Belly buttons have been a source of fascination and wonder since ancient times. Used to be a belly button was a place to gather jam and a things for swamis to contemplate but then came 1953 and the sexy invention of the bikini It seems that ever since that sexy innovation arrived showed up , a woman's belly button has beenshown to varying degrees with much pleasure .

Of course, wearing body jewelry, of different varieties has been happening since early times , but the pierced belly button and peace sign belly ring is a relatively new thing . Historically, the first peace sign belly ring was worn by super-model Christy Turlington on a London catwalk in the 1960s. Naomi Campbell showed off her peace sign belly ring a few years later. Since then, peace belly rings have become almost ever-present , showing up on celebrities from Janet Jackson to Madonna and many, many more . Today, getting a peace sign belly ring is no large , and it seems almost every teen lady has one. One of the main benefits of a body jewelry, (besides looking sexy) is it can be covered under clothing. Show up at Grandma's house with a eyebrow ring , or other facial body jewelry, and you are bound to have some explaining to do. She doesn't have to knowabout your peace sign belly ring, does she?

So you've decided to get a peace sign belly ring? Before you do, be sure to know all about after care, and have the cleaning supplies you will need ready at your home . Here's what you'll need to keep you and your body jewellery sterile and healthy:

* Non-iodized Sea Salt
* Sterile (bottled) water
* Cotton Balls
* Mild, Fragrance-free Liquid Soap

Wash your newly-pierced belly button and peace sign belly ring in the shower with just a drop of fragrance-free liquid soap anddab dry with a clean towel. Soap no more than twice a day. In between bathing use a simple saline soak created with 1/4 teaspoon non-iodized sea salt dissolved in eight ounces sterile water. Clean for any reason, even cleaning it. To soak your belly button hold the saline solution in a small glass and press it over your piercing and against your belly to form a vacuum, a shot glass works great for this!. Hold in place for ten to fifteen minutes. Do thismany times a day for best results and fast healing.

Even if your piercing looks healthy , continue this process for at least three months. The thing is, a navelpiercing heals from the outside, in, and although it may appear healthy from your vantage point, it may still beun-healed on the inside. Wear loose-fitting clothes that put little pressure on your new peace sign belly ring, as well.

Wonder what's expected with a new peace sign belly ring? Well, for one thing it will be a little sore . It could possibly be red and maybe a little bit swollen, too. You may notice a clearish, white to yellow liquid being secreted from the piercing called sebum-- this may sound gross, but if you do have this discharge, smell it. Normal sebum are odorless, but if it's pus, which indicates an infection. The secretion will smell rather bad and you may require medical attention and antibiotics to deal with it.

Never, take your body jewelry, out until you're certain the piercing is one-hundred percent healed. Once it is completely healed, enjoy your piercing and all the cool styles of peace sign belly button rings you can dangle from your new, sexy navel.

Have you ever had a favorite celebrity or a favorite sports athlete that you love to obsess over? Have you ever collected anything that had ever had their signature on it or remotely anything to do with them? If so you may be one of the few American collectors. We often meet different people who love a certain celebrity such as Orlando Bloom or Tom Brady. In such cases a modern and attractive display cases are sometimes extremely fashionable to have and display in your home. When the house is full of guests or even when you are just simply admiring, it is very nice to see your accomplishing collection set through the shiny walls of a protective glass exterior, symbolizing your love for a celebrity.

Orlando Bloom is featured in many different movies. Most recently, he starred in the extraordinary movie, “The Pirates of the Caribbean”. Following this intriguing film was its sequel and a mind-blowing third edition to the set, which was outrageously entertaining. I have a very funny friend who is literally obsessed with Orlando Bloom and honestly keeps collective items that explain her obsession in every way. She has everything from his collectable DVD’s to photographs with his name signed on them, which she bought off of the internet, and even a special edition cup with his “Pirates of the Caribbean” character imprinted on the front of it.

The beautiful glass case that my special friend owns is always shiny and everything in it looks so much more special because they are in it. The case is pretty big and it sits on her dresser with all of her collectibles standing inside. I am thinking that by the next time I see that glass case; it will even have creepy Orlando Bloom action figures in it. She even gets pretty upset if remove the glass case top because she is afraid that dust will get on the collectable items. I think that she has spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on the items, but to her they are worth millions of dollars.

