emotion on it. The first guest pretends to knock on a door. When the host "opens the door," the guest enters, executing the assigned emotion. The moment the host picks up on the emotion, he must mirror it and converse. This pattern continues with each new guest's arrival; all the other guests must also follow along when they determine each new emotion.

Dance Steps For Pointe Beginners

Pointe, or ballet dancing on your toes, is what every little ballerina looks forward to someday doing. However, it takes a lot of strength and focus, so one must endure several years of hard training to reach the point that their feet and ankles will be able to handle the stress of holding one's entire weight. When someone goes on pointe, they have to take it slow and start with beginner exercises to develop their muscles for this form of dance.

Shoe maintenance

Pointe shoes and pointe work is unlike any other form of dance or dance shoe. An ill-fitting shoe can destroy a ballerina's feet and make dancing on her toes nearly impossible, while a properly fit pointe shoe can help her enhance her arch, turn out and effectively dance on pointe. Before starting on pointe, have a trained professional fit your foot for pointe shoes so you can find one that fits the shape of your foot as well as the strength of your ankles and flexibility of your arch. Always take your time in putting on your shoes with any needed padding or lamb's wool and ensure that you tie your ribbons well to prevent the shoe from slipping and causing a potential ankle injury.

Stretching and strength

The most important aspect of pointe work is the strength of a ballerina's ankles. A ballerina must have incredibly strong ankles to support the weight of her whole body. Strengthen your ankles through slow and long stretches of the foot and ankle region. Releves and Eleves are key. Start at the barre in first position and do ten eleves (rise straight up, hold for a beat then back down with straight legs) followed by ten releves (plie, then rise up, hold for a beat, then lower the heels back down into a plie). Following this, let go of the barre and repeat the same sequence. Repeat in second position, fourth position and fifth position.

At the barre

Work at the barre is vital to the development of basic pointe skills as it helps with balance and teaches you use core muscles to lift the weight off the toes and roll through the foot to achieve the necessary arch and strength to complete the skills. Then do some tendu combinations to work on pushing through the arch and accentuating your feet. Do tendus to the front, side and back on both feet. Move on to piques, the French word meaning "to prick." Do piques starting on one foot and stepping up to the other, raising the first leg off the ground in coupe or passe. Practice to the front, side and back on each leg.

Across the floor

Move across the floor with some toe hops. Start in a demi-plie then plie to sous-sus. Hop on your toes all the way across the floor. Then do bourees across the floor. Start in sous-sus and gently pound your toes into the floor, keeping your ankles tightly together and traveling across the dance floor.

Combinations in the center

Combine some basic steps and elements for short-center floor combinations meant to slowly strength the ankles. You don't want to push too hard too fast, which can lead to premature injuries and strains. Try some echappes, fondues, tendus, plies and balance sequences to slowly build your foot and ankle strength.

Cyclops In Mythology

In Greek myth, the Cyclops (plural Cylopes) was a giant with one eye. Cyclops is believed to mean "round eye" or "ring eye."

History

The earliest known writings featuring Cyclopes are by the ancient Greek writers, Homer and Hesiod. Scholars remain uncertain about when these writers lived; some contend that they both lived in the ninth century B.C.E.

Features

Hesiod's giants are blacksmiths and masons, while Homer's are shepherds. The Cyclopes of both writers are ill-tempered and dangerous.

Theories/Speculation

Some scholars believe that Hesiod's Cyclopes are too different from Homer's to be related. Others make the case that the isolated shepherds in Homer are the offspring of the primordial Cyclopes of Hesiod.

Fame

Homer's Polyphemus is the best known Cyclops due to his inclusion in "The Odyssey." Trapped in the giant's cave, Odysseus uses his legendary cunning to defeat the man-eater and escape.

Legacy

Many characters based on the Cyclopes can be found in popular culture. While most are villainous (X-Men villain Basilisk, Kang and Kodos from "The Simpsons"), some are benevolent (Mike Wazowski from "Monsters, Inc.", Leela from "Futurama").

Utilization Of Light In Art

Light was originally portrayed in art with a symbol. Light as fire is a symbol. There are symbols for sunlight as well. Light in art was not even considered part of the art image, outside of being a symbol, during many historical phases. Halos and light beams became symbols for light during the Rise of Christianity, as light took on a religious significance. Not until lighting was combined with realistic representation did light acquire a new meaning. The meaning of light today is as broadly categorized as the variety of understandings it carries with it to the present day.

Historical Significance of Light in Art

Chiaroscuro is a word used to describe the lighting in a painting. Prior to the renaissance and Leonardo Da Vinci, lighting did not play a popular role in the creation of master paintings. Michelangelo utilized Da Vinci's idea of light and shade to enthrall viewers during Da Vinci's own time. Other artists such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt took this idea to new heights with their dark and powerful use of high contrast in paintings. Impressionists such as Monet and Cezanne began to use lighting in a lean toward abstraction. Picasso and Braque forged a path for light utilized in abstraction with Cubism. Modern abstraction as well as Surrealism capitalized on the previous ingenuity.

Light and Shade

Light and shade rely on each other and work together in a work of art. In a painting that capitalizes on lighting, there are highlights and there are shadows. Sometimes the lighting is more subtle, all-over and less defined. High contrast works are emotionally intense, as are bright works of art. Dark paintings are beautiful through their mystery.

Two Types of Light

Lighting is used in painting, drawing, photography, architecture, printmaking, videography and even in sculpture. The lighting may be natural or artificial. In a building, natural light brings an element of nature into the environment. Photographers may use sets and artificial lighting; they may also understand the value of a certain natural light for a photograph. Light is studied and conveyed through drawings, paintings and even prints. Music also capitalizes on lighting to create a dramatic visual spectacle during a performance.

Various Effects of Light

Lighting is used in works of art to create contrast in an environment or space. Lighting adds to the visual variety in works of art, provoking interest while helping to determine the layout of a composition. A work of art may be designed entirely around the lighting techniques it contains.

Light or Darkness

In the absence of light, there is darkness. Some artists thrive on darkness, wanting to render some forms or spaces as dark as possible without losing color. Shading methods are useful in drawing to add darkness. In a drawing, the absence of shading determines a highlight. In a room, the lack of windows requires artificial lighting. There may or may not be balance in the types of lighting that are used in a work of art.

Be A Disney Funnel Actress & Singer

If you become a Disney Channel actress, you'll be in very famous company. Sarah Polley was a Disney Channel actress as the star of "Avonlea," and Keri Russell, Christina Aguilera, Hillary Duff, Lindsay Lohan and Raven Symone were Disney Channel actresses. Britney Spears was an actress and singer on "MMC." The network offers family friendly programming with an edge, and it offers the famous Disney brand that many feel comfort and delight upon seeing. You can be an actress with pride for the company, so it makes sense that you set your goals high.

Instructions

1. Hone your craft. Enroll immediately in singing and acting classes. Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears have shined as both actresses and singers on the station. They didn't get that way overnight. Miley was exposed to music her whole life, and Britney had been in dance classes and auditioning--on shows such as "Star Search"--for years. The best chances for success will be granted to those who are talented and polished in their performing abilities.

2. Submit your headshot and resume to all the current shows that are casting on the Disney Channel. Do a separate submission for each show. The address for the Disney Channel is: Disney Channel, 3800 W Alameda Avenue, Burbank, CA 91505. Although that is the address for the channel, some shows are shot on location, while others have homes at other addresses. Double check with the guide and agent before submitting yourself for each show.

3. Find an agent. The best way to secure Disney Channel auditions is through an agent. You can inform the agent of your specific desire for landing Disney Channel singing and acting parts. You'll find the link to the Screen Actor's Guild search tool to find a legitimate agent in any state in the country.

