Once you have blocked-in the primary value masses of your portrait it is time to blend and “remove” the lights with a putty eraser.

A stump is a cylindrical devise tapered at the ends and usually made of rolled paper.

Stumping then is to blotch or blend your hatchings with a stump. The intent of blendingis to produce gradations and halftones and to give certain value regions a softer appearance.

Blending can be done in different ways. You can utilize tissue paper or even your fingers or both. When using your fingers be sure to clean off any oily deposits with a tissue.

Stumping must be done in a painterly manner. You should figuratively cut out the form while invoking both the structural anatomy and the plane changes. As you work name each anatomical facet. This is especially true when you work on complex structures such as the nose and the eyes.

In a similar manner you can utilize your kneaded eraser to “take out” graphite to lighten certainareas. Again, go about it in a painterly fashion. Make use of the putty eraser as if it is a brush.

Now and again you may want to make use of the concept of “finality”. Your mind has a propensity to fill in the gaps in your observations. That is, the mind has a need for “finality”. You can make judicious use of this propensity and leave certain parts of your portrait unfinished. It adds interest to your drawing as the viewer’s mind will unconsciously finalize the portrait for you.

After you have done lots of blending and removing graphite with your putty eraser it is time to further express the forms and planes by hatching with a harder pencil (e.g., a 2H pencil). However, there are a number of things to look out for at this point.

Be careful not to leave the light side of the skull too darkly or it will look like a contusion. The smile-line is also tricky. If you over-stress it you will end up with a sneer. It is best to under-stress it and let the viewer’s sense of closure finish it for you.

An critical consideration must be made when drawing from a photograph. A photograph should only be suggestive material. That means visual decisions must be made. For example:

- What type of emotional reaction are you after? When people view your portrait what type of initial gut reaction do you want them to have to your sketch. Good skill is certainly necessary. But it will count for nothing if it is frosty cold and dry.

- Make choices. You should not draw every small facet but only the critical ones. Use your artistic judgement to make these choices.

A hard 4H pencil can be used to make the already dark regions even darker with hatching.

Careful attention needs to be paid to the edges of the forms in your sketch. For instance, as a sketch turns away from the light source its value increasingly gets darker and takes on a soft edge.

A cast shadow has a hard edge. The shape of a cast shadow is determined by the shape of the object casting the shadow and the shape upon which it is being cast.

Terminate the sketch by paying attention to the critical details. You also want to further tweak and stabilize the constructed values. Your sketch must always read as a unified entity even though you decide not to bring it to a high finish.

These few easy guidelines will set you on the correct path. Apply them properly and soon your pencil portraits will look a lot better.

Do you want to learn the secrets of pencil portrait drawing? Download my brand new free pencil portrait drawing tutorial here: portrait drawing tutorial.

Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and skilled drawing teacher. See his work at pencil portraits.

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DNA paternity testing of related potential fathers is not uncommon, although paternity in such cases is more difficult to prove beyond doubt. It is frequently possible if the relationship is known prior to testing, though in some such cases other evidence is generally required before paternity can be legally ascertained.

While positive DNA tests can be accepted as positive evidence of paternity in the vast majority of cases due the statistical improbability of potential fathers having the same DNA profiles, the situation is complicated if the possible fathers are related. It isn’t uncommon for brothers to be involved in a parentage dispute, or even for the mother to have the DNA test carried out privately to determine which is the father of her child.

In normal paternity disputes, whether or not DNA profiling is acceptable as the sole evidence depends upon the circumstances of the case, and it is generally wise to be able to prove the likelihood, or even just the possibility, of the mother and the possible father coming into contact with one another. In Islamic law a paternity test is not sufficient, and other evidence, preferably that of witnesses, is necessary.

The Legal Aspects

Where DNA paternity testing is to be used in evidence, courts will generally insist on a legal paternity test where the collection of the sampling is carried out by an authorized professional and the identity of the subject legally determined. Home DNA testing, or DNA tests on samples presented by the subject, is not admissible as evidence. The probability of paternity accepted as definitive proof varies from state to state, although a probability of 99% would seem reasonable where there is no doubt as to the source of the sample, and where no complications such as rape are involved.

