How to color a vector drawing in Corel. CorelDraw Lessons: Drawing an Eye in Corel Draw

INTRODUCTION

Working with computer graphics is one of the most popular areas of using a personal computer. Not a single modern multimedia program can do without it. The need for widespread use of graphical software has become especially noticeable in connection with the development of the Internet. The need to develop attractive Web pages is many times greater than the capabilities of the artists and designers who could be entrusted with this work. In this regard, modern graphic tools are developed in such a way as to not only provide convenient tools for professional artists and designers, but also provide an opportunity for productive work for those who do not have the necessary professional skills and innate abilities for artistic creativity.

Until now, the market for professional graphics programs has traditionally been dominated by three companies - Adobe, Corel and MetaCreations. The latter left the scene in 2000, while the other two powerful competitors only strengthened their position by releasing new versions of their popular programs.

Corel Corporation, a Canadian corporation, the world's leading developer of software, office and graphics applications for the personal computer, was founded in 1985 by Michael Cowland. CorelDraw is a professional package for creating vector illustrations with text editing, layout and preparation of Internet publications (with multilingual support).

Vector or, in other words, contour graphics programs work with objects that can be created based on curves and geometric shapes and stored in computer memory in the form of contour descriptions. These are various diagrams, logos, pictograms, drawings, text objects. They are used by both artists and designers, as well as people of other professions when preparing technical documentation files, describing diagrams, plans, drawings, preparing coursework and diploma papers, abstracts, etc.

Purpose of the work: to study the technological capabilities of the CorelDraw vector graphics graphic editor, familiarize yourself with the tools of this program, and based on the information received, it is necessary to create some complex figure, landscape in the graphic editor and describe in detail the sequence of actions.

Learn the basics of computer graphics;

Identify the main technological operations of the CorelDraw graphic editor;

Familiarize yourself with the tools of the graphic editor;

Assess the technological capabilities of the program in the process of practical activities.

Object of study: graphic editor for vector graphics CorelDraw.

Subject of research: creating images using CorelDraw.

Research methods:

Analysis of scientific and methodological literature and documentation;

Analysis of the CorelDraw graphic editor.

1. CREATING DRAWINGS IN THE GRAPHICS EDITOR CorelDraw

You can create drawings on the CorelDraw canvas simply with your mouse. However, drawing anything serious with a mouse will be difficult even for a skilled artist.

This is where powerful tools come to the rescue. With their help, you can draw various, no matter how complex, contours, even text.

1.1 Toolbox

Represents a vertical panel, in each cell of which there is one or more tools; if there are several tools, then a triangle is displayed next to it; when you click on it, an additional panel with tools related to this cell of the block opens.

