Wrapping up 2012

-By Dan dos Santos

'Christmas Rush' by Norman Rockwell

Well, 2012 is just about gone, and it's been a rather good year for Muddy Colors.



I'm proud to say that over the course of this year's 366 days, we will have posted 376 times!

This, of course, wouldn't be possible without the efforts of our wonderful, tireless, and surprisingly handsome, group of contributors...  not to mention a lot of guest contributors as well.



In the few short years this blog has been around, I feel like we've shared a lot.  So, in case you joined us late, or maybe you just forgot...  Here's a look at a few notable posts from 2012!



Greg Manchess' '10 Things' lists:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/10/10-thingsapplying-paint.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/10/10-thingsabout-talent.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/10/10-thingsabout-generating-paintings.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/08/10-thingsabout-planning-pictures.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/07/10-things-i-rememberabout-tracing.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/06/10-things-i-rememberabout-portfolios.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/05/10-things-i-rememberabout.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/04/10-thingsi-remember-about-planning.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/03/10-things-to-remember-about-training.html



Some useful information on Studio Safety:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/02/studio-safety-pt-1-ventilation.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/02/studio-safety-pt-2-facts-about.html



A few Composition Basics:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/08/composition-basics-implied-line.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/08/composition-basics-value-structure.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/08/composition-basics-temperature-structure.html



How to Build a Free Website in 10 minutes:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-make-free-website-in-less-than.html



How to Promote Yourself on the Internet:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/05/promoting-yourself-on-internet.html



A look back at the work of Moebius:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-moebius.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/08/moebius-drawing.html



Appreciating Norman Rockwell:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/01/appreciating-rockwell.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/01/appreciating-rockwell-pt-2.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/01/appreciating-rockwell-pt-3.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/01/appreciating-rockwell-pt-4.html



Donato breaks down Color Relativity:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/01/mud-of-frodo.html



Paolo Rivera joins the blog with a bang:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/07/painting-x-men.html



Serge Birault explains how he creates such convincing skin:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/08/digital-skin.html



Terryl Whitlatch shares her creature creation process:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/06/teemto-pagalies-and-other-denizens-of.html



Justin Gerard takes us through his entire process:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2011/12/forest-troll-part-i-thumbnails.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2011/12/forest-troll-part-ii-dwarf-studies.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/01/forest-troll-part-iii-troll-studies.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/01/forest-troll-part-iv-color-comp-and.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/01/forest-troll-part-v-bungling-it.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/01/forest-troll-part-vi-tight-pencil.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/01/forest-troll-part-vii-watercolor.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/01/forest-troll-digital-trickery.html



A History of Dragons by William O'Connor:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/07/history-of-dragons-in-art.html



A whole fortnight of Dragon-Themed posts starts here:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/09/enter-dragon.html



Not one, but two, amazing exhibitions of SFF art:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/06/sfal.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/05/at-edge-art-of-fantastic-exhibition.html



Some brilliant concept art from Justin Sweet:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/06/snow-white-and-huntsman.html



A fantastic interview with Maurice Sendak shortly before his death:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/01/stephen-colbert-interviews-maurice.html



Stan Prokopenko's first of many helpful instruction videos:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-draw-head-from-any-angle.html



And last but not least... A slew of amazing Guest Bloggers:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/07/interview-with-ian-mcque.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/07/guest-blogger-vanja-todoric.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/06/guest-blogger-bill-carman.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/06/guest-blogger-dragan-bibin.html

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/09/raoul-vitales-safe.html