The fact that parentage has been discounted in 99 men in 100 is a more positive identification of the father where there are limited possibilities than were the father potentially any individual in the general population such as occurs with rape. In that case a probability of 99.9% or higher would be more definite, together with additional proof of the likelihood of the suspect being in the vicinity.

Such probability is determined largely by the accuracy of the test that depends upon both the way it is carried out and the number of DNA indicators used (a good average would be 16), and is frequently as high as 99.99% or more. It also depends on whether the sample of the Mother is included in the testing or not, as this will help to obtain a much higher level of probability.

Common DNA between Family Members

DNA tests on related potential fathers are no different from those carried out on any other subject: it is the results that could potentially create problems. Take the case of first cousins: they share 12.5% of their DNA and so it will be more difficult to prove parentage. This sharing of DNA increases to 25% for uncles, nephews and half-brothers, and to 50% for sons, fathers and brothers of the person being tested.

DNA paternity testing on different members of the same family is not an uncommon situation, and can occur for a number of reasons, including:

a) Parentage of pregnancies arising from consensual and non-consensual relationships, although the former is by far the more common of the two.
b) Two family members each claiming parentage, whether or not the mother is claiming one or neither to be the father.
c) A brother desiring confirmation that he is the parent.
d) The mother, or potential mother, having a private test to assure herself as to who is the father.
e) A grown child confirming parentage, particularly where an inheritance could be involved.

There are others, but these are common reasons for legal and home DNA tests being carried out where potential fathers could be related. Standard DNA paternity testing statistics are based upon unrelated members of the public, and unless the laboratory carrying out the DNA testing has been informed of the relationship, the test results could be misinterpreted.

The Case of Identical Twins

Nevertheless, it is possible to test additional DNA markers if any of the above relationships are known, but not in one specific case. This is the case of identical twins. Normal twins occur when two eggs are fertilized by two sperm, and are no more alike genetically than were they siblings born years apart. Identical twins, however, are formed when one egg is fertilized by one sperm and then splits into two halves within the first 14 days for no known reason.

These twins share an identical genetic make-up and so their DNA is identical and indistinguishable from one another. There is no test that can determine which is the biological father of a child. Unless one is excluded for some reason, either could be the father and that is all that DNA testing can prove. The court would have to disregard DNA results and use other means to determine paternity.

Old-fashioned policing, therefore, still has a part to play where the related potential fathers are identical twins. Apart from this specific case, DNA paternity tests are not entirely foolproof since they rely on probability, but are virtually conclusive where you simply want confirmation of paternity. In such a case, a likelihood of 1 in a 1000 is a virtual certainty and where confirmation is required between a limited number of candidates, a 99.9% DNA genetic testing result is legal confirmation.

Looking for civil records or maybe you’d like to check someone’s background? Look no further.

For more family and parenting matters - read working with children blog.

If you are looking for an excellent promotional item then if it matches to your target audience, good old printed golf balls are a very good tip to be looking at. They have a broad price rangeto suit all budgets, are attractive and appeal to many recipients.

Depending on your the extent of your marketing budget, you can choose from basic, cheap branded logo golf balls to give away in mass distributiontechniques. They are an absolute giveaway item with their cheap price tag. Better still, you don’t even need to give full packets of 12 golf balls away each time. Instead, most of the packets will actually contain sleeves of 3 golf balls. Just hand these sleeves out to your recipientsas a lower alternative to a full box. It’s as simple as that.

If you have a bigger budget, then you can either move up the brand ranges or give out full boxesof 12 golf balls. Which you choose to do will depend on your advertising budget available to you and which you think will impress your recipients the mostin return. What could be better for buttering up your potential customers than handing them a box of 12, or even 15, top quality golf balls? Well, handing them those very same promotional golf balls that are printed with your logo for them to remember you by!

When they next go out to play they are likely to take your gift with themto try out and maybe show off. Especially if they have received from you a top brand promotional ball, they are likely to take them with them to an important game. When they are preparing to play they will be showing their playing partners what balls they are using and how they are marked, and the easy way to recognize their own balls will be because they have your logo printed onto themin full colour. So they will show the logo to their partners, friends or opponents to identify their own balls – viral marketing as they speak your wordfor you.

