Hey guys,
I am looking for a tutorial on how to make a gold coin.
I would like to make one very similar to this one:
Attachment 90710
Does anyone have any ideas on how to make this?
Thanks
Printable View
Hey guys,
I am looking for a tutorial on how to make a gold coin.
I would like to make one very similar to this one:
Attachment 90710
Does anyone have any ideas on how to make this?
Thanks
Rik is your tutor. I've sent him a heads up. Check back soon.
Welcome to TalkGraphics
Thank you!
I replied to Gary's message, but I see that you are here!
You do not list any Xara products?
I can put some instructions together in Xara, which you can use to easily create the gold coin.
But, not in Illustrator.
I do have Illustrator but have never got the hang of using the tools.
All that I want to do is so easy in Xara, in comparison.
I don't have any Xara products but it would be great if you could put some instructions together and I'll give it a shot.
Thanks
Xara is a really terrific product and can do some amazing things.
If you still want to use Illy you could try the following:
1. Draw a circle to the size that you want.
2. Copy the circle (Ctrl=C)
3. With your circle selected go up to Effect, - Distort & Transform - Select Zig Zag
4. With the Zig Zag box opened click preview. - Make the Size quite small in value - In the Ridges per Segment option make it around 60 - Check Smooth in Points options. If your happy with that click OK.
5. Paste your copied circle in (Ctrl+V)
6. Align both objects together so that they are centred
7. Using the Pathfinder and both objects centred Add to combine both shapes
8. Make a new layer
9. Ctrl+V again. Using the Selection tool make the circle slightly smaller
10. Make a new layer
11. Use the Type on a Path Tool - With the newly circle selected, watch where you place the cursor as it can effect the position
12. Make new layer
13. Use the Star Tool and draw star to correct size and position it where you want it to start.
14. Next way to get stars arrange around in correct position there are 2 methods that can be used: Blend Tool or the Rotation Tool using constrained angle _it is up to you!
15. New Layer
16. Use bitmap editor to crop the hand & wrist out of the coin & save. The use the Place under the File menu to bring in the bitmap.
17. Use Live Trace on the embedded bitmap with the following settings Black & White Logo with 180 Threshold
18. Expand & Ungroup
19. Delete away unnecessary Parts of your drawing
20. Use Delete Anchor Points tool to get rid of black gradient & use Direct Selection tool to smooth out shape and give the knuckles a more defined shape
21. You will also want to use the D/Selection tools on the inner shape to clean up the shape
22. Now the next thing that you want to do is to use colour
23. Load in the Metal swatches from the Window menu and then down to swatch Libraries and out from there (I would use gold 2 but it depends on what version of AI u are using)
24. In each layer start colouring your objects
25. You are going to have to use gradients for all of your shapes and it would take so long to explain this here so press F1 and search for gradients or use google
26. For your all of your shading I would use an Extrude from the 3D Effects menu. I tried but was not satisfied with my results, would need to spend longer at it
I am at work at the moment so can't spend any more time on the drawing. If you can make a start I can always come back over the weekend and help.
Sheesh, Albacore - That's an awful lot of steps. Surely it would be easier and faster in Xara.
Rik?
Wow albacore. Thanks!
gwpriester - If you get the chance I would like to see the steps on how to make it in Xara and compare the two. Thanks!
I hope this isn't a contest?!
Well, here's my attempt.
1. Use the ‘QuickShape Tool’ to draw a starred shape with 99 sides, and increase the Stellation radius
so that you end up with what looks like ridges at the edge of a circle.
2. Draw a circle to be slightly smaller than the quickshape and centre it over the quickshape.
3. Use the ‘Fill tool’ and apply a linear fill with light yellow at both ends
and add two fill handles towards the middle and make these dark brown.
(This circle is going to form the raised edge of the coin)
4. Clone the circle and reduce in size slightly.
5. Give the Circle a line of .25pt and of a dark grey colour.
6. Use the ‘Fill tool’ to give the top end a light yellow colour and the bottom end black colour
- move middle handles of the linear fill closer to each othere and make the two handles to match the nearest outer edge.
7. Clone this circle, make the centre transparent, and make it more than slightly smaller!
(this is the guide to place your small 5 point stars)
(in Xara, I drew a yellow star with a black outline and made a brush and applied this to a curve of the desired size)
8. Use the ‘QuickShape Tool’ to draw a starred shape with 5 sides.
(If you don’t know how to creat a brush, then place your small stars in the appropriate places)
9. Type the text you want (IN XARA WE TRUST) in Times New Roman and of a desired size.
10. Colour the text to be the same colour as the golden yellow of the coin and apply a line width of 1pt and a dark brown colour
11. Draw an outlined circle and lesect the text and the circle and apply ‘Fit Text to Curve’
12. Rotate and position the text in the desired position.
13. Use the ‘Shape Tool’ to draw (or trace over) the black outlind of the hand.
14. Then draw the yellow parts of the hand
15. Then draw the smaller orange parts of the hand.
To get the curved shape of the dark shading on the coin, I would clone and cut and use transparency etc...