4. Consider being an extra in a Disney Channel series. Several current shows are seeking background performers for the show. If you are interested in getting a glimpse of life on the set, submit your headshot and resume for extras casting to: Central Casting, 220 S. Flower Street, Burbank, CA 91502. While this is not exactly acting, some people have been bumped up to speaking parts when working as background performers. Be on your best behavior and shine as an extra to be noticed. If you have questions on current shows casting, call Central Casting at 1-818-562-2755.

5. Be flexible. Don't choose roles that only include both acting and singing. Performers have long been able to switch gears between acting and singing if they're equally talented at each. Just because you take a non-singing role, it doesn't mean that you can never combine the two in your career. Seize all the opportunities you can.

Obtain A License For Any Small Homebased Business

Home businesses that prepare food may require a state license.

Depending on the type of home-based business you choose to run, you may need a variety of licenses to ensure that your business is legally compliant with federal, state and local law. Business license requirements vary from state to state and even from county to county, which can make the process quite complicated, even for a small business. However, by understanding get started with your research, you can make getting licenses for your home-based business much easier.

Instructions

1. Choose a business name and apply for a fictitious business name certificate, if required by your state. You may need this certificate for officially registering your business name before you can apply for additional licenses for your business, according to SCORE, a national volunteer organization that offers counseling to small-business owners. Check to see if your state requires a fictitious name certificate and which office to contact to obtain one (see Resource).

2. Find out if you require a federal license for your business. Not all businesses require a federal license. Some examples of those that require one are businesses that brew or distribute alcohol, businesses that sell firearms or ammunition and businesses that give investment advice, according to the Business.gov website.

3. Contact your local government to find out if your small, home-based business requires state certification or inspection, suggests SCORE. If you are a real estate agent, building contractor, auto mechanic or private investigator, you may need educational certification to receive a state license for your business. Ask about a state license if you plan to offer child care or prepare food products. These types of businesses usually require state inspection to ensure that your business meets state health codes, notes SCORE.

4. Contact your state franchise tax board if you plan to run a retail business. Retail sales require the payment of state sales tax in most states, according to SCORE. Call the county clerk's office for your area to find out the requirements for a local business license. Local license applications often have to be filed in person, so make sure you understand prepare the appropriate paperwork and application fees to spare yourself the frustration of having to come back later.

Hold A Peaceful Protest

Protests involve issues that draw passion, such as capital punishment.

Community and political groups of all kinds use marches, rallies, vigils and peaceful protest demonstrations to focus attention on causes they feel passionately about. Such events also allow like-minded people to take collective action to gain a sense of personal empowerment. Effective protests, however, require much planning, thought and organization. A protest that is sparsely attended and disorganized could backfire and draw ridicule.

Instructions

1. Choose a protest location and date. Organize your peaceful protest so that it takes place somewhere relevant to the message you are trying to share. Make sure it is easily accessible and that it's a legal place for people to gather.

2. Contact local, state or federal government officials, depending on the location of the planned protest, to determine what permits you need to file and any fees you must pay. You want to make sure the demonstration will be done by the book.

3. Make protest signs. Find some posterboard and permanent markers or paint and convey your message on a protest sign. Make sure the words are legible from a distance to gain maximum attention.

4. Create T-shirts that display your message in support of your cause. Such clothing can help unite all of the protesters, as well as raise a little extra cash for your cause if you decide to sell the T-shirts at the protest site.

5. Set ground rules to keep your peaceful protest peaceful. To keep a protest peaceful, there should be an understanding among all protesters that violence and belligerence are not to be tolerated. Keep the confrontation and swearing at a minimum by making sure that everyone at your protest understands that it is a civil, peaceful demonstration. Hold workshops for your group's members and do some role playing to show them what they can expect from onlookers and counter-protesters.

6. Market and spread the word of your peaceful protest. Using online networking, local media, email and Web pages, spread the word about your peaceful protest. Contacting well-developed groups that share the same base idea as your protest will ensure a better turnout at the protest.

Fresh paint Impressionist Landscapes

Claude Monet was an Impressionist painter.

Impressionist artists use the effects of light in nature to create a reinterpretation of reality. Historically, Impressionism followed the naturist movement of the Renaissance, and artists such as Monet and Renoir focused on giving objects in landscapes new color values. An example of this vision is painting an ocean pink hues to showcase the effects of a sunset. Landscapes are a popular subject with Impressionists, and painting them requires brushes, hardboard, a limited color palette and brush techniques.

Instructions

1. Soft art pencils are used to sketch the landscape prior to painting.

Sketch your drawing on canvas. Using the soft pencil, lightly detail the elements of the landscape on the hardboard. This allows you to proportion your painting correctly, and provides a guideline for eventual paint application. Gently erase any mistakes made with pencil and sketch over them as needed.

2. Impressionist painters blend colors gradually to create minimal variations.

Mix paint colors. Attempt to match the colors in the photograph by mixing colors to create the desired shades. Traditionally, Impressionists used minimal color variations, so choose a maximum of seven or eight color pots to paint with. Experiment with dabbing small amounts into larger pots, and gradually add more as necessary until the desired shade is achieved.

3. An easel may be used to hold the canvas in place during painting.

Apply paint to each section. View the landscape scene as blocks of color and tonal shapes, and begin painting oil onto the canvas. Neatness is not necessary, and thick dabs of one color may be applied to represent the sky, and variants of that color may be added to depict cloud formation.

4. Use sable brushes, rags and your fingers to blend colors after application.

Begin blending colors together. Blend the seams of color blocks and shapes together with intricate brush strokes to create coherence in your work. Impressionist work is expressive and brush strokes reflect this, so your finished work doesn't have to be polished.

5. Framing adds a finished look to your Impressionist painting.

Frame your work. After emulating the Impressionist painting process, show pride in your hard work by framing and hanging it. If a standard frame is not suitable for your Impressionist painting, bring your work to an art and framing store for measuring and framing.

Crazy Christmas Hat Ideas

You can celebrate the Christmas season by injecting a little fun in your wardrobe.

Dressing up for the holiday season doesn't always mean wearing proper attire. You can put a festive and fun spin on the Christmas season by wearing silly hats that draw attention and bring a smile to the faces of those around you. Making and wearing crazy hats can be just an extra way to celebrate the Christmas season.

Oh Christmas Tree

Christmas conjures up may memories, ideas and scenes. One of the prevalent ones is of a Christmas tree. You can take the concept of a Christmas tree and turn it in to a big, crazy hat. Buy or make a tall hat that is shaped like a pine tree and is green in color. Add Christmas ornaments all over the hat and make sure to add a glittering star to the top of the hat. To really make your crazy hat stand out, add a string or two of battery powered Christmas lights that wrap around the whole hat. Make sure to use the twinkling lights option if available for extra craziness!

Gingerbread Man

You can make a hat in the shape of anything, given enough time, talent and craft supplies. Take the traditional gingerbread man cookie concept to new heights by making a hat in the shape of a gingerbread man. Using light or dark brown felt, shape the hat in the traditional, rounded shape of the famed cookie. Add red buttons down the front and use black buttons to make eyes. Add white trim around the entire shape of the hat to make the cookie look just about good enough to eat.

Fruit Cake

Fruit cake itself brings giggles, jokes and tales of woe for many come Christmas time. Use the hilarity associated with fruit cake to make a fruit cake hat. Shape your hat to resemble a log and use brown felt or material as the base. Decorate the hat with "fruit" and "nuts" by using red, green and yellow felt or buttons to resemble candied cherries, green cherries, pineapple, apple, walnuts and any other ingredient found in the ever elusive culinary delight known as fruit cake.

Run Rudolph Run

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is a Christmas character that brings a smile to many a child's face come holiday time. A Christmas hat shaped and decorated like the character can be made crazy by really accentuating Rudolph's shiny, red nose. use a battery-operated light bulb in a bright red on the front of the hat. If you are finding yourself with extra time, money and creativity on your hands, run a cheap speaker through the back of the hat that is attached to a portable music player and loudly play the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer theme song on continual play. Between the music and bright nose on top, your crazy hat is sure to draw attention.

