February 2014 - Tips and Tricks - Seven Things You Might Have Overlooked in Xara Desi

[Fred C]

http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...078#post500078

[wizard509]

Never mind my post 11. I found it.

[csehz]

Sure a lot of Xaraists knows but for me that was overlooked for a while, actually on the weekend became inspirated with this - if someone created a Bevel or a Contour as base, that can be continued in Shape Painter tool. So just selecting the bevel or the contour object and start to paint



Painting_with_Contour.xar

And just three small shortcuts in Shape Painter tool
- keeping ALT and moving the mouse that is painting with a straight line from a fixed start point
- keeping ALT + CTRL that is painting with a straight line in constrainted angles
- keeping SHIFT that allows to erase/adjust the painted shape

[Gare]

Clever!

+1

-g

[stygg2003]

Little bit late this everyone but I was looking over some old tuts. and Tips and Tricks and I found the 3D pawn Gary had included in Feb.14 Tips and Tricks and he suggested to trace it and give it fills, well eventually I have
I traced the top of the pawn and the base and after trying various fills from linear to Conical, gold, silver, brass etc. it did'nt look right or I could'nt get it right Anyway I realised there was some interesting patterns on the 3D shape so I filled my trace with simple linear gold fills then gave them a flat stained glass trans. so the pattens came through, the result was interesting. Just added a couple of shapes and highlight, what do you think?

Stygg

[Gare]

Hi Stygg—

Nope. It works a little but not enough. What I'd suggest are Blends...let me duck out for a sec' and sketch it...



Okay, my version here is off the cuff and totally amateurish, but do you get the point I'm trying to convey? Highlights on a metallic object have to follow the curves of the shape. This can't be done using a Linear gradient, unless you se a distortion plug-in to curve the gradient.

Stygg, you have some absolutely wonderful shading going on in this illustration. You're closer to a finished great piece of Art than you realize.

Just give it another push, eh?

My Best,

Gary

[Psaumure]

Nice job Stygg. Gary's correct, it's just about finished and something to be proud of. I like all the interaction on these threads. Lots of good information.

Gary, Great tip. Some time it's just a little highlight or reflection that makes all the difference. Nice use of the blend tool. I need to utilize that tool more.

[stygg2003]

I used blends and added shapes in this one, not to successful I think, I feel a request coming on for a tut. on blends, shades and transparencies as I think the three seem to go hand in hand when applied to curved shapes.

Stygg

[Gare]

Stygg—

That is totally beautiful, you got your work behind you, man, in more ways than one!

I had to zoom in to see all the great detail work.

You did almost exactly what i tried to do years ago with version 4 or something: you "build up" your photorealistic texture using a combination of gradient fills and stepped transparency shapes.

Consider yourself "accomplished" :)

My Best,

Gary

[stygg2003]

Thanks for that Gary, it was your "just give it another push, eh?" in #36 plus your quick drawing. Learnt a good deal from that push

Stygg