If you have a favorite collectable item like golf balls or football jerseys it is very important that you keep your favorite items in mint condition. When you love something that much you really do have to keep impeccable care of it. I own a specific collection of books by my favorite author that I keep on a special bookcase. Because they are the most special books, they mean a lot to me and I hope to keep them in a good condition for anyone in my future family that may want to enjoy them.

A collection is a great thing to have and if you can collect something that you love then you should always try to do it. You never know, your collection could possibly be worth a lot and if you decide to change your favorite sport or celebrity, or even choose a new one, websites are almost always welcoming new collectors. For buying or selling you will almost always be in luck.

When the skin's dermis layer has ink injected into it to create a tattoo, it can be removed by taking out a large amount of it. Prior to this time, this was done through surgical operations but people didn't really accept them due to their unpleasant nature.

A lot of changes have occurred in tattoo removal due to technological adjustments over the years. Because of these developments, you can avoid the extreme distress that used to be a part of the tattoo removal procedure. By using lasers, tattoos can be removed by physicians. Chopper Tattoo is a great place for all your tattoo needs.

In spite of the fact that it is still expensive, it doesn't require so much pain anymore to remove unwanted tattoos. There are many who can't withstand the pain which the former surgeries involved; and this laser removal will be perfect for such people.

Unlike the surgeries performed in the past, the laser method can remove your tattoos without the complications that can occur. It is really a plus for laser removal that you don't have to become an in-patient during the procedure.

In some cases, the medical professional will achieve better results if he gives an anesthetic on the portion of the skin he will be working on. There is a need to do your tattoo removal at a place where you are positive that they are capable of doing it properly.

As a contemporary artist I only know too well that oil paintings always require varnishing. Firstly they need protection.

Once varnished the painting has a tough layer over the paint, so it is easier to handle as it can then be cleaned. If the painting is left unvarnished it may easily get damaged. As the painting dries out the oil paint tends to get duller and gives a matt finish. However, you must not varnish until the paint is completely dry and this can take a considerable amount of time.

I think sometimes you would probably need to clean it first. Ordinary liquid detergent should be quite alright to do this. Using only a very small amount diluted with cold water to cover the surface of the picture, rubbing it very softly with a soft soaked piece of rag. Then maybe do the same with clean water, so there is no residue of the detergent used. It then needs to be left to dry thoroughly in a warm atmosphere.

Personally I would say it is better to do your varnishing somewhere that has a good dry atmosphere with warmth. If the atmosphere is moist, the varnish often may appear to go into patches of white, which I personally find infuriating.

Now it is possible to get good spray varnishes which dry fairly quickly. A contemporary painter would probably prefer to apply varnish with a brush. Probably a fairly wide, soft brush is best. I would say though that it is better if the varnish, brush and painting have been near heat so there is no damp. Put the painting on a flat surface. I pour some varnish into an old tin lid and then very carefully and gently brush on.

It is tempting to go backwards and forwards and overbrush - not so good - as the varnish tends to create bubbles. Easier if you have a small painting, because you can go straight across from one side to the other. You have to endeavour to get as even and as thin a coat as you can. Tendency is to overvarnish, giving a thick layer and an annoying glossy finish.

If your painting is large it is somewhat easier to divide it into square sections and work laboriously on one section at a time. Once you have applied the varnish do try not to disturb it.

Then you need to find a place to put the picture where, while you are working on it, you can see where the light shows on the varnish. This way it will enable you to see any areas that you may have inadvertently missed.

Your picture then needs to be in a hopefully dust free area if possible, with the face side up.
Then you may find that you need to retouch your varnish. It goes without saying that for this you need a thinned down varnish, especially where you may have what appears to be dull parts. Just be careful not to use too much, but it is quite alright to use it on top of half dry paint.

It is fairly usual to think the painting looks dull as it is drying - this is often the result of overpainting layers.

This article was written by Anna Meenaghan of http://annameenaghanart.com

For the how to tattoo info - visit this blog.

Rendering hair is dictated by several factors: the type of hair, its color, texture, amount, the arrangement and styling of the hair, the personality and mood of the sitter or the photo, and the light effect upon the hair.

The contour of the hair is part of the overall arabesque. A correct arabesque is significant to the likeness of the hair. Many beginning artists begin with the face and grow outward from there. This is however a poor approach and instills bad habits that will prove hard to overcome.

In fact, the arabesque is especially significant when draw a coiffure. Attempting to draw the hair working from the inside out, piece by piece, is a recipe for disaster. The hair will result in being either too small for the skull or too large.

