Xara 2D drawings to 3D modeling program

**Gare** · 04 July 2015, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by ss-kalm

I have to ask - because I'm not sure how the shadows form on coffee - but it looks like the shadow of the cup on the coffee doesn't agree with all the other shadows. I would have expected it to be on the other side. Am I wrong?

I looked at the art for quite a while, and aside form a spotlight suggested, it's really hard to pinpoint the source of lighting other than it's from above, faintly at 11 o'clock or so. So if I can't figure out the source of light, I can't say that the shadows are inaccurate.

I know it's a little dreamy and magical in tone, so I forgive any and all technical inaccuracies!

-g

**Gare** · 04 July 2015, 02:52 PM

Apologies in advance, Paul.

Every time I see this version of your glass ball sculpture, it takes me back to 1964 and the World's Fair in Queens, NY:

Click image for larger version.

Name: Unisphere-sculpture.jpg
Views: 152
Size: 40.0 KB
ID: 108672

Admitting to having been alive in the 1960s,

Gare

**Psaumure** · 05 July 2015, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by csehz

+1 These are so brilliant Paul. You are able to compete with the look of the 3D software on an area, where they looked to have advantage. Your Xara drawings look magical

Thank you Csehz. Not I know how to use Xara's tools, I allows me to release my imagination. something that was an impossibility when I started out. This make all the hard work that I put into learning Xara pay off.

**Psaumure** · 05 July 2015, 04:55 PM

[QUOTE=stygg2003;533381]

Originally Posted by Psaumure

Ok, Are we going to sit down and have a cup of joe?[/QUOTE

Great images Paul and it must have taken ages slicing all those holes from the butterfly and cream

Stygg

Thank you Stygg for your comment. To be honest, it was pretty simple. I made a circle and cloned and moved. resize and do the same. select all the circles, group, subtract shape. Very quick.

**Gare** · 05 July 2015, 04:59 PM

I love the idea of tackling those coffee "sculptures" that cost a fortune to buy, and unless you take a photo, you ruin the sculpture to get your caffeine fix!

+100

-g

**Psaumure** · 05 July 2015, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by ss-kalm

I have to ask - because I'm not sure how the shadows form on coffee - but it looks like the shadow of the cup on the coffee doesn't agree with all the other shadows. I would have expected it to be on the other side. Am I wrong?

The lighting that I was working with was from 11 o'clock. (Good call Gary). I think what your picking up is the bottom shadow is coming more from 12 o'clock. You are correct, it does look off. I did this one is from a few years back and post it for fun. It's off but I like it. I was going to rework it, but haven't taken the time.

Thank you for your observation. Good call.

**Psaumure** · 06 July 2015, 08:03 AM

Talking about opening old project, here is one that I started a few years back with BP. He is the one that drew the original artwork and help me redraw it. I made the mistake of not naming colors. I spent a good part of the night adding the named colors after the fact. It may take a little longer doing it while you're drawing, but not nearly as long as it takes going back in afterwards. I have always liked this drawing ever since BP first put it together. I never thought that I would ever be able to do one myself. I think the biggest that helped my drawings is this large monitor. When I was drawing before, I was using a 15" Dell laptop. Today I can see and have lots of canvas to work with.

**Gare** · 06 July 2015, 12:00 PM

Hi, Paul... You absolutely want to get rid of the soft shadow and try out a hard shadow under your magnificent car. There are no visual cues in your drawing that the illumination is diffuse; in fact, the pint-point highlights suggerst strong sunlight=hard shadow beneath the car, not to the right and down. Drop shadows tend to flatten 3D work. You need what's called in the civilized world a cast shadow (and in Xara, a floor shadow)...

Named colors rule!

My Best,

Gary

**theinonen** · 06 July 2015, 02:57 PM

Awesome drawing and looks very real. I must agree that harder shadow would work better with that picture, as currently the soft shadow does not really fit to rest of the picture when everything else looks so sharp and clean.

And I think you should still try some 3D software, as I believe you would do really well with those also. If you have patience to draw a car like that, then learning to use new software will be childs play.

**Gare** · 06 July 2015, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by theinonen

If you have patience to draw a car like that, then learning to use new software will be childs play.

I respectfully disagree theinonen, for as true as that statement might be in general. Specifically, Paul has gone from journeyman to a highly photorealistic artist in Xara. He has no need for 3D software to help him be a better artist: we discussed this starting at Post #101

Paul, here's a projection of a car onto a plane beneath it. I'm sure you can envision how the top view of the car will create a shadow silhouette you can put under your car, Ctrl+Shift+B, you know after drawing it?