I discovered by accident that the digital camera can show you exactly what bits you have carved and what is left over.  With all the different planes and grooves it can be hard to tell close up, but after you hit it with the flash you can see at a glance the bits you forgot to carve out.

Until you first hit the block with your ink you never know what it's going to look like.  I always give it a very light first layer in case there is anything you need to fix real quick.  You need to roll your ink out on a glass palette to make sure that it goes on in a perfect level layer.  If you look closely you can see that I am using the glass door from a old stereo cabinet that I don't have anymore.  You can usually find alternatives for expensive art materials if you keep your eyes open.