hot key	function
	absent	*Pick* Selecting one or more objects, moving the selected object, transforming the object (transformation, tilting). The object is moved while the mouse button is pressed, and its transformation is performed using highlight markers.
	F10	*Shape* Used to process Bezier paths (to process the path of a standard geometric shape, you must first convert its path to a Bezier path using the Arange > Convert To Curves command). The second function of the tool is to select arbitrary text characters in a block of text for the purpose of formatting them simultaneously.
	absent	*Knife (knife)* Performs 3 functions in relation to vector objects: breaks the contour of an object at the point of influence on it, splits an object with a closed contour into parts along an arbitrary line formed by the user, changes the shape of an object with an arbitrary contour (closed or open).
	X	*eraser* Makes the area of the selected vector or raster object that it affects completely transparent. If this area completely separates parts of an object from each other, then to transform these parts into separate objects, you must run the command Arange > Break Apart.
	absent	*Free Transform* Performs transformation operations of the selected object in interactive mode: rotation, mirror rotation, scaling, tilting. The transformation type is set in the properties panel.
	absent	*Zoom* Adjusts the image scale in the working window. Left-clicking zooms in by 2 times, right-clicking zooms out by 2 times. Selecting a rectangular area of a document while holding down the mouse button produces an image whose dimensions are determined by the dimensions of the selected area.
	H	*Hand* Moves the document in the working window while the mouse button is pressed.
	absent	*Freehand* Draws a free-form line that represents a Bezier path. It is also used to trace a raster image in automatic mode.
	absent	*Bezier* Creates a Bezier path, the shape of which is determined by clicking at the locations of its nodes and then adjusting the control points related to the current node with the mouse (with the mouse button pressed). It is also used for tracing a raster image in automatic mode.
	I	*Artistic Media* It is a set of 5 tools, which can be selected in the properties panel. 1. Preset (curly brush) - formation of a curly line of a given profile 2. Brush (art brush) - overlaying a vector image on a selected contour object. 3. Sprayer - spraying a given set of images along a contour line. 4. Calligrafic (calligraphic pen) - drawing a line, the thickness of which depends on the angle of its inclination to the horizontal axis. 5. Pressure (pen with pressure) - imitation (using the arrow keys) of drawing a line with a pen that is sensitive to its pressure and regulates its thickness.
	absent	*Dimension* Designed for drawing dimension lines of various types with automatic calculation and display of the corresponding dimensions on the scale of a given unit of measurement. Also used for drawing footnote lines.
	absent	*Interactive Connector* Tool for forming connecting lines. Useful for drawing various flowcharts.
	F6	*Rectangle* Used to draw rectangles that allow rounded corners. While holding down the Shift key, the shape will be drawn from the center. When the Ctrl key is pressed, a square will be drawn.
	F7	*Ellipse* Draws figures of sectors, circles, sectors and arcs. Works similar to the previous tool.
	Y	*Polygon* Draws figures in the form of convex and star-shaped polygons, works similarly to the previous ones.
	A	*Spiral* Draws shapes in the form of spirals.
	D	*Graph Paper* Draws shapes representing sets of rectangular cells.
	absent	*Basic Shapes* Draws autoshapes, the shape of which is selected in the properties panel, and the geometric parameters are adjusted interactively using control handles.
	absent	*Arrow Shapes* Draws autoshapes in the form of arrows.
	absent	*Flowchart Shapes* Draws autoshapes in the form of flowcharts.
	absent	*Star Shapes* Draws autoshapes in the shape of stars.
	absent	*Callout Shapes* Draws autoshapes in the form of callouts.
	F8	*Text* Used to enter and process text information presented in the form of ordinary or literary text.
	absent	*Interactive Blend* Creates a transition effect between 2 vector objects.
	absent	*Interactive Contour* Creates an outline effect in a vector object.
	absent	*Interactive Distortion* Creates a distortion effect in a vector object.
	absent	*Interactive Envelope* Creates a shell effect in a vector object.
	absent	*Interactive Extrude* Creates an extrusion effect in a vector object.
	absent	*Interactive Drop Shadow* Creates a shadow effect from the object in a vector object.
	absent	*Interactive Transparency* Designed to adjust the level of transparency according to one of the following laws: uniform, gradient, using a pattern or texture.
	absent	*Eyedropper* Allows you to select and fix in the program status bar the color of any point in the document workspace for the purpose of its subsequent use using the Painbucket tool to color another object.
	absent	*Painbucket* Used to color the inside area or outline of the selected vector object (no selection required) with the color that was previously fixed in the status bar by the Eyedropper tool.
	absent	*Outline* Designed to outline a selected vector object.
	absent	*Fill* Used to perform any type of fill (uniform, gradient, pattern, texture or PostScript pattern) to the interior area of a vector object. The fill type is selected using the control buttons located on the additional panel.
	G	*Interactive Fill* Used to perform any type of fill (uniform, gradient, pattern, texture or PostScript pattern) to the interior area of a vector object.
	M	*Interactive Mesh Fill* Interactively performs a gradient fill of the interior area of a vector object, the parameters of which are set using an adjustable Bezier-type mesh structure applied to the object and a working color palette.

2. PRACTICAL PART

Enlarging a raster image makes the scattered pixels within it visible. Tracing it, in addition to getting rid of pixels, will make it possible to work separately with each of the objects that will be contained in the resulting vector image. The quality of the drawing will be significantly higher. Let's look at how to make a vector image in Corel.

Ways to convert a raster drawing into a vector one in CorelDraw.

If you have a photograph as the source image, then rendering it in a vector will be problematic. This is usually done with designs, graphics, logos or similar things.

Scan (photo) - Import

Volume

To make the character look more interesting, he is given a play of chiaroscuro. This is usually done using Bezier.

Or you can do this: copy the hand twice, give the top copy a left offset, select both fragments, and activate the Back minus front command in the Property Bar. You will get a shadow, for which you need to choose a darker color than the main color. Creating highlights is similar, but is painted in a lighter color.

After playing with chiaroscuro, all that remains is to depict the falling shadow of the entire object. Using Ellipse, an oval is applied to the drawing. Drop Shadow creates a drop shadow, the characteristics of which are adjusted in the Property Bar.

Now you need to remove the oval. Open the Object Manager tool in Windows/Dockers, activate the oval-shadow group in the picture with the right mouse, select Break Drop Shadow. All that remains is to remove the unnecessary oval and place the shadow in the right place.

Automatic tracing

Although for some reason manual tracing is considered convenient by the majority, in practice the same majority uses automatic tracing. And this is understandable: it’s one thing to talk about work, and another thing to do it. There are several applications for this.