Crafts With Drywall

Drywall can be used for more than just construction projects.

Drywall is a board that contains multiple layers of either fiberboard, paper or felt, which is bonded to a hardened plaster. This board is commonly used in the construction industry along with drywall compound for building walls, and can be found at your typical hardware store. However, the material has plenty of additional uses. With some creativity, drywall materials can be employed in a variety of useful and decorative crafts. When purchasing a single sheet of drywall, the material can be relatively inexpensive.

Art Carving

Use drywall, popsicle sticks, water, hairspray and paint to create a beautiful art carving. The carving can be created simply by dampening the drywall with a spray water bottle until you can peel away the top layer of paper. When the paper is removed, carve a design into the drywall using a popsicle stick. Then paint the carving and seal it by spraying it with hairspray. This will make for a one-of-a-kind piece of art with a solid backing.

Textured Photo Frames

Recycle old picture frames into new ones using drywall compound. Cover the old frame with drywall compound, using a trowel. Create textured effects with the trowel to make your frame stand out. After letting the compound dry overnight, use spray paint to add a pop of color to the frame.

Cyclorama Wall

For the more advanced crafter, consider making a cyclorama wall, especially if you enjoy photography. A cyclorama wall curves between the wall and the floor to create a flowing look. These walls are often built in studios to hide the 90 degree angle between the floor and wall and create a smooth transition in photos. To craft a cyclorama wall, build a typical wall using drywall. Then, cut a series of curved 2-foot arcs out of plywood to sit between the floor and wall. This will create the flow. Nail the curves to the wall, cover them with masonite, then plaster and paint the curves. This project should only be attempted by people with construction experience.

Paint or Decoupage Canvas

Instead of throwing away drywall scraps, use the drywall as a canvas for a painting or decoupage, rather than purchasing a canvas at a store. Use a water and glue mixture to add your favorite paper images to the drywall for a decoupage, or pick up some arts and crafts paints at a crafts store and use your creativity to make a colorful painting to display in your home.

Shoot Pinup Photos

Taking vintage-looking pin-up photos can be a fun and rewarding endeavor for a photographer. Pin-up-style photos can test the photographer's shooting skills and technique, and finding just the right pose and lighting is always a fun challenge. Here are a few tips to get started shooting pin-up photos.

Instructions

1. Locate a good area or room to set up the shot. Open, clutter-free rooms are ideal as they afford enough space for complex poses.

2. Make certain the studio has at least three lighting angles. One key light that acts as an overfill light for the entire subject. Two other lights serve as overhead and fill lights for shadow effects.

3. Position the model at least 3 feet away from the background. This eliminates odd background shadows and flash reflection problems.

4. Pose and shoot the model in a way she is comfortable. Keep an eye out for candid, non-posed shots that convey a look of startle or surprise.

5. Move around the model and look for the best shooting angle that provides a full and complete composition. Most pin-up poses incorporate the entire body and focus less on any one particular area of the body.

6. Instruct the model to illicit a pout or wide-eyed expression to better capture that pin up quality. Models are oftentimes shot at very low angles or even top-down from a ladder for a more dramatic effect.

Form A Woman Group

When figuring out form a girl group, decide on the specifics first. Before the fun, fame and fortune you need to put forth a little effort in finding the right people to join your singing ensemble or band. Taking time in auditioning as many people as you can before making any final decisions will ensure that you weigh all your options first.

Instructions

Before the Auditions

1. Choose whether you want just a pop singing ensemble or a whole rock band. Decide what kind of music you plan on performing, as well as how many members you need to carry out your goals.

2. Decide when to hold auditions.

3. Create flyers to hang up at school and around town advertising the date, time and place of your auditions. Be very specific about what you need. (You don't want a bunch of guitar players showing up if you just need a drummer or keyboard artist.) Make sure to include your contact information if they need more information or directions.

At the Auditions

4. Buy a notebook for the big day. (Keeping detailed records is an important step of forming a girl group.) Mark down everyone's name and number individually as they come in, as well as their particular skill.

5. Take notes as they perform for you. This not only includes their skill level but also mark down who you feel would work well together.

6. Ask everyone what their schedules are like for practice and if they will be able to have time to perform in public when you get gigs.

7. Shake their hands and tell them a time frame you will be able to get back to them. Be professional because even if someone isn't your first choice, you never know when you might need a backup in the future.

After the Auditions

8. Take time to go over all your notes before making any final decisions. After deciding, call everyone back (those that made it and those that didn't) to let them know the news.

9. Plan your first practice. At the initial get-together, have more of a meeting session. Sit down with everyone and plan practice dates, songs, outfits and all of the other fun stuff that goes with starting on the road to becoming famous.

10. Have fun! After figuring out form a girl group, all that's left is the singing, dancing and fun. Good luck!

Develop A Small Flat Stage

A stage can be part of the structure of the building itself, or a freestanding unit.

In many theaters, producers use a stage to separate the actors from the audience. It creates a distinct playing space that helps to build the illusory world of the play. A stage is a raised platform built to support the weight of the actors, set pieces and other objects that are placed on it during the course of a performance. While stages vary in design, a small stage can be constructed using 1-inch by 6-inch lumber and 3/4-inch plywood.

Instructions

1. Use a table saw to cut 64 feet of 1-inch by 6-inch lumber to a width of 5 1/4 inches to serve as the framing for the platform. Measure and cut two pieces at 8 feet for the stiles; three pieces 7 feet by 10 1/2 inches for the rails; and six pieces 4 feet by 10 7/8 inches to form the toggles.

2. Align the end of one of the rails with the face of an end of one of the stiles to create a flush corner. Glue the end of the rail and hold it in place against the side of the stile. Shoot three nails through the face of the stile and into the end of the rail using a nail gun. Use the same method to create a second corner with the other stile at the other end of the rail. Attach the second rail between the free ends of the two stiles to create a box.

3. Measure and mark 4 feet from one end of each stile. Align the center of the third rail piece with the mark on each stile to create a center support inside the box. Glue and nail it into place.

4. Measure and mark 2 feet, 4 feet and 6 feet along each of the three rails. Start your measurement from the same side of the box each time. Align one of the 10 7/8-inch by 2-feet toggles between two of the marks, parallel with the stiles. Glue and nail it into place. Continue to attach toggles between the rails until all six are in place.

5. Glue the top edges of each part of the platform framing. Lay a piece of 3/4-inch plywood across the framing so that it aligns with three edges of the frame and touches the center rail. Begin at one corner and nail the perimeter of the plywood into place along the rails and stiles. Nail the plywood to the toggles after the perimeter is attached. Repeat this process with a second piece of plywood to deck the other half of the platform.

6. Cut 18 pieces of 1-inch by 6-inch lumber to 17 1/4 inches. Attach two pieces along the long edge to create an 17 1/4-inch L-shaped leg using glue and nails. Repeat the process with the remaining 16 pieces. Cut 18 pieces of 3/4-inch lumber 4 inches by 18 inches. Attach these pieces together in the same manner as the legs to create nine smaller L-shapes. Screw one end of each of the smaller legs to the framing at each corner of the platform, at the center of each edge where the toggle meets the outer perimeter, and at the center of the platform. Glue the exposed face of each of the attached 4-inch legs and fit 1-inch by 6-inch legs over the faces flush with the edge of the platform framing. Nail the larger legs to the smaller legs.

7. Cut four pieces of 1/4-inch plywood 2 feet by 8 feet. Attach the pieces to the framing and legs of the stage with screws and cover the open area below. Paint the stage.

Learn Photography In Your Own Home

Photography is an excellent and portable skill to have; when you have the ability to take a good picture, you can turn your snapshots into professional-level photos. Learning photography at home is challenging but rewarding, and you will need to make a significant investment of time and money. The most important things to keep in mind when learning photography at home are patience and persistence; if you keep at it, your photographs will improve.

