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Keno is a game of pure chance! Consequently, there is little strategy, which can be employed to help increase your chances of winning. Because numbers are chosen randomly, naturally, no numbers that are drawn have any relation to those drawn previously. Although it sounds strange, if you choose five numbers on a ticket, there is no greater chance of seeing 9, 21, 35, 38, and 57 come up, than seeing 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Conclusion: Every number has the same chance of being drawn as the next.

So, although Keno differs from games like Blackjack and Poker in that the participant’s actions have very little bearing on the outcome of the game, there exist, nonetheless, a few techniques that some gamers “believe” will help. Although they cannot be correctly labeled “strategic decisions”, necessarily, the following tips and techniques are widely used and can make the game more interesting:

Play the numbers that you haven’t seen come up in recent games. The theory is that they will start coming up in order to make the long-term results for each number even out. Once again, however, the “random” nature of the game prevents this from being a certainty.

Instead of betting on the numbers that haven’t come up most often, a lot of keno players will bet on the numbers, which have come up. As much as it goes against the laws or chance and probability, there are always interesting trends and patterns when dealing with randomly drawn numbers, and these streaks can be very profitable when capitalized upon.

Pick successive numbers. Selecting pairs such as 12 and 13 or perhaps 43 and 44 would qualify as successive numbers. Although there is no proof this actually works over the long run, it does seem like many of the numbers that come out are in consecutive pairs. This is a very popular belief among many Keno players.

Use the same set of numbers consecutively. This strategy is very simple and the most common: play the same selection of numbers for a few rounds.

Remember that there is nothing ‘strategic’ about these systems, but they definitely are a bit of fun and they certainly will not harm your chances of winning.

There are two major roulette variations offered by land-based and online casinos: The American and European. Here we will take a look at American roulette – how the game has evolved, the players’ odds, and the pros and cons of spinning the wheel in an American fashion.

The American roulette wheel has gone through quite a few transformations before reaching the game we today call American Roulette – a wheel with 36 numbered slots plus two green slots for 0 and 00. In the late 19th century, for instance, the most popular form of roulette had the numbers 1 to 28 plus 0, 00, and a slot with an American eagle.

Since this roulette version only paid 27 times the wager for a bet on a single number, the house advantage was huge. About every 10th spin ended up on 0, 00 or the eagle, which resulted in the house raking in all the chips on the table. In consequence, very few players could walk away from the table with a profit in those days.

Luckily the players’ odds have improved since these early American roulette variations were developed in Louisiana and made their way up the Mississippi. The house still has an edge, of course, but in modern games it has been reduced significantly.

AMERICAN ROULETTE – PAYOUTS AND HOUSE EDGE

As mentioned, the American wheel contains 36 numbers plus a zero and a double zero (as opposed to the European wheelwhich only has one zero-slot).

There are many different possible wagers to chose from: Straight up bet (a bet on a single number), Square bet (a bet on four numbers), Red or Black, Even or Odd, just to mention a few. See complete list of roulette bets on the roulette rules page.

PAYOUTS

It’s easy to calculate the payout in American roulette. Simply use this formula: Payout = (36 – n) / n (n is the number of winning slots)
Say that you bet on red. There are 18 red slots on the wheel. (36 – 18) / 18 = 1. In other words, a red/black bet pays 1 to 1.

If you make a square bet (four numbers) the formula is (36 – 4) / 4 = 8 and you’ll get 8 to 1 on your wager.

HOUSE EDGE

From a house-advantage perspective it doesn’t matter what bet you make. The zeros are always there creating an edge for the casino (without them roulette would be a zero-sum game.) To speak in gambling terms, the expected value in roulette is always the same wherever you choose to place your chips.

In American roulette the edge is 5.26%, which means that you are mathematically expected to lose $0.053 on a $1 bet. In reality, however, you might have to play a large number of games before reaching the “long run” where the casino’s profit has stabilized at 5.26%. In a short term, players can have a good run and beat the advantage and, naturally, lose more than the expected percentage.