A good tutorial would be accompanied by stepped drawings to go with the instructions.
That takes a bit longer than what I've written above.
So, 'myladybugg', get Xara PDQ and then there's a ton of tutorials you are going to love doing.
Attachment 90740
Wow! Thank you so much Rik!
Rik- What xara product would I need for this. Is it xara designer pro?
Thanks for your kind comments.Quote:
Originally Posted by myladeybugg
Personally, I just cannot use the tools in Illustrator.
But, that's my failing and not a criticism of Illustrator.
In Xara, I can do almost anything I want. It's only my lack of time that stops me from doing large projects.
Also, I've not had any art or design training and that does work against me at times. That's not a personal criticism either.
What I'm trying to say is that if I can produce some decent results, it's no wonder what the true artists produce using Xara.
Trust me.
Every tool in Xara is pretty easy to use and none of my work really has any complicated stuff in it.
So, if I can do it, anyone can.
And you know the best part?
There are so many Xperts here to answer any question you have.
If you're asking me which Xara Product to purchase?
Then my answer will always be to go for the top of the range.
That's Designer Pro X
Hey! Just install the trial version and you have 30 days to enjoy yourself.
After that, you're bound to purchase it.
Try the 'Shield' Tutorial in my signature!
thanks for the illustrator method Peter [this being the illustrator forum lest we forget :)]
I've only done this becauase the OP and Gary asked.Quote:
Originally Posted by handrawn
Possibly I was wrong to do it.
Oh well.
I like having all these options. So don't be sorry Rik.
Rik is only thinking he maybe should have linked to the tutorial rather than posting xara stuff in an illustrator forum - that's ultimately the illustrator forum moderator's call [I believe that's Bill]
it's not the end of the world :D
Sincere apologies for posting Xara instructions in the Illustrator forum.
Whoever the Mod is?
Please feel free to delete my posts in this thread.
relax Rik - there doesn't appear to be one specifically, which means the honour will fall on the one of us here with the biggest clout, which isn't me and it isn't you, so it must be him... and he started it so I guess you is home and dry on this one :D
Always remember who sponsors TalkGraphics.
oh put your brown nose back in the cupboard Gary :D
this forum is for chat about illustrator, irrespective of who sponsers it - no reason not to link out to alternative ways of doing things, but if I filled the xara chat forum with illustrator, inkscape or serif workflow, you would likely get very sarky
As the forum moderator, I see no reason to relocate any of the posts within this thread.
Peter was very kind to provide steps to create the image using Illustrator and Rik kindly provided steps for Xara.
A HARD rule to not mix application information within a forum can be more disruptive than helpful. I'm sure myladeybugg can decide to try or not try Xara Designer Pro X.
Steve remember that myladeybugg did request the steps to reproduce the image using Xara. ;)
oh you are forum moderator here Bill - I thought you were, and then when I looked [late] last night I guess I mis-read
I think the request is still no reason not to post xara helpful info in a xara related forum [where xara users are much more likely to see it] and link through, but your call - not the end of the world like I said, maybe Rik will do [has done] both :D
Let's not get a rash over this! Everyone who knows me knows that I prefer to draw in Xara but work decides what programme to use. Looking at Rik's instructions there is not much in it both of us really missed the hard parts of getting the embossed part of the coin to look really correct. Yet is best to make these instructions down to a line colour as you never know the ability of the user. I think the 3D tool in Illy is great as it prints well which is something that can't really be said for either the Bevel tool or the 3D tool in Xara. Also the ability to map art onto a revolved object be it vector or bitmap. It took me longer to get comfortable using Illy than it did to use Xara but that is neither here or there, many things come into choosing the correct software to use, it is only a tool to get things done.
Well I am attempting the instructions for Illustrator first since that is the program I already have. I am a total noob to this but learn very quickly. I am trying to get the stars to go all the way around the inner circle but can't seem to figure it out. I have used the rotation tool but the last stars are overlapping the first stars. I'm sure its just something I did wrong. Any ideas?
I counted 33 stars in your coin going around about 2/3's of the way which means a star every 7 degrees approx. Hit Ctrl+R to show rulers,if the Smart Guides are not on hit Ctrl+U to turn on, now drag a guide line from the rulers that run down the side out to the centre of your coin that will give you a vertical guide, now from the top drag a horizontal guide down to the centre of your coin. The smart guides will give you a light cyan line running off at a angle once you reach the centre point. Now if you open your rotation dialogue box with your star selected and enter 7 if you want to C/wise or -7 if you want to ACW hold down Alt key and drag the reference point to the guides centre and the hit copy in the dialogue box. If you have CS5 or later I think you can type how many copies that you want but I have only CS3 so I have to keep using Ctrl+D to Transform again and again to rotate the star around the centre of the coin. I hope this helps and please remember to press F1 to bring up the Help programme and then enter "rotation" in the search option which give great help.