First, the bitmap is selected and the Trace Bitmap command is selected in the properties panel. Then a separately launched CorelTrace application window will provide the opportunity for further processing of the specified drawing.

Tracing is started with the To Trace command from the top menu. If the visible result in the work area (on the right) does not meet expectations, you can try to improve it qualitatively.

Play with the value in the Accuracy cell by moving the slider. This value determines the clarity of the trace. Please note that increasing it will lead to the creation of more vector objects (sometimes up to several thousand). And this will require additional processor power, memory (and/or time).

It is possible to select tracing methods using the buttons in the left section of the worksheet menu:

For example, clicking Scetch and then activating Outline (above) will create a sketch of an abundance of intersecting lines.
Selecting Advansed Outline will take you to advanced routing settings. Then additional fields will appear at the top to improve the adjustments.

After finishing working with a vector drawing, to return to CorelDraw, you need to exit CorelTrace using the File/Exit command. The work of the tracer will be completed, and the vector result will be transferred to Corel and placed above the raster one. To see it (raster) again, you need to move the newly created picture to the side.

If the CorelTrace utility existed as a separate application, then PowerTrace is already built into CorelDraw X5.

Here the result of auto-routing is of quite decent quality.

It presents the following types (choice in the Type of image set):

for black and white sketches - Line art;
emblems, signs with a minimum of details and colors - Logo;
emblems, signs with deep detail - Detailed logo;
sketches with variable detail - Clipart;
for photos with minor details - Low quality image;
photo with important details - High quality image.

The Preview selection list allows you to select the most convenient version of the working window. The Before and After option will show both pictures at the same time to evaluate the differences. The number of points (nodes) and softening of curved lines is controlled by the Smoothing slider, detailing - Detail. The color scheme for the picture is determined by the Colors tab and the Color Mode set, and their number in the Numbers of colors cell.

Now you know how to draw a vector from an image in CorelDraw. Using this technology, professional compositions are obtained that can be used not only for personal purposes.

Leave your comments, ask questions, share your successes.

Have you drawn a character on paper and now you need to draw it in vector? Then this lesson is just for you.

So let's get started.
1. First of all, you need to scan (take a photo) of the drawing. Then you need to import it into CorelDraw. Select menu item file -> Import… and specify the path to the scanned (photographed) file.
2. Place the imported file in the document workspace and right-click on the object, select Lock Object. This action will lock the object, which will make the work more convenient.

Now using the tools Ellipse and Bezier, we outline parts of our character’s body.

If you are new to CorelDraw or the tool Bezier, and the contours are not quite even - that’s okay. Use the tool ShapeTool and edit point by point. You can change the type of anchor point either by right-clicking on it and selecting the desired type, or by selecting the point and changing its type in the panel Property Bar.
3. Our hero has already been drawn. Now we remove the scanned drawing in the contours so that it does not interfere with perception. Right-click on it and select Unlock Object, then move the drawing to the side.

The next step is filling with color. Select parts of the body and fill them with the desired color, left-clicking on the color swatch to change the fill and right-clicking to change the outline.

4. Now the character is colored, but looks flat and uninteresting. To add volume, let’s draw our own shadows and highlights. Typically, lighting is taken from the left-top, which means that the shadows will be on the right-bottom, and the highlights on the left-top. Shadows and highlights are created with a tool already familiar to us Bezier. Or you can use another technique. For example, to make a shadow on a hand, we duplicate the hand itself twice and move the top duplicate to the left, so that part of the bottom duplicate becomes the same size as the shadow. Next, select both duplicates and in the panel Property Bar choose manipulation Back minus front.
Set the resulting shadow to a color slightly darker than the main one. Highlights are made using the same principle, only the color must be set lighter than the main one.

Remember! When creating shadows on objects of complex shape, the shape of the shadow should follow the shape of the object. For example, on the head a shadow in some places will run like meridians on globes.
When the shadows and highlights are arranged, a small stroke remains - a falling shadow. To do this, draw an oval with the tool Ellipse and using the tool Drop Shadow create a falling shadow. Adjusting the shadow parameters in the panel Property Bar.

From the oval+shadow group we only need the shadow. To remove the oval, open the palette Windows->Dockers->Object Manager, right-click on the oval+shadow group and select Break Drop Shadow. Delete the oval and place a shadow under the character.
The character is ready!

5. All that remains is to save the image in raster format for easier viewing. Select menu item File->Export..., give the file a name, indicate the file type, for example jpg. In the next dialog box, specify the RGB color scheme and click Ok.