Also, if you play American roulette online you can always work towards a casino bonus. This reduces the house edge and gives you a greater chance of getting lucky.

The question “How to do graffiti” can be well answered by following the first basic step of any art form that is the observation. The observation of the surroundings can help you get a notion or an idea of the situation. Looking at the available piece of graffiti can also give you an idea of how to do graffiti. Once you have got the idea of how to do graffiti, you should now get to know how to draw graffiti. By trying to copy the existing graffiti you can have an idea of how to draw graffiti. When you copy graffiti you come to know about some of the basic ratios and proportions of the object. You also come to know how the perspective of object works.

Make your own impression with creativity
Once you have tried to copy a graffiti you should try to make your own variation in the graffiti this will let you understand in a better way to draw graffiti. Once you have acquired the basic skills of how to make graffiti you need to apply the skill. Try to make a graffiti that can set as your logo. Your creativity now comes into picture. You have to decide what you have to draw; the concept should be generated within your mind. You can also take graffiti tips from graffiti masters and schools.

Graffiti Tips
There are few graffiti tips that can be followed during your course of drawing graffiti. First among the graffiti tips is the use of paint cans. The graffiti is best made with the help of color spray cans that help you make graffiti on any texture and surface with minimum amount of effort and also within very short time. So get your self familiar with how to use the color spray can.

Another one graffiti tips is the order in which the graffiti making should go. First make a background for your graffiti to stand out. Make the background such that it gives a smooth finish to the graffiti. Make use of light colors such as white or Grey to make the background. Once the background is ready make use of small cap spray can to make the outline of the graffiti. The outline should be of light color and should merge well with the background. The outline is just for your convenience and not to stand out. Once the outline is over, go ahead with real painting and make the graffiti as per your thoughts.

Next is to make use of 3D effects; with the use of thin stroke of dull color you can make a three dimensional effect. To make the thin line, hold the can near the wall and make a fast stroke. This will limit the spreading of the paint and give you a sharp thin line. The colors of the graffiti are also very important and hence basic color wheel should be kept in mind while deciding the color combination.

To make your graffiti look tidy and neat, fill in all the space that is available. Do not leave gaps within your graffiti. Fill all the gaps with proper strokes of the color can. Also make sure that light shade does not overlap dark shade, it should always be the other way round.

The use of graffiti has reached to the art level and now is considered as a form of art, creativity and also offers you a method of expression. Graffiti offers a wide circulation of thoughts and leaves a better impact on the viewer than other means of expression.

One of the most versatile members of the art medium world, polymer clay can be used for anything from a fun arts and craft project to beautiful sculptures.

What is Polymer Clay?

Polymer clay is not true clay. Instead, it is made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and plasticizer. It comes in a variety of colors, including metallic sheens such as gold and silver. The colors can also be mixed to create custom tones.

Types of Polymer Clay

There are several different brands of polymer clay, including Sculpey and Fimo. Although they are essentially made from the same material, each brand has its unique characteristics. Sculpey, for example, is softer than Fimo (unless Fimo Soft is purchased.) Colors also differ from brand to brand.

Different brands can often be mixed to combine elements of each.

Where to Find Polymer Clay

Polymer clay can be found in arts and craft and art stores, as well as some specialty stores (such as those that sell beads) and via the Internet.

They usually come in small packets, with each color wrapped individually. There are also sets available, and larger sizes for certain colors.

How to Use Polymer Clay

No matter the brand, polymer clay needs to be worked before using. Take a small amount of clay and roll, squeeze and pinch it until it has achieved the desired consistency. The harder the clay, the more it will need to be worked. Softer clay can be handled in larger sizes.

Once it has achieved a workable consistency, polymer clay is easy to shape. It is a good idea to start with simple projects at first, in order to get a feel for this medium.

Polymer clay is hardened in the oven, where it will retain its shape and color. Be careful not to over bake, however. Follow the instructions on the package carefully.

