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it turned into a reel of thread!
Instead of attaching a label to the tin, I drew two straight lines and blended them. Then applied a mold to shape the lines to fit the reel to represent the cotton wound round it.
Next I tried to add the writing on the top of my cotton reel. What a headache!
Anyway I had fun, learnt a lot and may even be able to use the result for something one day. A satisfactory evening.
Carol Leather
Newbie
it turned into a reel of thread!
Instead of attaching a label to the tin, I drew two straight lines and blended them. Then applied a mold to shape the lines to fit the reel to represent the cotton wound round it.
Next I tried to add the writing on the top of my cotton reel. What a headache!
Anyway I had fun, learnt a lot and may even be able to use the result for something one day. A satisfactory evening.
Carol Leather
Newbie
Hi Carol,
That looks very good.
I've taken the liberty of making a mini-tutorial that may help you with the text.
Soquili
Thanks Soquili,
Great technique and a lot easier than what I was trying to do. Works a treat. I also noticed you had done the shading different on the hole in the middle so I changed mine also.
Carol Leather
Newbie
Hi Carol,
I'm glad the tip helped. Your text looks like it is lying on the top of the reel now. The shading for the hole also looks more real. I remember my junior high school arts teacher always telling me to visualize where the light is coming from so I would know where the shadows and highlights should be placed.
Soquili
That's terrific Carol. I love it when people find ways to apply what they have learned to something different.
Gary
Gary Priester
Moderator Person
<a href="http://www.gwpriester.com">
www.gwpriester.com </a>
<a href="http://www.xaraxone.com">
The Xara Xone </a>
Here's my version. I've tried to add some of my favourite effects as "Burned" letters placed onto wooden texture...
to add text to your ellipse you can clone your main ellipse and modify the height by dragging the top handle so width and height are the same values - resulting in a circle. Then you type your text, flip it, fit text to curve and drag the top handle until the height matches the one of your original ellipse. To be on the safe side, you should scale the circle by 20% before you fit the text to curve, so the text will not touch the edges...
see sample below.
In addition you should watch your shadows. In your drawing the shadow in the hole is from left to right, but the overall shadow is from front left to back right - doesn't match.
Shadows are tricky. If you can try to avoid a 100% black shadow - nowhere in nature a shadow is really 100% black ;-}
Adding a tiny outline to add a highlight and a shadow to the edge of the hole will enhance the image a bit. Just copy the shape of the hole, set outline to 1 pixel, outline color black, convert lines to shapes, add a linear transparency with 100% at the center point, clone the shape, flip it, change fill color to 70% white.
jens g.r. benthien
designer
http://www.sacalobra.de
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If you don't know how to dream you'll never be a designer.
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jens g.r. benthien
designer
http://www.sacalobra.de
----------//--
If you don't know how to dream you'll never be a designer.
----------//--
Hey you guys are great! Thanks for the help.
Jens, I will try the technique you show and see how I get on.
Xander, your wooden reel is fantastic. Can i ask how you got the thread to look like thread? I have to ask, also, how you do your burned in wood style? It looks so realistic.
I had to go and teach "my" thing this morning and the new fabric/stitch illustrations worked a treat. Had lovely comments on how easy they were to follow. Thanks again for all the help with that subject.
Carol Leather
Newbie
Had a chance to play and amend my cotton reel.
Jens, I tried your technique for the words, and adapted the shadow a bit. I also added the highlight around the edge of the hole, but how do I get a 70% white fill. please? I could onlt find 70% black.
After seein Xanders wonderful wooden one I tried to add a wooden top to mine. I also realised that I could add effects to just the bevel, cool! So I added some transparent shading, hopefully, in keeping with the light on the thread.
Carol Leather
Newbie
Xander, your wooden reel is fantastic. Can i ask how you got the thread to look like thread? I have to ask, also, how you do your burned in wood style? It looks so realistic.
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Hi, Carol!
Sorry in delay - busy...
There are no secrets in my technique, you can look this xar.file...
Xander.
Xander, for taking the time to do this for me. It is really helpful to see how you put this together. I can see I will learn a lot from this group.
BTW my disk arrived, but haven't let it be known to my other half that I have purchased the program yet http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/frown.gif
I am busy scouring the archives and digesting the mine of information in there. Wow, what a talented lot you all are!
Thanks a lot, I'm off to study Xanders file now.
Carol Leather
Newbie