Drawing within the arabesque of the hairdo, first put in the main darks. These darks are best seen by squinting until a general pattern of light and dark is seen.

Next, you need to blend the graphite in a sculpturally manner following the general gesture and movement of the hairdo. For this you can use your fingers, a tissue, or a paper stump. If you use a paper stump be careful not to dull the look. If you use your fingers make sure they are dry and also wipe them constantly with a paper towel.

Then, use your kneaded eraser like a loaded paint brush to pick out the important lights. Do not be overly picky here. A more bravura approach creates a sense of life and rhythm into the hairdo. If you make an error just blend the graphite again with your fingers or stump and do it again.

Occasionally when you block-in the hairdo other light parts of the skull pop out. This is one reason why working the skull as a whole is necessary.

French braiding is a stunning hairdo style, but extremely complicated and hard to sketch. The intent is to draw these French braids fluidly and with movement. A balancing act is required here: the intricacy of the hairdo’s styling is best handled by first line-rendering the main locks and braids. As you lay out the braids make certain to plumb and carefully measure and place each important lock and braid.

When working from a photo there is the pull to duplicate it down to the smallest detail. You may or may not give in to this pull but you should always make sure that the hairdo keeps its liveliness. However, in most cases, you will not need to map out every detail.

Further block-in the darks paying attention to the direction and gesture of the important locks of the hairdo. The most difficult thing is to refrain from plunging into an area of detail. Not to do this requires mental discipline. Best is to follow a layered approach that progressively stacks the arrangement of the hairdo, lock by lock.

You also should smooth the edges of the hairdo line so that it blends into the forehead and sides of the face. Hair does this naturally.

Make sure you used sharp pencils because dull pencils lead to dull, dead hair.

Having first mapped out and blocked-in the important locks of hair makes the rendering of the finer regions much easier, but is still labor intensive. You should be prepared to spend quite a bit of time on a hairdo.

Also, keep stepping back from the drawing to maintain an overview of the chief light/dark pattern because detailing can result in a flat chaos in which the tones close in on each other.

Restrain yourself from rendering bangs too soon in the process. This helps ensure that the hairdo and flesh can be unified into a coherent sense of spirit.

Rendering hair so that it reads naturally and has a rhythmic gesture is difficult. Generally it takes as much time and effort to render the hairdo as it does the face and neck. You must spend as much care in prepping the hairdo as you would for the remainderof the portrait. If you draw from a model make sure you do the hairdo before your model takes a rest because the hairdo will very likely have changed when the break is over. The idea, then, is to devote a whole 20 to 30 minutes of a pose segment to the hairdo.

With these tips you can be certain that in time your sketched hair will look real and lively. Do not forget that rendering hairdo takes time so that you do not get impatient.

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

Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and practiced sketching teacher. See his work at graphite pencil portraits by Remi.

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To generate interesting fluid portraits that radiate life you must appreciate the effect of the spine on the head and shoulders.

To realize a relaxed feeling in your portraits quite often you will need to draw the head tilted. Most people when they are at ease will pose with their head slightly tilted. In this article we will point out what to look for and how to tackle the tilted head.

In the tilted head pose the model will show a clear change of direction from the action of the torso to the tilt of the head. Also take note of where the shoulders are. The model's shoulders will almost be aligned with the bottom of the nose.

With this information in mind, the first step is to measure the angle of the head's tilt (from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head) before drawing the construct. To do this hold up your pencil (or a knitting needle) at arm's length, looking through one eye, and adjust the angle of the held pencil so that it corresponds to the angle of the tilt. Keeping your arm straight and locked you can now transpose this angle onto the drawing.

Now that the angle of the tilt is established you can strike the construct and validate the height/width proportion.

The axis of the features is perpendicular to the slanted facial angle. A common tendency while rendering is to straighten out the features so that they are horizontal to the paper. Be on the lookout for this and ever on-guard because this tendency is delicate and is constantly trying to sneak into the drawing.

It is not a recommended practice to locate all of the features at this stage. It is actually more accurate to first fix the brow line and the bottom of the nose and work from there.

When the head is slanted you should also be aware of the effect that gravity has on the face. The flesh, especially on the underside of the jaw, will be somewhat pulled down. This effect is quite fine but for those of you who are expert portraitists you should catch this in your initial construct. If you are a novice just file this information away for future reference.