Their friends, opponents or playing partners will then want to remember these markings, which is your logo, so that later when they are helping to search for the ball they know what they are looking for and if they have found the ball. This makes promotional Nike golf balls even better - people are intentionally memorizing your brand name so that they can recognize the ball. And they will remember your brand name, and maybe they will contact you in the futurefor their own purchases.

What’s more, some of these promotional balls will become lost, even for the best of playersout there. Water hazardswill take their toll, thick undergrowth and lack of concentration all account for a good number of golf balls. Other people may then find the balls and play with them. Or maybe they will be added to a pack of lake balls and sold onto players starting out on a round. This forms even more viral marketing from your promotional golf balls!

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In this commentary we will discuss the blocking-in of large masses of tone.

Tone is generally thought of as shadow. Beginners generally first draw an outline of the shadow and then fill in the shadows little by little. They usually start with an eye and then grow out the shadows. Inevitably, the outcome is a chaos of disconnected darks and lights.

There are two different ways of viewing tone: in Western culture we see tone as shadow; in Eastern culture tone is seen as color.

Applying, or more accurately, constructing tone should be approached with a sculptural sensibility. That is, think of your sketch as a block of clay that is to be carved. Once roughly carved, you then mold the surface forms with varying intensities of tone while manipulating their edges.

A portrait drawing from life or (photo) starts with the striking of the arabesque. Two things must be accurately drawn: 1. the form of the complete head; and 2. the proportions.

Once the parts: a large light and a large dark. No more than that. At this point, do not worry about whether or not one area is darker than another. Only the major light/dark pattern counts.

Observe that squinting is a good way to more clearly see the value patterns because you are not sidetracked by details.

A good rule of thumb is to divide an area in two. For instance, if an observed dark area is not entirely uniform in value divide it in two and block-in the two slightly differing values. Before long a multifaceted yet unified array of values will appear.

From the blocking-in of the large darks you can then effortlessly draw the features. Over time you should try to remember the complete anatomy and “sense” the form three-dimensionally.

You must know your anatomy to succeed in drawing portraits even at the most basic level. Learn the anatomy in bite-size portions as you draw along. It really is the best way to learn.

A good way to draw is to toggle back and forth between line drawing and tonal drawing or hatching. Another way is to first do a complete line drawing of the subject. That is, to draw a “map” of the head that encompasses all planes and marks the boundaries of the various tonal areas. As a second phase you can then hatch-in the right values.

While you hatch be always aware of the planes of the head and the bearing of the light source.

Another skill to be acquired is the skill to cross-hatch patches in a flat and even manner. There is nothing more distracting than rough looking cross-hatching.

Lastly, take note of a strange optical phenomenon called “simultaneous disparity”. It takes place when light and dark values lie next to each other. In general, white is extroverted while black is contractive. The effect is that the white area looks larger than it is while the black area will look smaller.

In conclusion, keep the blocking-in process simple. Look for large masses first and then for the smaller ones. It is always better to sketch from the general to the specific. And, this stage, ignore the details.

Do you want to learn the secrets of pencil portrait drawing? Download my brand new free pencil portrait drawing course here: portrait drawing course.

Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert drawing teacher. See his work at graphite pencil portraits.

New age gaming art! Feel like trying? Then visit buy PlayStation 3 blog.

With the rapid advancement of solar power we are now seeing new products enter the market containing “integrated solar panels”.

For example, solar shingles. Essentially, these are ordinary roof shingles which are made out of photovoltaic materials. They perform the same function as an ordinary roof shingle, but have the added capability of producing electricity.

The advantage of these thin “solar panels” is that they can now be integrated right into one’s building materials - so instead of having solar panels on your roof, you would now have a solar roof.

Aside from being more desirable from an aesthetic standpoint, this also eliminates the need for the installation of bulky and heavy “traditional solar panels”.

How are Solar Shingles Made?

Advancements in solar power technology, such as the inventions of solar ink and other combinations of semi-conductors, have made it possible to combine or include photovoltaic materials in with a wide range of other products and materials. Solar cells no longer need to be made out of bulky heavy weight silicon panels, but can in fact be printed on just about any type of material - such as plastic, metal, and others. Researchers have even found ways to produce organic photovoltaics, though that is at the moment still in a purely experimental phase.