To consolidate the lesson materials, we will repeat the drawing steps
1. Scanning the drawing. Import to CorelDraw
2. Drawing contours
3. Fill with color
4. Adding volume
5. Export to raster file type

Guided by these simple rules, you can create very high-quality work. Remember that Corel products are created not only for entertainment or to unleash your creative potential, it is also a convenient professional tool with which you can earn money. The character in this lesson was created in CorelDraw for a competition announced by one very large automaker. Our hero managed to reach the finals. So get ready and go for it!

Good luck everyone.

Have you drawn a character on paper and now you need to draw it in vector? Then this lesson is just for you.

Now using the tools Ellipse and Bezier, we outline parts of our character’s body.

The next step is filling with color. Select parts of the body and fill them with the desired color, left-clicking on the color swatch to change the fill and right-clicking to change the outline.

Good luck everyone.

Does drawing a portrait without the skills of an artist or having never had an art education behind you seem very difficult? In this lesson we will look at how you can do without long training with good results. We will draw a portrait from a photograph, simplifying complex details, creating layers to make our work easier.

Let's say right away that the first pancake will most likely be lumpy. If you immediately need a professional result, it is better to order a portrait from us.

Difficulty level: high
Software used: CorelDraw X3

Photo

1.1 Find the photo we need and open it in a new document CorelDraw(File > New > Import > file name)

1.2 Make a bookmark in the right menu (Window > Dockers > Object Manager)

1.3 Create a new layer in this menu (New Layer) and name it, for example, “pic”

1.4 Block our object (in the right menu, click on the small pencil icon)

Let's start with the face

2.1 Create the next layer on which to draw the face.

2.2 Let's call this layer “face”

2.3 Tool Freehand Tool We begin to repeat the features of the face, neck and body.

2.4 It is best to use thin lines, say thick hairline. This can be configured in the panel below the top menu.

Choosing a sample

3.1 Drawing b O most of the facial lines, you need to select the main skin tone from the imported image. Tool - Eyedropper Tool

3.2 Click on the picture until we select a color that we like and which can be used as the main skin tone.

3.3 Fill the drawn outline with the selected color.

Light and dark

4.1 Now you can start creating a palette of skin tones. Choose a shade in the picture that is darker than the main one. These will be darkened areas of the skin. In the same way, you need to choose a color for the illuminated areas.

Drawing facial features

5.1 Using a darker shade, we continue to draw the darkened areas of the face with the tool - Freehand Tool (see section 2.3.). Let's call the layers Shadow dark and Shadow light

5.2 Add darker colors to the palette and work on the darkest areas, after which we move on to the details.

Adding Highlights

6.1 Having finished with the shadows, we move on to the light areas. Perhaps the easiest way here is to hide the layers with shadows on the face so that you can better see the original in the photo. To hide layers, click on the small eye in the left toolbar (where we create layers) next to each of them.

6.2. In order to get realistic, delicate light areas, you can not select colors by searching, but use a white fill and experiment with transparency

Let's get down to details

7.1 Let's get down to the small details: let's start with the nose and eyebrows. At this stage, the face gradually becomes more realistic and closer to what we want to see.

7.2 Create each part of the face (eyebrows or nose) in different layers and, after they are completely finalized, fix them in the right toolbar "little pencil".

Drawing the eyes

8.1 Draw the main elements of the eye, such as eyelashes, eye contour, pupil and iris, and fill them with colors.

8.2 The color of the white of the eye should not be bright white, so that it does not catch the eye, let’s make it pale grayish.

8.3 To give your eyes shine, colors need to be selected very carefully, studying them in the photograph. It is also necessary to determine in advance which details need to be slightly exaggerated compared to the original.

8.4 The brightest detail of the eye will be a small highlight on the pupil.

Checking with the original

9.1 Now copy the photo, having previously unlocked it, and paste the copy on the side of our illustration. This will help you adjust all the shades of colors so that they combine most successfully and harmoniously with each other. This can be done most productively by comparing a separate photograph and a drawing.

Drawing a mouth

10.1 Work on the mouth begins with its main outline drawn with a tool - Freehand Tool and filled with a suitable slightly pinkish color.

10.2 Add an intermediate shade of dark color for the upper lip and about two shades lighter for the lower lip.

10.3 Draw the darkest stripe, the one where the lips meet.

10.4 Create a highlight on the lips in the same way as we painted the eye. Let's add a little transparency to it with the tool - Interactive Transparency Tool in the left toolbar.

Hair. Let's start with color

11.1 Hair should also be painted on a separate layer. We create their main outline with the tool Freehand Tool, without going into too much detail, paint them with a gradient or a regular tone. This will be the main hair color.

11.2 Draw small curls separately from the main mass of hair (also with a tool Freehand Tool.)