Possible First Project

Making beads is a good initial project for those who are using polymer clay for the first time. Take a chunk of clay and work it. Two or more colors can be mixed to create a marble effect. Roll each color into a ‘string,’ put them together and roll them all into a ball. Be careful not to overwork, since the desire is for each color to make an appearance. If mixed too much, the colors will meld into a solid color.

Break off pieces from the whole, making sure that they are the wanted size for the bead. Roll it until it forms a ball, then take a pin, a sharp toothpick, or other pointed implement and pierce through the middle of the ball from end to end. Repeat until the desired number of beads have been created. When there are enough beads, bake them in the oven, and then let them cool for a few minutes before stringing them together.

A Versatile Medium

Polymer clay can be used to make a variety of things. It can be used to create lifelike sculptures of animals and flowers, or dollhouse effects. Beads and other pieces of jewellery are also possible, as are magnets, and two-dimensional sculpted paintings.

There are types of precious stones with a few relatively good hardness and shine that occur in the color blue. Sapphire is the most famous, and may be found in the full range of blues, from pale blue to black and blue. Topaz Blue, produced by the radioactive colorless topaz is the most popular of all gemstones blue, it is available widely and at attractive prices and are not in tones of light and medium dark. Other options include blue and blue-violet tanzanite () and peridot (light blue). And can in some cases, spinel and tourmaline can be found in the blue, but only rarely.

The most brilliant blue gemstone is no doubt zircon, which has a higher index of refraction of sapphire tanzanite or even spinel. Zircon, but not well known by the public, who are prone to interference with cubic zirconia, a tonic artificial diamond. Natural mineral zircon, zirconium silicate, and is found in a range of colors, including white, blue, yellow, orange, brown, rose and green.

Zircon production is blue, and the most popular color, through the heat treatment of zircon brown. But not all turn blue zircon brown when exposed to heat, only some of the zircon and the structure of the right material to convert the blue when heated. This is why in most of the blue zircon comes from Cambodia or Burma.

Blue Zircon has some unique characteristics that make it very popular with amateur precious stones. Not only zircon and outstanding brilliance, but also has a very strong dispersion or fire, and the tendency to split white light into colors of the spectrum. Zircon is also very clear birefringence or double refraction, where the difference between the two indices of refraction is unusually high. This is clear in many cases can be seen with the naked eye when you look down across a table cut Zircon: I’ll note the face of weaknesses that make the edges of the viewpoint.

Although Blue Zircon is a gem of a reasonably difficult, on the Mohs hardness scale of about 7 to 7.5, is crisp and somewhat sensitive to that knocks and pressure. Zircon has a tendency to wear along the edges of the face. Therefore it should be used in workshops is limited to security settings or the wearing of jewelry in some cases.

Can be found on the blue zircon in a range of blue tones from very pale blue and means saturated. Due to pleochroism, can look a little greenish-blue zircon when an offer from one direction

Beginning in the 1950′s, the onggi potters started to adopt a traditional Korean technique of refining clay that had hitherto only been used in the manufacture of high-quality white ware. Thus, the methods described below are essentially the same both for onggi and porcelain ware manufacture. About twenty years ago, some onggi workshops on Kanghwa Island adopted that technique, and its use spread gradually to Kyonggi and South Ch’ungch’ong provinces.

A field approximately 75′ x 75′ is used for the drying of clay. At each corner of the field a round hole approximately eight feet in diameter is dug out. These are settling vats. Today they are sometimes lined with cement. A smaller rectangular vat approximately two by four feet is built tangential to each of the circular vats. Small wooden connecting dykes allow water from each settling vat to flow back into the mixing vat as water is needed. Raised earth levies divide the ground between the mixing and settling vats into drying fields. In addition they serve as dry footpaths from which workers are able to remove the dried chunks of clay.