Instructions

1. Buy a camera. When learning photography at home, pick a mid-range camera. A cheap camera will not have the settings you need to learn photography, and an expensive camera can be a prohibitive cost. For the most flexibility when learning photography, buy a digital SLR (single lens reflex). Canon and Nikon are good brands, and their digital SLRs start at around $800. Note that you can use any camera that has manual settings. You can also look on sites like craigslist.org for used digital SLRs; bargains are often easy to find.

2. Get a photography book. In order to learn proper photography techniques, get a book about photography. Photography books will walk you through the basics of digital photography and explain the functions of your camera. They can serve as a reference and will explain the effects of different settings. This background knowledge is crucial to learning photography, as it will help you analyze a scene and choose the correct camera settings to achieve the photo you want. A good book for beginners is Ansel Adam's "Basic Techniques of Photography."

3. Practice techniques. Before you start shooting full scenes, practice different techniques and settings to develop a full understanding. Pick an object and shoot it at different apertures and shutter speeds; note each setting and compare the differences between the photographs. This will give you a solid visual reference point and will reinforce the knowledge of each setting. When you move on to shooting different scenes, you will have a better understanding of how each setting will affect your photo.

4. Shoot everything and anything. To broaden your photography experience, try to shoot as many subjects in as many settings as possible. Outdoor action shots, for example, require entirely different camera settings than a low-light theater shot. Experiment with lighting, reflectors, and light meters to see the effects on your photos. Shoot people, animals and scenery. For a challenge, try photographing light; looking at the way light plays on objects and trying to capture it will add depth to your other photos. Anything you can photograph will widen your experience, making you a better photographer.

5. Network. If you are serious about learning photography, aim to meet as many photographers as possible. Head to gallery openings and study the work. If you don't know reproduce a similar shot, ask the photographer how he or she did it. Explain that you're a beginning photographer, and professionals will often be happy to share their insight. Take every opportunity to learn more about your craft. Also, ask questions that will help further your own work; if you are confused about a particular aspect of photography, don't be afraid to seek help from other photographers, in person or at online forums like The Photo Forum. Post your photos and ask for critiques. Every connection you can make is valuable when you are learning photography at home.

The Characteristics Of The Nikon N2000

The Nikon N2000 was considered a revolutionary camera when introduced in 1985.

The Nikon N2000 35 mm camera was introduced in 1985 in Japan, and was well-known for being the first single lens reflex (SLR) camera with a built-in film winder that didn't have an advance lever. The automatic winder delivers a speed of 2.5 frames per second (FPS). The camera requires four AAA batteries to operate.

Flash and Film Velocity

The N2000 has a typical flash mount that is on top of the viewfinder, meaning that a flash can be fastened to the camera. However, the camera does not possess a fitted popup flash. The Nikon N2000 has an option to set the film by velocity from ISO 12 to ISO 3,200. The DX characteristic has a film velocity from ISO 25 to ISO 4,000. The DX designation means that the camera has a digital body sensor that is less than 35 mm.

Exposure Modes

The Nikon N2000 camera has four exposure modes. Two are auto-programmed, which means that aperture and speed are mechanically set. The other two exposure modes are aperture priority and manual. Aperture describes the lens diaphragm opening within a photogenic lens. The size of the hole controls the quantity of light that passes through and onto the film. Since the Nikon N2000 camera is an SLR camera, the size of the opening can be altered. This makes it a point-and-shoot camera without the auto-focus feature that is an industry standard as of 2010. In addition to these four modes, there is an exposure remembrance lock knob.

Shutter

The selector knob can lock the shutter button and has an uninterrupted alternative, as well as the solitary shot. The shutter velocities are one second to 1/2,000 of a second. It also was the first camera to contain DX film decoding.

Polycarbonates

The Nikon N2000 uses polycarbonates in the camera building process. At the time of its development, this move marked the beginning of a new era for Nikon as the company switched from metal-clad cameras to lighter weight polycarbonate-based materials.

Reach Administrator Page In "Roblox"

In the highly-customizable world of the online game ROBLOX, players can design and build their own three-dimensional environments. They can also precisely customize the appearance of their characters. With an Admin (or administrator) account, players have even more control over their environment and are able to execute commands that put them outside of the usual rules of the game. Only Admins can perform these commands. There is no actual "Admin screen," but Admins use the Command Bar in their ROBLOX Studio editor program to execute their commands. Becoming an Admin is highly unlikely for the vast majority of players, but if you happen to have Admin account information, the procedure for using the Command Bar in ROBLOX Studio is straightforward.

Instructions

1. Launch ROBLOX Studio by double-clicking on the ROBLOX Studio icon.

2. Log in to ROBLOX by entering the Admin account username and password into the Studio window.

3. Click on the ROBLOX game you want to play.

4. Click on the View menu, then on Toolbars. Click on "Command" to check the Command Bar. This will enable the Command Bar in ROBLOX Studio.

5. Type an Admin command into the Command bar. Refer to the link in the Resources section for a list of Admin commands. Most Admin commands require that a username follow them. For example, type "explode/username," replacing "username" with the name of the user avatar you want to explode and kill.

6. Press Enter to enter the Admin command and make it take effect.

Awesome Camera Methods

Using a few simple camera tricks, you can take professional quality photos.

A great photograph should resemble a work of art. Many professional photographers have taken advanced classes on photography techniques and invested in expensive cameras and equipment. However, many techniques are simple enough for the amateur photographer to easily master and replicate. Camera tricks can be accomplished using a traditional film or digital camera.

In focus

Using this trick, you can make the clear subject stand out against a blurry background. You capture the subject while they are moving, but they will remain frozen and in focus. Put your subject in the center of the background and physically move the camera while continuing to aim and focus on the subject. Another way to do this is to ride in a moving car and take a picture of someone running on the sidewalk. If you focus on the runner, while you're physically moving, the rest of the background will blur and the runner will be clear and in focus.

Streaming light

This is an effect professionals often use when taking a photo of a busy street or highway during the night. Pick a scene to photograph that has bright lights such as a roller coaster. Set your camera on a tripod. Turn the flash off. Put the camera on "shutter" or "TV" mode. If you set it to shutter mode, make sure it's a long shutter setting. Snap the photo. The motion should turn into streams of bright light while the rest of the background stays clear and focused.

Swirl

This is another trick that is best used at night while the subject is illuminated with light. An example would be a child on a busy sidewalk under a streetlight. Put the camera in "shutter" or "TV" mode and keep the flash off. Focus on the subject by pressing the shutter button halfway. As you press the button to take the photo, quickly jerk the camera clockwise and then counter clockwise. This will create a circular motion blur around the subject.

Complete A Tax Rebate Form 1040a

You may want to fill out Form 1040A for a potential tax refund.

Form 1040A is the most commonly used tax form for individuals. For those accustomed to using form 1040EZ, the 1040A form can be a little confusing, but it also can provide a few more tax breaks. This 1040A form is used for all types of income, dependents and deductions and can lead to bigger returns. Downloading the supporting forms from the previous tax year may help you prepare your 1040A. If you are preparing your taxes for submission by April 15, 2011, the tax year that applies is 2010. This article supports the 2009 tax year. Each year, forms and laws change, so review Form 1040A instructions for any changes.

Instructions

1. Fill out the label. If you received your tax forms directly from the IRS, a peel-off sticker probably is attached to your forms. Stick it on the appropriate spot of your tax return. If any of the information on this sticker is incorrect, make any corrections directly on the label. These tax forms sent from the IRS include detailed instructions. If you didn't receive your forms from the IRS, follow Steps 2 through 12.

2. Enter all of your personal information legibly in blue or black ink. Enter your Social Security number and your spouse's information (if applicable). If you are married but filing separately, you still must enter your spouse's information.

3. Check the box to donate $3 to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund if you wish. This decision does not affect the amount of your return.

4. Choose your filing status based on what is best for you. Your options are single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household, and qualifying widow. Both the head of household filing status and qualifying widow status require a qualifying child. If this is unclear to you, refer to the instructions included with your form 1040A.

