Problem: Article: Keep an active interest in your teen’s life by encouraging open and honest conversations. This can help build mutual trust and may help you identify cases of sexting involving your teen. Because sexting is such a sensitive and possibly embarrassing topic for your teen, do not approach it in an accusatory or hostile manner. Start by talking about something else first and then transition into a conversation about your teen’s exposure to or involvement in sexting.  For example, you might want to ask “How is your biology class going? Have you learned anything cool lately?” Keep the conversation light to help relax your teen. Then you could say “did they talk to you at school about the recent sexting scandal?” Make sure to weave into the conversation the reasons for how and why sexting is wrong. While it may seem obvious to you that sexting is wrong, your teen may not agree or not fully understand why. In an age where texts, e-mails, pictures, Tweets, blogs, and everything in between are constantly sent and received, the serious nature of sexting may be lost in the shuffle. In addition, she may be sexting as an impulsive behavior, because she is being blackmailed, or because she thinks it’s harmless flirting.  Being open to your teen at any time can do wonders with helping her trust and confide in you about possible sexting.  For example, you can say, “I know a lot of kids are doing this and I really understand that it’s considered a normal part of being on social media, but I want you to understand that I’m looking out for your well-being right now and down the road.” If you are monitoring your teen’s web usage, which is a significant part of most teens’ lives, it’s also important that you be honest with her about this so that she doesn’t feel unduly threatened. You could say “I’m putting this monitor on the computer to protect you from anyone that may be sending you or try to send you inappropriate material.” Consider setting time limits for Internet and cell phone use.  This may keep your teen from indulging in sexting for other types of online engagement. You may not feel your teen is not responsible enough for a smartphone with camera and Internet capability, so give her a basic cell phone on which she can make calls and send text messages without images. Be aware that this will make you unpopular with your teen, but allowing her to prove she can be responsible may help prevent her from sexting in the long run. Your cellular and data provider may be able to set limits that your teen cannot control from your home. Ask the respective company if this is an option for you. In some cases, you can set restrictions on certain apps and features on smartphones. Most smartphones have information on establishing restrictions readily available online. Place your family’s communal computers in a public area of your home, such as the living room or kitchen. Make sure your children know that you monitor their devices for what websites they are viewing, which may help prevent them from curiously looking up sexting or engaging in it online.  Know which social media sites your teen uses and have a policy about her online “friends” to show her not only that you care, but that you won’t tolerate any sexting or similar behaviors.  Have a strategy for monitoring your teen’s devices. For example, you can tell your teen that you will check her device every day for browsing history (be aware that they can use incognito or delete their history).  Make sure to check chat logs, emails, files, and social networking sites for inappropriate content from friends or strangers.  Consider setting up your own social media profile, which may help deter sexting. This is one of the most effective ways at helping to control such behavior.  Be aware that even if you are vigilant about monitoring your teen’s devices, she can still delete potentially problematic content. Install monitoring software on your teen’s and family devices which can track different types of content including images.  This may further deter your teen from sexting or inviting unwanted attention. You can get monitoring software from a variety of sources including: Commercially-available programs. Your Internet provider. Downloads from your computer or device. Parental controls available on computers and devices.  Use this software as often as you deem necessary or whenever you receive a warning message. Studies have shown that peer pressure, especially at parties, can contribute to sexting. Gathering the devices at parties or other events may help deter your teen and her friends from sexting or other suggestive behavior. Realize that taking away devices may make you very unpopular with your child and may have consequences for her from her friends. Try offering alternatives such as giving them disposable cameras for fun. If your teen has a boyfriend, offer her other activities that can serve as an alternative to sexting. Introduce her to social media that can highlight her cooking skills or something that doesn’t objectify her. You could offer to take beautiful pictures of her that she can post or send to her friends or boyfriend.  Try and keep your teen active and engaged. Boredom may lead to increased web use, thereby creating temptation to take part in suggestive behaviors. Don’t repress your teen’s natural curiosity about sex. Not talking to her about sex, sexting and their consequences may make her more likely to engage in these behaviors. Just as maintaining open communication with your teen is important, it’s also vital to stay in contact with other parents and school officials. This can alert you to potential problems and help your teen proactively deal with any negative situations.  Your school may have an alert system in place to inform parents about issues related to sexting. Meeting your teen’s friends’ parents occasionally may also help you identify potential problems.
Summary: Maintain an open line of communication. Initiate conversations about sexting. Understand your teen’s perspective. Establish time limits on device usage. Monitor computers and devices. Obtain monitoring software. Collect devices at teen gatherings. Offer your teen other activities. Speak with other parents and school officials.

Problem: Article: By layering one color on top of another, you can lighten or darken it to accomplish the hue you have in mind. This should be done lightly and with as few strokes as possible. You can always add more of your layer color, but once added, it'll be difficult, if not impossible, to remove. You can lighten dark colors with a layer of a lighter color, like white, over top. This can also help with softening colors, like the one found in skin tones. This tool looks like a clear colored pencil and it is intended specifically for blending colored pencils. It is sometimes referred to as a colorless blender. Rub this tool firmly upon the colors you are trying to blend and pass it back and forth until the desired level of blending is reached. By spreading a thick layer-color over a base-color with your blender pencil, you can create a glaze effect over top the base. This will also impart a blended effect to your artwork. With a moderately stiff bristle brush, you can drag colors you've already applied to the page around it. Thin coverage will give your colors a lighter tone; thick concentration will intensify the color. Colors spread together will blend.  You may have to experiment with this and get some experience before you become fully comfortable with the technique. You should choose your brush with regard to the paper you have used. Thicker paper may allow you to use stiffer brushes for easier blending. Thinner paper might require a soft bristle brush and gentle blending over time. You should also be able to use a tortillion to push colors around the page to create either increased or decreased brightness. Though paper and tortillions won't be effective for blending, a cloth can be used to smudge colors together to attain this look. You may want to start by smudging a small, inconspicuous area with a tiny piece of cloth to see how the colors blend before attempting to blend the main parts of your art. Some cloth might blend differently than others or create a unique effect in your drawing. Testing your cloth beforehand can prevent unintended effects when blending.
Summary:
Layer your colors to create a blending effect. Utilize a blender pencil. Spread colored pencil with a bristle brush. Smudge colors to imitate blending.