Refining Procedures

1. Drying. The raw clay is dried in order to assure that it will slake more quickly in the refining vat. The clay is scooped up with a “three-men shovel” and piled in a sunny place to dry. It is then spread and evened with a wooden rake or hoe. Lumps of clay are broken with the hoe and large stones are picked out. The clay, in the form of soft shale, does not break or slake easily. The dried clay, broken roughly into lumps no larger than apples, is taken to the refining area in a basket or cart. Often an A-frame is used to carry about two hundred pounds to the mixing vats.
2. Mixing and slaking. The clay is dumped from the cart or A-frame into the mixing vat containing water. After the clay has begun to dissolve in the water, it is stirred with a wooden paddle to which is affixed a handle with a cross bar at the end. The clay is levered up and down using the edge of the mixing vat as a fulcrum. The soft shale does not slake easily and a constant up-and-down motion of the paddle is necessary to partially dissolve the clay and produce a watery slip. The mixing process involves long and repetitive labor; women are assigned to this task since they can be paid less. To the Western observer it seems incredible that so much labor is expended on a process that could be accomplished easily and quickly by an electric blunger.
3. Screening the clay. The thin slurry thus produced is scooped out with a bucket and poured through a thirty-mesh screen into the second or settling vat. The screening assures that clumps of clay, sand and pebbles do not enter the second vat. When more water is needed to continue the mixing process, that gate of the small dyke is removed. The relatively pure top layer of water from the second vat flows back into the mixing vat.
   By repeated mixing, screening and return water flow the clay in the vat is eventually used up, leaving only stones and sand. These are removed with a shovel; more water and raw clay are added, and the process is begun again. Approximately a week is required to fill the settling tank with thick slurry. When the second vat has been filled with screened clay slip, it is scooped out with buckets and taken to the drying field, using the raised levies as walkways.
4. Drying the slip to the plastic stage. The ground of the storage area is first covered with a layer of hemp or cotton cloth about 15′ x 15′ in order to prevent impurities from the ground getting into the clay and to facilitate removing it when it dries to a plastic stage. The clay slurry is spread on top of the cloth and the moisture in the clay is evaporated by the sun and wind. When the clay has been dried to a plastic stage, it is scored with a small scythe and the chunks approximately 12″ x 12″ x 6″ are carried to a cart, in which they are transported to the workshop.
5. Further preparation of the clay. In the workshop the chunks of clay are stacked to form a rectangular mass approximately six feet in length, four feet in width and four feet high. Water is sprinkled on the clay and it is beaten with a long wooden mallet, first with he head, then with the side, by workers mown as saengjilggun. The clay that has been tacked on the workshop floor is then cut into thin slices about 1/8″ in thickness with a scythe-like knife. This part of the second processing is performed by workers known as ‘hardy lads” or “clay slaves.” The main reason for slicing the clay is to homogenize the distribution of soft and dry clay.The “hardy lads” next roll the clay into balls weighing forty or fifty pounds. In some workshops, a sheet of cotton cloth is laid on part of the workshop floor and the balls of clay are put on top of this; in others kaolin is spread directly on the earthen floor

There are four major categories of ceramics produced in Korea today:

1. Onggi, or earthenware utensils, used for a variety of purposes, but primarily for the storage of pickled vegetables, bean pastes and soy sauces – staple items of the Korean diet.
2. Reproduced Koryo and Vi dynasty forms, for sale primarily to the Japanese market.
3. Tea bowls, again for the Japanese market.
4. Pottery produced within university ceramic departments, reflecting, in varying degrees, exposure to outside influence.

Of the above categories, onggi is of the greatest interest to the Occidental potter. The techniques and methods used are virtually unknown in the West. The Korean potter is able to produce monumental size jars with a speed that seems incredible when witnessed by a Western potter. The methods of coil, paddle and wheel construction are outside the spectrum of ceramic skills in the West, particularly in terms of speed and size.