Take note, also, of the neck. The relevant visible neck muscle is stretched out. Its companion is compressed. This opposing muscle action is referred to as abduction/adduction. This action of the neck always renders a beautiful effect.

Once the construct is placed and you are satisfied with its accuracy relative to proportion and form you can sketch in the features and block-in the prime big darks and lights. Keep the value simple. The more complicated the lighting arrangement, the more this applies.

The tonal arrangements are worked further, but are still a bit crude and unresolved. The prime concern is the overall light effect.

There are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare to finish the drawing:

1. Ask yourself how far you want to carry the drawing. You can get a good effect if you give the shoulders and upper torso an unfinished quality. Remember, sketches are not meant to resemble photographs.

2. As you gain a better understanding of the facial structure the tendency exists to draw what you know rather than what is actually there. So make sure you always pause to observe the life model or the model in the photograph.

In conclusion, the slanted head pose is special in that the features will be centered on a slanted axis and that the stress in the shoulders will be different from one side to the other. Also the transition from the torso and shoulders to the head should be carefully inspected.

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 skilled drawing teacher. See his work at graphite pencil portraits.

For the old art of tattoo and how to tattoo info, feel welcome to visit this blog.

Posing your subject surrounded by a number of props can add much attention, dimension, and appeal to a portrait and goes a long way to describing your subject. A prop can add appreciably to the composition of the portrait.

Rendering a portrait with a prop, such as a table or even ear muffs, obliges you to above all pay heed to the construct.

Quite often the beginning draftsperson will be tempted to approach a prop as a separate element or an afterthought so that rather than complimenting and merging in a supporting role with the subject's face, it looks artificial and overwhelms the subject or is incorrectly sized or drawn.

In this commentary you will learn the expert approach to drawing a prop element that frames the center of interest even with a prop element that is bigger than the face.

First, the presence of a prop does not change the approach to drawing the pencil portrait. As with drawing any other portrait, you should utilize all your usual fundamental skills and apply them throughout the normal processes of your drawing effort.

So as always, you start with the arabesque which in the case where the skull and the prop element overlap will be a "construct" which is a complete arabesque that encompasses not only the shape and proportions of the skull but also of the outline of the prop element where it overlaps with the skull.

In the context of the presence of a prop element that overlaps with the skull, the construct becomes of crucial importance. It helps a lot with the maintenance of cohesion. If you do not draw from the reference of a construct, the skull and the prop will appear as separate structures.

While you work through the subsequent stages of your portrait drawing (proportions, landmarks, blocking-in, stumping, etc.) you should continually be aware of the fact that your prop element should not overwhelm the face of your subject.

The face of your subject should remain the primary focus. Your drawing should not turn into a still life of your prop element that also happens to show a person's face in the background.

One trick that can help you with understating of the prop element is to only draw the merest of details inside the prop element. Another one is to soften the values of the prop element but only if it this appropriate in the context of the overall intent of your drawing.

Again, we cannot stress enough the importance of maintaining the cohesion between your subject and the prop element. That is why it is significant that you draw from the construct which already links the subject and your prop element as one overall object. Of course, this also implies that you do the toning in a similar spirit and not overdo the lines and values that separate the subject and the prop element.

So, in conclusion, the key considerations when including props items in your drawing are to make sure that the arabesque covers the entire outline of the skull and the props items.

In addition, make sure that at all times you keep in mind that the props items should never become the focus of your drawing. If you stick to these guidelines, the utilize of props items should never become a problem for you.

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 expert drawing teacher. See his work at graphite pencil portraits by Remi.

For the tips about tattoo art and how to tattoo - visit this tattoo blog.

The rendering of kids demands freshness and directness of purpose. Unfortunately, there are not too many quick and ready rules. Let us just say that kids' portraits demand a keen and patient eye.

For those who intend to do professional portraiture the good news is that kids' portraits can be profitable. There are very few draftspersons who can capably draw kids.

Soft lighting works best for portraits of kids. The child could be looking toward a intense light source. This sort of light source will light up the child's face and produce an introspective facial appearance. The value range goes from light to medium with the eyes really dark.

Addressing the facial sizes of kids in a general sense is somewhat of a waste of time. Their facial sizes change dramatically within a time span of six month.

Suffice it to say that the younger the child is the smaller the face in relation to the skull. The eyes also appear larger although this can be deceiving. A child’s nose can be very difficult to draw – there is nothing really to hold onto. And the mouth is extremely subtle and sensitive not to mention its constant motion if you draw from life.