5. Complete the exemptions sections, which allows to claim the people you support. Claiming more people reduces the amount of the taxes that you owe. Check the box for Yourself. If your parents are claiming you on their return, you cannot claim yourself as a dependent. Check the box for your spouse if you are married. Enter any dependents' information. This would include children and people (mostly family) that you support. There are many guidelines on whether you can claim someone living in your home as a dependant. Refer to the instructions for examples and explanations. The IRS checks to ensure your claimed dependents are valid. Add up the amount of exemptions from boxes 6a, 6b, and 6c and place the total into 6d.

6. Fill out your income portion of the tax return. Add all income forms (if you had more than one source of income) to the nearest dollar and enter this information into Line 7. Most of the information you need is found in Box 1 on your W-2. If you have another form, refer to the instructions included with your 1040A form.

7. Enter all information on interest income from form 1099-INT (if you received any) into line 8a. Any tax exempt interest should be placed in box 8b. Enter all information on dividend income from form 1099-DIV (if you received any) from box 1a into line 9a on form 1040A. Information from box 1b should be entered into line 9b.

8. Enter all information on capital gains distributions into line 10. This information should come from form 1099-DIV, box 2a. Enter information from form 1099-R into lines 11a and 11b. Your 1099-R should show which amount is taxable and which is not. Enter the entire distribution into line 11a and the taxable amount into line 11b. Enter all information from 1099-R if you received pension payments. If you received money from a pension payment that wasn't entirely taxable, determine the amount that is taxable by referring to the IRS Publication 939. The taxable amount goes into line 12b and the total amount received goes into 12a. Enter any additional income into line 13. This would include income from form 1099-G (usually unemployment compensation) and income from the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend. If you had both, add them up and enter them into line 13.

9. Enter payments from form SSA-1099 and form RRB-1099 into line 14a and the taxable amount into line 14b. If you need to determine which portion of Social Security or railroad benefits are taxable, refer to page 29 of the 1040A instructions. Add lines 7 through 14b and enter the total into line 15. Add only the B lines. A lines are used for total amounts, and B lines are the taxable amounts. This is your total taxable income.

10. Enter any qualified teacher expense into line 16. Enter any contributions to a traditional individual retirement account (IRA) into line 17. Enter any student loan interest into line 18. Enter any qualified tuition/fees that can be deducted from your income in line 19. Add lines 16 through 19 and enter the amount into line 20. Subtract line 20 from line 15 and enter it into line 21. This is your adjusted gross income. You will use this figure many times in the next part of the form.

11. Enter the amount from line 21 into line 22 for your taxes, credits and payments. Check the boxes in line 23 if you or your spouse was born before the year listed on the return (2009 form says 1945) and whether you or your spouse is blind. Add up your check marks and put this number into line 23a. Check the box 23b if you are married but filing separately and your spouse itemizes deductions. Enter the amount from the left margin on the page for your filing status into line 24a. This is your standard deduction. Enter the amount from Schedule L into line 24b if you are increasing your standard deduction because of certain real estate taxes or new motor vehicle taxes. Subtract line 24a from line 22 and enter the total into line 25. If 24a is more than 22, enter 0.

12. Complete the last section. Add up your refund amount to determine the amount you owe or the amount you will be refunded. Sign the bottom of the form. Check your work before mailing your 1040A return.

What's British Literary Critique

Literary criticism is more than just a book review. It is a critical analogy of a particular work of fiction by another writer who is not affiliated with the author. English literary fiction attempts to interpret and evaluate both contemporary and classic works of literature.

Time Frame

Literary criticism is a current activity practiced by modern writers or literary critics, who write about and analyze important works of fiction. Modern-day criticism may concern contemporary literature or it can be written about historical works of literature. The practice of literary criticism is often traced back to the Greek philosophers (Plato and Aristotle) of the third century B.C., who sometimes commented on and criticized the artistic pursuits of their contemporaries.

Literary Critics

As a general rule of thumb, a literary critic is not so much a writer of fiction, short stories, poems or plays, but instead he sees fit to read the great works of literature and then share his insights and opinions with other readers.

Fiction or Non Fiction

Works of fiction are the primary concern of literary critics, but poetry and memoir are also important. It is less common for literary criticism to be written about nonfiction books, but this may occur if the nonfiction author has written many books and is very well known.

Where Published

Literary criticism can be found in literary journals, especially those that are connected with a college or university. Literary criticism is also put out by various book publishers or it can be found online. A book of literary criticism usually contains many essays, centered around a central author or theme.

Who Reads Literary Criticism

English literature students and scholars make up the biggest group that reads this type of writing. To a lesser extent, casual readers who enjoy a particular author may pick up and read literary criticism about that author.

Different Schools of Literary Criticism

There are many schools of literary criticism, whereby the critic undertakes a particular viewpoint or outlook, when writing about the literary efforts of other authors. Some of the more common schools or philosophical attitudes that a critic might express include a Marxist, a feminist or a psychoanalytical perspective.

Contemporary Painting Ideas

The term "contemporary art" usually refers to any art produced after World War II. Contemporary painting styles are more diverse than they have ever been, and today's painters have a virtual lack of boundaries that define what is acceptable.

Listed below are a number of different contemporary styles. Most paintings are rendered in a synthesis of two or more styles. Use the ideas below and find your own unique style.

Realism

Realism can be broadly applied to anything that is depicted realistically, although "realism" as a movement often refers to the depiction of human subjects in a realistic manner. Subjects in these paintings are not posed and are not usually exhibiting dramatic behaviors--instead, they are simply doing the things they do in everyday life, often in settings that are not at all extraordinary. Most often these subjects are humble or subtly displaying their true humanity.

If you are seeking inspiration for this type of painting, look at the works of Edward Hopper. Choose photographs of friends, family or even strangers. It is best to choose subjects that seem unaware they are the subject of a painting or photograph. Paint the subject as it exists in space, in an everyday setting, doing something commonplace. Try to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

As an alternative, try making a painting utilizing the hyper-realism of Chuck Close. Paint a portrait, large, up close and as realistically as possible. Use grids and careful planning to make the painting as realistic as a photograph--if possible, even more realistic than the photograph itself.

Abstract and Non-Representational

Abstraction is the breaking down of an object into simpler or specific, basic parts. Abstraction in painting can take many forms and is often confused with non-representational art, which literally is art about art, representing nothing but art.

An example of a non-representational painting would be the drip paintings of Jackson Pollock, while an example of abstract art would be the cubist paintings of Pablo Picasso. The difference between these two styles is that Picasso often painted pictures of things (people, scenes, objects), and Pollock's drip paintings were simply paint dripped on the canvas.

To complete an abstract painting, choose a subject--whatever subject that makes sense to you. You could be painting a still life, a landscape or a portrait. Depending on the degree of your abstraction, the final product may not even seem representational of the original subject. Now, study your subject. Break the subject down into its more basic parts. You may choose to focus on the organic qualities of your subject, or the harder and more angular edges. After completing a few studies of your subject, begin your painting on canvas. Use the abstraction to call attention to the parts of your subject that may be unnoticed or under-appreciated.

To complete a non-representational painting, choose your colors, your canvas and begin. You may or may not have an idea in mind when you start your painting. You are not painting an object, you are painting to paint. Allow the experience of painting itself to override your instinct to create something tangible and realistic.

Expressionistic

Expressionistic paintings are expressive of emotional states through use of paint strokes and color. These paintings are often dramatic, gestural, textural and vibrant. Expressive painters may paint in a primitive or juvenile manner to complement their use of vibrant color. The paintings may be abstracted, distorted, flattened or realistic.

Like an abstract painting, expressionistic paintings begin by simply picking a subject--any subject. Instead of breaking the subject down into simpler parts, when you paint it you'll be using gestural brush strokes and expressive colors. The final product will be a visceral and intense experience for the viewer. Expressionistic paintings are not dainty or timid.

