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