If you do want to enumerate some general sizes you can say that whereas an adult face is about 1/2 the size of the frontal skull side, a child's face is about 1/3 of that size. Also, note how little an infant's neck is compared to the size of the skull.

At its widest segment, a baby's face is about five eye widths wide. The width between the eyes is a tiny bit more than the width of an eye. Both the mouth and the nose are approximately the width of an eye. Again, we must emphasize that these sizes are only a general rule and individual face sizes can vary. The above general rules can be utilized for comparison purposes when you do your own careful observations of a particular face.

As always, start your drawing by striking the arabesque and then correcting the height/width proportions as necessary.

After establishing the primary facial proportions (i.e., the brow, nose, mouth, etc.) block-in the major light/dark patterns. Then, stump down the graphite using your fingers or a stump. To render and re-shape the lights utilize a clean kneaded eraser.

Now the features are carefully placed, measured and partially sketched. There are two points to remember here:

1. Your pencils must be very sharp, and

2. At this point, you should never fully finish a feature. Sketch each feature no more than 50%.

As soon as the features are sized and established as best you can, you can now further develop them. Do not neglect the hair and sides of the face. Everything should be brought up together. As you continue to draw you should always be on the lookout for errors in sizes and value.

In conclusion, the fundamental procedures utilized to draw a child's portrait are of course always the same. Above, we listed most of the differences in size and shape between an adult skull and that of a child. Your frame of mind when rendering a child should be one that reflects the innocence and the softness of a child.

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

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

For the art of tattoos and how to tattoo information, please visit this blog.

Eliminating blinking from photographs has always been a huge challenge for photographers. And as far as frustrations go, we can also add looking in the wrong direction, sneezing, and last-second movements to the list.

So when I ran across the Blink Eradication System, I HAD TO EXAMINE IT. I won't keep you in suspense until the end of this review...

It Works, at a 4.5 Out of 5.0 Level!

What's Their Approach?

I was ready to hollar "waste of time," thinking that the Blink Eradication System would consist of the usual... "make sure you count to 3 so they know when you're taking the shot" type of "wisdom."

Instead, they use a logical 2-Phase Approach that addresses every possibility:

1. Practical information for "Minimizing" blinking before taking the picture (They actually say Minimize not Eliminate, which gained credibility points, since eliminating it is impossible.)

2. A software tool that easily eliminates blinking afterward, if any blinking made it through

What Does the Blink Eradication System Do and How Well Does It Work?

For the "Minimizing" phase, it works pretty well. They begin with a scientific conclusion:

"For groups smaller than 20, divide the number of people by three if there’s good light and two if the light’s bad. That’s how many shots you need to
take."

Then, they address considerable information on how to minimize blinking BEFORE taking the photo. Categories include equipment set up, preparing the environment and subjects, and even some posing tips. I give this phase a 4 out of 5.

For the 2nd phase, they knock it out of the park! The software worked flawlessly during the 9 times I used it. Even though they didn't write the program, they were very upfront about all aspects of it.

Two animated tutorials are provided that eliminate the need of reading Help files. This phase gets a 5 out of 5.

Conclusion

Does it Work as Described?
Yes, and quite well, with an overall score of 4.5 out of 5.0.

Are There Any Drawbacks?
Note that I can find drawbacks to anything. With that said, the only point to be aware of is the software only operates on PCs that use the Windows XP operating system.

Given the state of Vista, that may not be an issue anymore. If you do use Vista, and would still like to use the software, they provide several ideas for workarounds. The simplest one is maintaining 2 operating systems on your PC (sounds very scary, but after using their software, you just might be tempted).

Does The Value Justify The Cost?
If you take nothing but landscape photographs, the answer is "no." But if you take pictures of people, especially groups of 2 or more; the answer is a definite "yes."

For what you're getting, the Blink Eradication System is a bargain. In addition to what I've mentioned, they throw in a clever way to remember everything required prior to taking any pictures -- two "Cheat Sheets;" one for Indoor, and one for Outdoors. Anyone who doesn't have a photographic memory will find these helpful.

And, as is the custom of online digital offers, they provide a few bonuses to sweeten the deal. Their 5 bonuses actually provide some value. Plus, they stand behind the Blink Eradication System with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Final Conclusion
Imagine I'm shouting: major photographic breakthrough! The Blink Eradication System is a product that I wish I had 10 years ago. At what they're charging, all I can say is better late than never.