Multimedia

A multimedia piece is any piece that combines two or more mediums. Painters may combine different types of paint or paint with other materials. For example, a painter may stretch a shirt on stretcher bars, paint a landscape on the shirt, pierce the image with safety pins, glue barrettes to the surface and call it "multimedia." In this way contemporary painters can truly stretch the limits of art. With the right resources and talent, artist can make anything they can conceive of. Artists who create multimedia pieces must research the materials they use, and they must be capable of handling the materials properly. For example, an artist using oil paint on a cloth surface that has not been primed (such as the shirt in the example just given) should be aware that oil paint will eventually cause that material to deteriorate.

Begin a multimedia image by deciding on a subject--and collecting data, facts and insights about that subject. Multimedia images have the ability to be multidimensional. These paintings can be as clever as you can make them. Gather materials that are related to the subject of the painting--or materials that stand in contrast to the painting. Remember to keep the image balanced and design. Multimedia paintings are fun while presenting a special kind of challenge.

The Very Best Points of interest In Rome

The Best Attractions in Rome

Rome, Italy offers so much more than love, it offers a chance to see some of the most exciting sites that provide a fascinating glimpse into history. Besides the art museums, Rome has other attractions that offer beauty and incredible architecture. One restaurant in particular allows you a chance to enjoy the fine cuisine while looking out over the city.

Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel

The ceiling alone is a reason to see the Sistine Chapel. As you look up, you see the detail and artistry that took years to complete. This is one of Michelangelo's greatest creations along with artists della Gatta, Signorelli, Pinturicchio, Roselli, Ghirlandaio and Botticelli. At the alter you can see the Last Supper painted by Michelangelo. The Vatican Museum houses the greatest artworks and stretches for four miles.

Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps

The steps lead up to the Church of Santa Trinit dei Monti. At the bottom of the steps is the fountain, Barcaccia. If you visit during the spring and summer, the steps are lined with blooming azaleas that give off a sweet fragrance as you walk up and down the steps. The Plazza di Spagna is where all the little caf s and boutiques are located.

Capitoline Hill

Palazzo Nuovo, Palazzo dei Senatori and Palazzo dei Conservatori border Capitoline Hill. The path on the side of the hill will take you to views of the ancient sites of Colosseum and Forum. This area of Rome is where the Michelangelo's Plazza dei Campidoglio is located, which is considered the main attraction of the area. The largest collection of classical statues is located in Musel Capitolini at the Palazzo Nuovo.

Trastevere

Visit the neighborhood of Trastevere. This atmosphere is Bohemian and has so many small restaurants, pubs, boutiques and caf s to enjoy. The cobblestone roads have remained through the years as the rest of Rome has become modernized. Tourists and artists are attracted to this neighborhood because of it old world charm.

Time Elevator

For kids and adults, the Time Elevator is something that takes you back in time over 2,000 years of Roman existence. The simulators, panoramic screens and sound system makes you feel as if you are experiencing everything firsthand.

La Pergola Restaurant

The rooftop restaurant at Cavalieri Hilton has a magnificent view of the city. You will have a panoramic view that cannot be seen anywhere else. In the warmer summer months, you can sit out on the terrace and feel the warm of the sun while looking around the city.

Contemporary Art Training

Contemporary artwork up for auction at Christie's.

Contemporary art takes in many movements from the 1900s onward and features prominent artists such as Andy Warhol. Lessons on the subject can be beneficial not only to art students, but to anyone seeking a starting point in art history or creation. Prices for lessons differ by location, with some museums conducting special programs for members.

Locations

Students wishing to take contemporary art lessons can choose to attend onsite classes or study over the Internet. Online courses are good for those with time issues. Museums such as the and Sotheby's Institute of Art offer this as an option for those who wish to achieve degrees and for causal art enthusiasts. Other lessons and courses take place at the actual museum or art center location. For example, the Museum of Modern Art in New York provides both day and evening lessons. Studio art lessons cover a particular artist or subject matter, while providing hands-on work in a studio to create projects that reflect the subject. Some local art studios also offer opportunities to create your own work, in addition to offering lessons.

Age Groups

There are options for all age groups in the world of contemporary art. Children can take part in summer camps for the arts. Contemporary art lesson plans are also available through some museums and through PBS. Some of the subjects covered in the plans include abstraction and realism. The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art has lesson plans that are divided into grade levels -- for example, What Is Popular? and Self Portraits in the Style of Roy Lichtenstein. Adults can take lessons that are more advanced than those for teens and children. One such course is Experimenting With Art at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey. This allows the student to use a different medium of art each week of a 10-week course.

Materials

The materials in use for contemporary art vary by artist. Lessons help to show those studying the subject properly incorporate these resources into their own projects. Some items, such as cameras, may require extra lessons to master their capabilities. In studying abstraction and realism, a student can use photography, collage, drawing and painting to convey his vision with materials ranging from stickers to canvas.

Media

A medium is the material or the procedure that an artist uses to complete an artwork. Lessons may cover just one medium, such as sculpture or painting. Mixed media deals with several materials combined at one time for artwork. For example, a specific lesson may show put together a collage project with photos and recycled objects.

Hereditary Cmv Infections

Congenital CMV Infections

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection can cause permanent disabilities in a small number of infants who are born with the disease. CMV is in the herpes family, related to cold sores and chicken pox. Most people become infected with the virus as children and do not have any symptoms. If a pregnant woman is exposed and infected for the first time during her pregnancy, she has a 33 percent chance of transferring the infection to her baby. If a baby is born with the virus, the infection is termed congenital.

Symptoms of Congenital CMV

One in 10 newborns infected with CMV will have problems such as fluid in the lungs, small for gestational age, low birth weight, small head size, tremors, jaundice, seizures and a rash of tiny bruises. The liver and spleen may be enlarged. Most babies who are born with these severe symptoms will suffer permanent disabilities.

Prenatal Tests for CMV

Blood titers can tell if the mother has antibodies to CMV that indicate she has been infected, but they cannot determine when the infection occurred. The baby is only at risk if the mother was infected for the first time while pregnant. There are tests that can help pinpoint the time of infection, but they are unreliable and not widely used. A woman who does not show antibodies for CMV is at risk of acquiring the infection while pregnant, but such tests are not routinely done prenatally. Amniocentesis can detect the virus but cannot tell whether the baby will have abnormalities.

Drug Considerations

Anti-viral medications such as ganciclovir, which is being experimentally tried to prevent hearing loss in the most severe cases of congenital infection, have serious side effects. They are much dangerous for use in pregnancy.

Prognosis for Babies with CMV

Most babies with CMV develop normally. Babies that have symptoms of CMV at birth may develop liver problems, growth problems, vision and hearing loss and mental disabilities later in life.

Future for CMV Research

A major development will be the discovery of a safe vaccine for CMV. Scientists are working to end the disabilities associated with CMV, which are as common as those from Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome and neural tube defects.

Items Made From Pine Needles

The pine tree is made into a myriad of beneficial products.

Long ago, Native Americans used pine needles to prevent scurvy and stuffed their mattresses with them to repel lice and fleas. Used throughout the ages by most cultures in the world for a multitude of healing and ornamental purposes, pine needles are also the main component in a diverse range of today's commercial products, from crafts to cough syrup.

Essential Oil: Aromatherapy, Therapeutic and Fragrance Component

Like hemoglobin in the blood, chlorophyll pulsates through the veins of pine trees, differing from hemoglobin only in that its central element is magnesium, not iron. All species of pine share this phenomenon that sustains their life and imparts the ability to be evergreen and maintain most of its foliage year round, and to thrive disease-free through fluctuating temperatures and harsh climates. Humankind, fascinated by the mighty, seemingly invincible pine, long ago discovered harness its power and reap the many benefits of the pine's adult foliage, the needles.

Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) and dwarf pine (Pinus mugo var. pumilio) needles, when processed by the method of distillation, make pine needle essential oil for aromatherapy, home and health care products, and even food and drink.

