The October 2012 tutorial: Revenge of the Shape Tool

The Xone is the best place in the forums for learning and refreshing and I don't know why so many people don't participate, you do not have to be a master to try your hand out here but you will certainly learn something. As Big Frank has said, it would be a great pity if Gary got fed up and said sod it, then that would be a major blow for all! This months tut. also includes the clock tower and I liked it so much, I dismantled it and put it in my bathroom :D Great tut. as usual Gary, excellent video.

Stygg

I always watch your videos Gary and I do learn a lot. But, I guess I am in so much awe of the talent here that I don't participate.
To show willing, here is a photo composite. Roger in the red shirt was added from another photo and a pole was cloned out.

That's a real nice bit of work you did there Grace, really neat.

Stygg

@Grace and stygg—

I've been around the block a few times and the sad reality is that all forums have a participation versus attendance ratio of significantly less than 1.0.

This reality is hardly cause for me ever feeling it's time to quit. By the way, stygg, I was born in and live in New York State and don't think I've ever said "sod it", although I'm familiar with what it means. :)

No, you folks who regularly check in are ample reward for what it is I do here, I love to see your work and how you grow every month, and the discussions we have about Xara, and related subjects like "Art".

I wish I could think of something that would encourage participation without using psychology, not that psychology would work.

If the classroom never fills up, hey, at least I'm building a nice video portfolio, aren't I?

++++++++++++++++

@Grace—

That's a superb piece of retouching! Would you say that the video tutorials this year made it a little easier?

By the way, DON'T...EVER...feel intimidated by the talent around here. Almost without exception, people don't post on this thread to get ego validation. Members come here to talk about the tutorial, an artistic principle, and consider this: your retouching is so good, perhaps there's someone who is intimidated by your talent now, and they're afraid to post?

It happens! Let's all park the egos at the door and just be ourselves and share around here, okay?

Life's too short, you know?

BTW, Grace, if the piece is done, it's done, but if you're open to suggestions, you might want to draw a small shadow below the fellow in red on the end, because everyone else is casting a dense, partially transparent, bluish shadow on the concrete.

@myself—

Gary, are you considering doing a tutorial in the near future on "lighting"? How to simulate shadows and light a shape correctly so it looks more photorealistic?

-g

I did a different take on this. I traced a french curve, added some test and a pencil
Will have to do the clock soon.

Attachment 92734

That looks really good Larry.

I like the sound of a tut. about lighting and shadows Gary, especially the shadows, they fascinate me because they can be so complex and not just dark area's. I enjoyed doing the shadows in the Box tut. One question I have is, in the clock pic I posted, which is all vector apart from the fills for the hour ellipses, I tried as you suggested using the shape tool for tracing these tops, make inflection points, final click to close the shape then use the handles to shape the ellipse in smooth and curve position, trouble is I find it a bit difficult to finally arrive at the correct shape because when you drag on one handle to make a curve, its opposite moves of the line so I end up sought of going backwards and forwards so to speak, must be doing something wrong or missed something in the tut. :rolleyes:

Stygg

Hi stygg—

There's an "art" to manipulating vector path control handles. Now it's possible that the control point's handles in one area are such that the fulcrum of the handles makes adjusting them ungainly.

Or you really want a cusp connection but the control point is smooth. To toggle between smooth and cusp you double-click with the Shape tool.

You always have the Pen tool, stygg, if you're not "getting" the Shape tool. I myself confess that the Shape tool is a "hard sell" for me, because I used CorelDRAW's Pen tool extensively for five years before adopting Xara. and there's a difference between promoting a tool and recommending it, I need to say in the name of honesty.

If you can take and post a screen capture of the problem area, or post the Xa file and draw and arrow at where you're having difficulty, I can look at it today—visuals are easier to describe visual problems than text!—and post a better recommendation for you to proceed, stygg.

My Best,

Gary

Just tried your suggestion and started off by using the Pen tool to insert the four inflection points, dragging each side to make the curves and finished off with the Shape tool in Cusp and line mode, worked fine, give or take .1 pixel. I'm happy with that for now untill I get more pratice in, I think practice is the main thing here and remembering all the options open to you. :D Thanks for the input Gary much appreciated.

Stygg

"BTW, Grace, if the piece is done, it's done, but if you're open to suggestions, you might want to draw a small shadow below the fellow in red on the end, because everyone else is casting a dense, partially transparent, bluish shadow on the concrete.

@myself—

Gary, are you considering doing a tutorial in the near future on "lighting"? How to simulate shadows and light a shape correctly so it looks more photorealistic?

-g "
Ah my persnikity husband missed that, he won't touch the computer himself - but he watches over my shoulder as I try:). I will see what I can do, I may need to wait for your shadow tut.
Watching your videos teaches me a lot. Keep up the good work.