Because of recent developments in the use of various metals, artificial resins, and the growth of in9ustrial ceramics in Korea there is a danger that the production and use of hand· crafted vessels will die out. Moreover, modern materials and processes may be found to be preferable to onggi ware, which is less durable, heavier and higher in price than mass produced pots. Working against this possibility, however, is the conservative character of Koreans and their firm belief that the taste of kimchi would be adversely affected by storage in anything but onggi ware. On the other hand, the new reforestation laws pose a fundamental danger to the continued firing of onggi kilns. Wood is scarce and expensive and imported oil is more so. There seems to be no solution to the high ecological and financial costs of fuel. Thus, it is difficult to predict the future of onggi pottery in Korea. But, for the present, at least, the Western potter is still able to observe the traditional skills of the Korean potter.

Metal fabricator Kevin Stone uses gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) to sculpt massive pieces of art from stainless steel. Read about Stone’s creative and technical processes and discover important tips that can improve your stainless steel welding.

A few years ago Kevin Stone, a senior fabricator, decided to combine his years of welding experience with his innate artistic ability and began creating stainless steel sculptures on a large scale. While people make the pilgrimage to Stone’s yard in Chilliwack, B.C., to see the “Power of Flight,” a 12-ft. tall, 18-ft.-long stainless steel eagle with a 41-ft. wingspan, Stone is busy inside his studio working on his latest project: an 85-ft.-long Chinese dragon.

With price tags of more than $3 million, Stone’s sculptures are designed to weather the elements and never lose their shine. His objective is to create “shock and awe artwork … beauty on a large scale.” To achieve this vision, he works with stainless steel, which he considers to be one of the more difficult metals to work with.

“Very few people can weld thin stainless,” Stone said. “It will oxidize quickly, overheat, and burn through. It requires polishing to bring out its beauty, which is very labor-intensive. Very few people work with it. However, it’s worth the effort. Once it’s polished, it can be out in the elements, and it won’t corrode, rust, or lose its mirrorlike quality. My vision is for my sculptures to be mounted over water to bring out the reflective qualities and use colored lights for effect.”

About 14 months into the “Chinese Imperial Water Dragon” , Stone already has used 1,800 sq. feet of 16-gauge 304 stainless steel and expects to use another 1,800 sq. ft. before he’s done.

The Creative Process

When beginning a new sculpture, Stone conducts some preliminary research and design, but he builds primarily from his imagination. “I have a blueprint in my head that I follow,” he said. “I visualize five to 10 steps ahead of what I’m working on. I picture what the overall shape will be and try to think of something that will fit inside that shape, yet be structurally strong.”

To help with fit-up and save both time and material, Stone first works out the details on paper. After he finishes one piece of stainless, he cuts a piece of paper to represent the next piece and ensure it fits perfectly before transferring it to a piece of stainless.

Stone shapes the pieces by hand and then tack-welds them into place with his Miller Dynasty® gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) machine. He first places the welds several inches apart. When Stone is happy with the fit-up, he adds more tack welds between the existing welds until there are welds about every half-inch. He eventually finish-welds the pieces together, welding a 10-in. section in one place and then moving to another section. This helps to minimize the heat input and to ensure proper fit. He finishes by grinding down the welds and polishing the pieces.

Lee Kavaljian, 84, and Tony Natsoulas, 51, are the odd couple of art.

Natsoulas, despite his small stature, seems larger than life. Outgoing, boisterous, full of energy, he’s a force of nature. Kavaljian, also diminutive, is quiet, shy, diffident and self-effacing. Yet they are the best of friends, and both are strong ceramic artists who are sharing a show at Solomon Dubnick Gallery.

Their works are as different as their personas. Natsoulas, who was described as one of the top 100 artists in the country in the Smithsonian Institution’s Archive of American Art, is known for brightly colored, large-scale figures and busts that range from guitar players and shoe salesmen to characters from popular culture and Greek mythology.

Kavaljian makes small- scale “spirit houses” based on various forms of Asian architectural miniatures that were placed in graves in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Intricate and ethereal, they are delicately daubed with as many as 11 layers of glaze that give them rich but restrained surfaces.

You would expect Natsoulas to overwhelm Kavaljian, but once you get him talking, he more than holds his own with the younger and more famous artist.

