Last year I set up a list of 14 things I hoped to accomplish during 2010. I managed to check off 12 of them which isn't bad considering I usually only get halfway through any to-do lists of mine... Anyway, I'm starting this year with a similar list, though somewhat shorter and perhaps less specific...
Practice areas:
- Landscapes (not just as backgrounds)
- Shadows, particularly cast shadows - status: ongoing
- Using light more efficiently for both compositions and especially mood
- Continued practice on hands, feet and faces... - status: ongoing (hey, I painted three wrinkly old ladies! that's facial practice for ya)
- More practice on architecture, cityscapes and such...
Specific goals:
- To paint at least one picture with a prehistoric theme
- To paint at least one male and one female face each of asian and african people, as practice or in finished pieces... (to avoid the usual caucasian default...) - status: one down, three to go.
- To paint or draw at least one illustration for a book I've read
- To make at least one picture for my own pleasure and not related to any challenges or similar
- To make at least one picture that is "natural" rather than fantasy, e.g. landscape, real life animal or similar... (not prehistoric though!)
We'll see how I do this year. I originally intended goals such as "at least three illustrations of books I've read", but I chickened out 
For the moment, I ought to finish my dragon hatchling from last year, which wasn't quite as polished as I'd like by the end of the challenge, and finish my Athena speed-portrait that I did just before Christmas. It wasn't all that great, I'll have to see if some rimlights or something can save it... Also just before christmas I started some images for my pet lookups and such at Neopets, which I guess I should work on too. I got a little over-ambitious there, I think. But on the other hand it's fun to paint in a completely different style once in a while...
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