Benefits of Solar Shingles

- Attractive style

- Fully integrated shingle roof

- Lower electric bill

- Free electricity

- Pollution-free power

- Increased home value

- Protects the environment

- Exceptionally durable

- Great investment

- Significant state cash rebates available

- Federal tax incentives available

Costs and Financing

To be honest, right at this moment solar shingles might still seem expensive to some, but as any new technology develops its products become cheaper with time. However it does look as though the cost will be considerably lower than installing a comparable set of conventional solar panels. In one recent example, the entire cost of a solar shingle installation on a home was about $16,000, with a $12,000 tax rebate. This brought the entire cost to only $4000. Not only is that considerably lower than the usual cost involved in installing a home solar power system, but one has to keep in mind that the cost of tiling or shingling a roof is covered at the same time. These are, after all, shingles as well as solar panels.

Clean energy cash incentives and tax rebates are available at a federal level, and most states also have a clean energy or sustainable energy source rebate program. This, combined with energy savings, does make them affordable, and will in most cases pay for itself over time.

You can find more information about solar power at Solar Power and you can find a variety of solar power products at our Solar Power Store.

The majority of families find that when they have a great kitchen, they get a lot more enjoyment from the time they spend there preparing meals and interacting together. Kitchen renovations have proven to be beneficial not only to enhance the family’s enjoyment, but also to increase the overall value of the house. While there are many types of upgrades that can be done through a kitchen renovation, new kitchen countertops are a great way to enhance productivity and create that extra value when it comes time to sell the house.

Its not unusual that when you go looking for that ultimate kitchen idea in the local kitchen shops or going through the plethora of home makeover magazines that the conjure up the ultimate dream kitchen with scant regard to cost. Everything simply must be the best from the cabinets and fittings to the appliances and worktops.

These days, there is a great variety in the kinds of materials that are popular for today’s kitchen countertops and the choice of material will have a significant impact on the cost of doing such a project. It is best to do research into the various materials and the benefits and downsides of each, if preparing for a kitchen renovation that includes a new countertop.

There are kitchen worktops for kitchens that can set a homeowner back tens of thousands of dollars for the highest grade and best materials available. These high end materials are often used in the gourmet kitchens of the finest homes that are being built or remodeled today. At the same time, there are many very fine worktop materials that can do the job just fine and yet are extremely affordable, attractive and durable such as the Duropal Worktops range.

Most people who picture the ultimate kitchens of today’s stylish homes will immediately expect to see stone countertops. Often, custom kitchen cabinets in upscale home are topped off with kitchen cabinets granite slabs or even marble. Granite is a popular choice because it is available in quite large slabs to cover large areas with minimal seams.

Many people prefer granite countertops because they are not only stylish, but they also have a timeless quality to them that will outlast many of the trends that come and go in kitchen design. At the same time, granite is very durable, as well as being easy to clean. There are many different grades of granite, so there are often great options even for those on tighter budgets.

Many who are looking for a unique look for their kitchen countertop turn to other types of stone, which are not as common but still look great and wear well. Two of these alternative stones are slate and soapstone. While these materials are not as hard as granite, they are also less porous, which means they can chip fairly easily and are prone to scratching.

In many gourmet kitchens, especially those of professional chefs, you will notice kitchen countertops made of marble, which is an excellent surface for pastry rolling. If stone countertops are out of your budget, then there is always the option of the laminates and Formica, which can be very inexpensive and still provide an attractive surface for your kitchen work area.

Of course the ultimate kitchen will simply not look its best without a good floor and laminate flooring is a cost effective and stylish way to save money and have a great looking floor if much of your budget goes on cabinets and worktops.

A pencil portrait sketch from life starts with the “striking” of the arabesque. Striking the arabesque means drawing the outer contour of the skull with the proper proportions, form, and theaccurate symmetry.

Once you have drawn a reasonably accurate arabesque it is time to establish the main landmarks of the skull. That means that we will correctly establish the most important places of the skull. These places will then be used as references for mapping out the rest of the skull features.

Here is something that may aid you with this task: work with your eyes somewhat out-of-focus. This is called looking with a “soft eye”. Somehow this makes it easier to correctly resolve forms and sizes. It also aids you with suppressing the preconceived notions we all have of certain entities.