Fragrance and Disinfectant

Pine needle oil with its pleasant sweet-balsamic and spicy, woody scent is a fragrance ingredient in commercial soaps, bath oils, toiletries, cosmetics, men's colognes and some women's perfumes. An antiseptic and bacteriacide, pine needle oil is the active ingredient in many detergents, air fresheners, disinfectants and household cleaners.

Pharmaceutical Preparations

The pungent healing aroma of pine is the signature scent of many analgesic ointments and liniments, and a key ingredient in pharmaceutical preparations for coughs and colds, and nasal congestion.

Flavoring in Food and Beverage

Pine oil is a leading flavoring ingredient in commercially manufactured food products across all major food groups, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages.

Ingestible Therapeutic Oil

Japanese red pine needle oil is an organic product derived from pine needles. According to traditional Chinese medical books, Dongwee Bogam and Boncho Kangmok, the wild-crafted Japanese red pine needle oil from the Japanese red pine tree (pinus densiflora), produces remarkable results when ingested regularly; including age reversal, increased cardiovascular health, improved brain function, heightened vitality, and revitalized libido.

Pine Straw Mulch

Pines naturally drop their dead needles on the forest floor in November, with pine straw operators only steps behind. A multi-million dollar industry, pine straw mulch is a product of the southern yellow pine group, particularly the slash pine and longleaf pine. Popular throughout America, and preferred by urban dwellers and landscapers both for its brilliant green color and dense, waxy coating that makes it more resistant than other species' needles to washing away, this long-lasting mulch is economical and eco-friendly.

Baskets and Ornaments

Pine needles, painstakingly gathered from the forest floor, become intricately woven baskets under the skilled hands of artisans and sold in markets and upscale stores. The Seminoles, indigenous people of Florida, made pine needle baskets hundreds of years ago by sewing bundles of pine needles together with sisal, fern roots, and other roots and grasses using needles fashioned of bone or shell. Today, Native American artists and many others use pine needles to create unique works of salable art.

Decorative and functional, hand-painted and highly lacquered gourds are also a sought after art form and artisans often incorporate pine needles to make finishing rims on the gourds, and matching lids.

Thirty enterprising women, members of The World Fair Trade Organization, have formed a cooperative that handcrafts and sells whimsical pine needle Christmas ornaments to help build a sustainable community in their impoverished region of Nicaragua.

The Typical Earnings Of An Art Gallery Exhibit Designer

Enabling visitors to walk through a Pharaoh's sarcophagus, experience a realistic trip through the Renaissance or feel the crushing weight of the Pompeii ruins, museum exhibit designers work to display art and historical items. Museum exhibit designers, also known as curators, often seek out the pieces to include in their exhibits, contacting other museums, artists and private collectors to solicit work for the display.

Facts

Museum exhibit designers across the country earned a national average salary of approximately $52,330 per year in 2009, as reported in the 2009 U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics' wages study. Exhibit designers working for the federal executive branch of the government had the opportunity to earn at the far higher rate of $80,270. Elementary and secondary schools also paid at a higher rate of $61,320, followed by colleges with an annual mean wage of $58,020.

Location

Choice of location had a significant impact on museum exhibit designer salaries in 2009. The District of Columbia led the country with its annual mean wage for designers at $77,410, $17,000 higher than any other state. In second place was California, paying $60,890. Also paying higher rates were Maryland at $59,160, New York at $57,960 and Illinois at $57,290.

Considerations

An appreciation and knowledge of a specific period of art or history may be beneficial to a museum exhibit designer, but an established path of education is usually a requirement. Master's and doctoral level studies of museology, archaeology, art history or other related fields are often the best way to prepare for the position. Museum exhibit designers may also serve as interns or apprentices at a museum before beginning to earn a salary in the position.

Outlook

Employment in the field of museum exhibit design is expected to rise 23 percent and add 2,700 jobs through 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS recommends persons interested in earning a salary as a curator seek out part-time positions or even internships as a possible foot in the door of a competitive industry.

Comic Advertisements From The nineteen fifties

During the 1950s, many parents viewed comic books as a scourge designed by deviants to corrupt impressionable children. That view as popularized in the controversial 1952 book "Seduction of the Innocent." Parents were less concerned that their children were exposed to all manner of advertising in those books. Several prevalent themes dominated those ads.

Charles Atlas

One of the most iconic comic-book ads is the "Hey Skinny!" ad from bodybuilder Charles Atlas, which originally appeared in the 1940s but continued to run throughout the 1950s. A scrawny protagonist is enjoying a day at the beach with a pretty girl when a musclebound bully suddenly shows up, kicking sand in "Skinny's" face and punching him in the jaw. Having lost both his girl and his dignity, he decides to "gamble a stamp" and send away for the Charles Atlas "dynamic tension" program, which promises to "make YOU a new man" in just "15 minutes a day." At some unspecified later time, the skinny protagonist returns to the beach as a bulked-up Adonis. He beats up the bully, and the girl proclaims him to be "a real man after all."

Breakfast Cereals

Long before Saturday-morning television became home to commercials for sugary breakfast cereals, the pages of comic books served the same purpose. In the 1950s, Sugar Crisp cereal was frequently advertised in comic books. In one such ad, children were encouraged to send away for hand-puppets of the cereal's mascots, a trio of bears named Handy, Dandy and Candy. In another, the bears inexplicably encounter a malevolent giant, but wind up placating him by stuffing an enormous spoonful of Sugar Crisp cereal in his mouth. Wheaties, which even then was known as the "breakfast of champions," used baseball heroes such as Yogi Berra in its comic book ads, while Kelloggs' Shredded Wheat promoted the prizes kids could find inside the cereal box, such as "funny face cutout masks."

Children's Weapons

Weapons such as knives and air rifles were deemed perfectly acceptable children's toys in the 1950s. The Daisy Training B.B. Rifle was often advertised in comic books. The ads featured the image of cartoon cowboy Red Ryder and billed the rifle as a "realistic western-style saddle carbine." Not only will you have fun, proclaimed the ad, but "you'll also be somebody" if you manage to talk mom or dad into buying one for you, for the low price of just $3.98.

Comic Characters

Comic books dabbled in product placement ads just like TV stars did at the time. The website Vintage Ad Browser contains an ad featuring comic characters Dagwood and Blondie extolling the virtues of Gillette razor blades. In another, cartoonist Al Capp's Lil' Abner is in a serious dilemma that can only be solved if his girlfriend, Daisy Mae, can cook a pot of Cream of Wheat in five minutes. This, as the ad indicates, is the exact amount of time it takes to cook Cream of Wheat, and the day is saved.

Plan A Winter Wonderland Theme Wedding

It is true that not all women want to be the traditional June bride. Deciding plan a winter wonderland themed wedding just means you have chosen a non-traditional day to exchange your vows. Some choose to celebrate their lifelong love in the steamy months of summer. Others, like you, want to start their married life in the glistening snow-covered part of the year. Here are a few simple steps to help make your ice princess fantasies come true.

Instructions

1. Pick a date. You probably already have a significant day in mind. It could be the same day that you first met your fiance or the first day had your first kiss. The first step in planning any marriage ceremony is to pick the day on which you wish to be married.

2. Choose your location. Though the cold months are not exactly traditional for weddings, venues may still be booked by other seasonal festivities, such as holiday parties. If you have a specific place in mind, in may be best to call many months in advance to ensure the date that you want.

3. Choose your colors. The obvious colors when thinking about plan a Christmas wedding, for example, would be the seasonal red and/or green. Beautiful seasonal plants and decorations can be bought at almost any store if you decide to go this route. Almost any hue can be tailored to fit within these themed guidelines.

4. Find your bridal gown and bridesmaid dresses. After you have decided on a color palette, the next logical step would be to go and find your perfect ice princess dress. Of course, white would have to be the main focus for your dress and for a true contrast, have some colored ribbon or rosettes made in the complimentary color you have chosen. Choose the bridal party's dress in the color(s) choices with some white satin ribbon around the waist or cuffs to keep the look all tied in together.