Now retired but still teaching biology and botany at California State University, Sacramento, Kavaljian came to making ceramics almost by accident. In 1956, he had some students in class who were art majors but were having difficulty doing botanical drawings. When Kavaljian teased them about not being able to draw, they explained that they were ceramics students, not draftsmen.

In self-defense, they challenged Kavaljian, who could draw on the blackboard with two hands, to try making a clay pot. To their delight, his first attempt failed absolutely as the clay flew off the potter’s wheel. But they invited him to come to the ceramics lab on Saturdays and keep trying. Eventually Kavaljian succeeded, and his work wound up in a show at the Richmond Art Center.

After that he was hooked. He continued studying ceramics with Ruth Rippon, Yoshio Taylor and other prominent regional ceramists. Eventually he developed his own method of constructing clay sculptures using leather-hard ceramics as opposed to the wet clay used for throwing pots.

A student and teacher of Asian art, who will appraise Oriental objects at the Crocker Art Museum’s appraisal day in May, Kavaljian became entranced by ancient Chinese “spirit houses” made to ease the passage of the deceased in the afterlife. Not being able to afford one, he decided to try making one. He was so successful that he was given a show of his efforts at the Judith Weintraub Gallery in 1990. Since then his spirit houses have won many awards and have been featured in Lincoln’s annual “Feats of Clay” exhibitions and in California State Fair art shows.

In contrast, Natsoulas settled on a career as a ceramic artist at age 11. While still in high school, he took concurrent classes in ceramics at the University of California, Davis, where internationally known ceramic sculptor Robert Arneson taught. It was the beginning of a long academic journey where he studied at California State University, Sacramento, with Rippon, Bob Brady and Gerald Walberg; at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore; and again at UC Davis, where he got his master of arts degree in 1985.

Over the years, he has done public art commissions, including monumental ceramic figures for the Downtown Plaza and municipal projects for the city of Sacramento and most recently, Stockton. His works are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shigeraku, Japan; the University of Iowa; and many California museums, including the Crocker, the San Jose Museum, Oakland Museum, Laguna Museum and Triton Museum.

Natsoulas’ early works were raucous, expressionistic figures influenced by the Funk school of ceramics founded by Arneson and David Gilhooly. In recent years he has focused on entertainers, from the Beatles to Audrey Hepburn; a series of campy, over-the-top 18th century figures; and his current work, which relates to mythological figures from a variety of cultures.

Drawing on his Greek ancestry, he gives us a bust of Hephaestus, the Greek god of metal forging, sculpting Pandora. The oversized head of the figure is modeled on Natsoulas’ friend sculptor Joe Scarpa, and the small body is surrounded by attributes of the deity, who was also the god of volcanoes and employed the Cyclops and two robots of his own making in his studio.

Kavaljian is the model for another of his works titled “Lee Counts His Snails Under the Bodhi Tree,” which illustrates a story about the Buddha. In it, Kavaljian’s head is covered with snails, calling up the legend that when the Buddha was meditating to gain enlightenment, his head was burning in the hot sun until a congregation of snails came to rest on his head to protect it. It’s a charming piece and a good likeness of Kavaljian, which won the Best of Show Award at last year’s California State Fair.

In other works Natsoulas looks at Lilith, the apocryphal first wife of Adam who preceded Eve, and a series of mythical creatures including a sea monster and a Philippine version of bigfoot. Also on hand are examples of his cartoonlike footwear, including a pair of “Banana Slippers” and “Break Shoes,” which are decorated with coffee and doughnuts.

Kavaljian’s works range from the tall, pagodalike structure “Dancer’s Spirit House” and the folk art- flavored “Bird Palace,” to the ethereal, powder-blue “Crystal Spirit House” and the innovative “East Meets West in a Roman Ruin,” which blends elements of classical Roman and Asian art in a semicircular structure that houses a small Thai Buddha. Fanciful and ornate, the houses seem to contain dark recesses in which spirits might dwell – not only the spirits of the deceased but, in some cases, the spirits of the land where modern structures were built. In either case, they are magical.