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

* The Brow Ridge - is the first critical landmark. To place the brow ridge you must first take your best estimate at where you think it is and only then check it by sighting.

Note that to train your eyes it is better to first estimate distances, angles, etc. and verify them second. There is nothing to gain from pre- sizing.

Sighting means to use your pencil with fixed arm and marking distances along the pencil with your thumb and index finger and an eye closed.

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

Now hoist your pencil so that your thumb is on your point on the brow ridge and make note of where your pencil point is. It should be a small distance above the top of the skull. Mark on your sketch where you can best place that point above the skull. This point is called the “check-point”.

Remember that whenever there is a choice, you should always size the smallest distance because doing so tends to be more correct.

Your point on the brow ridge should, if it was placed correctly, be precisely halfway between the bottom of the chin and your check-point. If it is not – then change the placement of your brow ridge.

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

* Top Nose Bone - Since we have already situated the brow ridge we now only have to guess a short measure to fix the top of the nasal bone. If you placed the hinge of the jaw correctly, it should equal the measure from the bottom of the chin to the nasal bone. If you are off a bit, then correct the placement of the hinge of the jaw. Again, assume that the shortest length estimated is the correct one.

Now that these primary landmarks are situated you can continue drawing the arabesque. I find it best to further resolve only the back, less, part of the skull at this early time.

* Facial Angle - Lastly, you have to establish the facial angle which is the center line of the face. Draw a slightly bending line from the middle of the mental tubercle up to the center of the brow ridge.

The placement of the facial angle is very critical. You have to feel your way through this as there is no way to correctly measure it.

Once the facial angle is situated continue drawing the arabesque carefully observing the form of the mouth region, the forehead, and all other features that are articulated in the form of the arabesque.

With this, we have situated all the essential landmarks that will aid us with the mapping of the rest of the features such as the nose and teeth.

Do you want to learn the secrets of pencil portrait drawing? Download my brand new free pencil portrait drawing tutorial here: portrait drawing course.

Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert drawing teacher. See his work at graphite pencil portraits.

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In these bad economic times more and more people are asking themselves ‘How do I make money online from home?’ Type this phrase into Google and you will be confronted with millions of pages of advice, guidance and sales pitches for get rich quick schemes.

There are many different ways to start a online business using the Internet and it can be difficult to decide which is the best way for you to start a internet business. There are so many people out there who will be glad to take your money to show you how to make money online. The fact is that just like in real life, overnight success is very rare. Success is built over time by using effective techniques and learning from experience.

There are many different options available for anyone starting to work online from home. You could simply freelance your own professional expertise, or you can produce and sell your own products. There are a wide variety of paid to opportunities, where you are paid to read emails or complete online surveys, although for many the income from these can be very disappointing. There are a number of multi level marketing programs that allow you to grow your regular income over time by recruiting others. Affiliate marketers can find almost any product or service which they can promote to earn commissions. Many concentrate on areas which they are personally interested in and are successful because they produce websites or blogs that are authoritative and interesting which attract large numbers of visitors that go on to buy the featured products or services..

However it is possible for anyone to be a successful affiliate marketer promoting virtually any products or services. By using tried and tested techniques which are simple, yet effective, you can build a portfolio of money making websites or blogs that go on making you money month after month.

Working online from home has obvious benefits. You can choose your own hours, start up costs are very low, (it can even be done with zero investment) and you don’t have to face the daily commute. All this can mean a more leisurely lifestyle and more rewarding home life. You can start part time and go on to earn a full time income – or even more. As your business grows you can outsource much of the work to freelancers and further expand your business.

At the end of the day though, success is ultimately up to you. If you start a offline business like a restaurant, it will probably fail (90% of all offline businesses fail). This is just as true with Internet business. Part of the reason is that once you go online, you will be confronted by lots of offers of money making programs which constantly divert your attention and make you change direction. This means nothing gets properly finished and therefore doesn’t work. Whatever you choose to do – make sure that your stay focused, especially in the early days – so that your efforts are given the proper chance to succeed.

One of the biggest reasons online businesses fail is because they don’t get the type of website traffic they need to succeed. There is a program out there called “Flight Search Engine Submission Service” They can help you get your site listed in the search engines, and you can find them on any search engine if you just do a search for them.

For more useful information about website traffic - please visit this site.