5. Find decorations that fit your exact themed day. If you want a more fun marriage ceremony and reception, you can go total holiday season with streamers, Christmas ornaments and yuletide candles. If you are looking for a more elegant fanciful day; think ice sculptures and ivy plants. Your imagination is truly the limit when it comes to plan a winter wonderland-themed wedding.

Comedy Clubs In Milwaukee Wi

Milwaukee is Wisconsin's largest city with over 640,000 people, and is located in the southeastern edge of the Midwestern state. The area offers a variety of entertainment choices. Residents looking for fun can attend the Artasia Gallery & Museum, a professional sporting event, or take a tour of the Miller Brewery. Those wanting a laugh, can go to a handful of comedy clubs in the city.

ComedySportz Milwaukee

Spectators don't see a traditional comedy show at Comedy Sportz Milwaukee. Instead, the improvisational comedians are broken into two teams that "play" each other by performing scenes that the audience suggests. These improvisational teams compete for laughs.

The shows are designed for all ages, with performances on Thursdays through Saturdays. Outside comedians and improv companies sometimes perform. ComedySportz formed in Milwaukee in 1984 and has expanded to 18 other cities across the country. Improv comedy workshops are offered at the venue for comedians at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels.

Comedy Sportz Milwaukee

420 S. First St.

Milwaukee, WI 53204

(414) 272-8888

comedysportzmilwaukee.com/main_page.html

JD's Comedy Cafe

JD's Comedy Cafe attracts top comedians like George Lopez and Bill Maher. The club, which is 21 and oolder unless you're accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, has shows Thursdays through Saturdays.

Every Thursday, college students and workers in the service industry get in free. JD's offers a Standup Comedy College to teach fledgling comedians about the craft. You'll learn not only write jokes, but also build an audience rapport and overcome stage fright.

JD's Comedy Cafe

615 E. Brady St.

Milwaukee, WI 53202

(414) 271-5653

jdscomedycafe.com

Jokerz Comedy Club

Jokerz bills itself as "Milwaukee's Upscale Comedy Club." Nationally known comedians that appear on stations like Comedy Central, HBO and Showtime make appearances at the club. Shows are Thursdays through Saturdays for audience members 21 and older. The club is open 52 weeks a year.

Jokerz Comedy Club

11400 W Silver Spring Road

Milwaukee, WI 53225

(414) 463-5653

jokerzcomedyclub.com/index.php?vid=12

Comedy Clubs In Kent London

The burgeoning comedy scene in the United Kingdom has given birth to many great venues across the country. With many of comedy's top acts migrating to the capital city it is perhaps no wonder that London and the neighboring county of Essex are home to some of the best comedy clubs in the country.

Comedy Carnival

Located at The Grand in Clapham, the Comedy Carnival boasts such acts as Russell Brand, Flight of The Conchords and Michael McIntyre and has a reputation as one the best venues for comedy in the UK. The Comedy Carnival has been running since 2004 when it was initially a monthly showcase for touring Australasian comedy acts. Since the early days it has flourished and now has a showcase every Saturday for a diverse range of established and up and coming acts. The Grand itself is an ornately decorated theater complete with balcony seating that is home to a variety of performing arts and club nights making it one of the hottest venues in London. Prices range from around 12 GBP per person for general admission up to 50 GBP per person for a show and dinner. With reasonable ticket prices and a great venue the Comedy Carnival is one of the premier spots in London.

Comedy Carnival

The Grand, 21 -25 St John's Hill

Clapham Junction, London SW11 1TT

Tel: 0207 7361446

www.comedycarnvial.co.uk

The Comedy Store

The Comedy Store is perhaps one of the UK's busiest comedy clubs, The Comedy Store has been the launching pad for many of today's funniest comedians. Originally started in a small room above a gentleman's club in 1979, The Comedy Store has since become one of the most established clubs in London with regular shows by resident comedians known as The Comedy Store Players as well as quizzes with teams made up of the country's best comedic acts. Open seven nights a week, there is a vast array of performances and shows to choose from with tickets ranging from 14 GBP per person to 20 GBP per person. Whether you are a fan of absurdist comedy or traditional stand up routines, there is something for everyone every week at The Comedy Store.

The Comedy Store

Haymarket House

1a Oxenden Street, London, SW1Y 4EE

Tel: 0871 971 4437

www.thecomedystore.co.uk

Jongleurs

Located in the Essex seaside town of Clacton, Jongleurs is a chain of comedy clubs that is often host to the top names in comedy with several of these performances aired on the successful 'Live at Jongleurs' TV series. Jongleurs often has as many international acts as it does homegrown ones and notable comedians that have performed at Jongleurs venues include US actor and comedian Chris Rock and Canadian comic Simon B Cotter. As well as live stand up, Jongleurs also holds various Q & A evenings with established allowing audiences a unique evening with their favorite comedians.

Jongleurs

The Boardwalk, Clacton-On-Sea

Essex, CO15

Tel: 08700 111 960

www.jongleurs.com

Polymer Clay Approaches For Art Dolls

Polymer Clay Techniques for Art Dolls

Polymer clay is especially well-suited for creating hand-sculpted art dolls. Unlike natural clay, polymer clay is a man-made substance that contains polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. Since polymer clay cures at low temperatures, artists can bake the clay in a standard home oven at 275 degrees. Some polymer clay products are designed specifically for sculpting art dolls. Artists who master sculpting, painting and finishing techniques can create beautiful and distinctive hand-crafted dolls.

Conditioning the Clay

Soften and condition the polymer clay before you begin sculpting. Start with clean hands and begin to handle the clay, rolling it in the palms of your hands and kneading it with your fingertips. This action, along with the warmth of your hands, will make the clay soft and malleable. Even if the clay seems pliable enough straight from the package, handling and conditioning the clay will make the finished piece stronger. Many artists chop the clay up in a food processor or run the clay through a pasta machine as part of the conditioning process. Just be sure to use the food processor or pasta machine only for clay and not for food preparation.

Sculpting Techniques

Before you begin sculpting your polymer clay art doll, you will want to create an armature. This armature can be created by bending aluminum wire, florist's wire, pipe cleaners or even aluminum foil into a basic foundational shape. Armatures are essential because they serve as the skeleton for the finished piece. Apply the polymer clay directly to the armature to form the body, leaving the head, hands and feet until the last. Continue to build up the clay until the desired body dimensions are attained.

The head, hands and feet can be sculpted directly from a raw lump of clay or can be created using a mold. If you elect to sculpt from a lump of clay, items such as manicure sticks or large needlepoint needles make good sculpting tools. Small sculpting implements that are designed for use with polymer clay are available from art supply retailers.

If you opt to use a mold for the face, press the clay into the mold and remove. Next, attach the face to a flattened ball of clay, smoothing the clay at the seam to complete the head. It's possible to change the look and expression of a molded face by doing additional shaping and sculpting after the face and head have been attached to the body and blended with the clay that is already on the armature. Attach molded hands and feet to the armature by pressing the armature ends into to centers of the molded pieces. Blend together where the new clay meets the previously attached clay.

Be sure to keep your hands clean as you sculpt. The best way to do this is to keep a washcloth or wet wipes on hand to remove any debris that could stick to the clay. Use isopropyl alcohol to smooth the surface of the clay if desired.

Curing and Finishing

Never attempt to cure a polymer clay sculpture in the microwave. Bake the clay at 265 to 275 degrees in a conventional oven for approximately 15 minutes per 1/4 inch. A sculpture that is 1 inch at its thickest point would need to bake for about 1 hour.

Artists utilize a variety of techniques when it comes to painting and finishing art dolls. Some use acrylic craft paints while others apply liquid foundation to flesh-colored polymer clay after it has been cured. For natural looking hair, attach small sections of mohair to the head with quick drying glue.