Use of SHAPE TOOL in CorelDraw

SHAPE TOOL:

If you want to be a good designer, you must be a master in use of SHAPE TOOL. This is a very useful tool to make your own imaginable design.  In this post I am trying to guide you about SHAPE TOOL.

You can use this tool on any object to modify it’s shape, even you can use it on text after convert it to curve. 

SHAPE TOOLBAR:

When you select an object and chose SHAPE TOOL this TOOLBAR will be automatically enabled. Here we have many deferent types SHAPE TOOLS for manipulate an object. Now I am going to introduce almost all tools of SHAPE TOOLBAR. 

• Add Nodes

This tool increase the number of editable line segments in the curve object by adding nodes. see in below screenshot, after selection of second line I just clicked on ADD NODES TOOL and this line have many nodes for manipulate it. Click  one or more times on this tool, depends on how many nodes you want.

• Delete Nodes

This tool reshape the curve object by deleting nodes. Look at below screenshot, If I delete these two nodes which I marked on first line, Shape would be change like second line.

• Join two nodes

This tool join the starting node and the end node of an open path to create a closed object or path. Look at below screenshot, If I delete these two nodes which I marked on first line, Shape would be change like second line.

• Break curve

This tool break a path in the open or closed curve object. Select a nod and clock on this tool, it will break he curve line.

• Convert to line and convert to curve

If your line segment is in curve, “Convert to line” tool convert it into line and if your line segment is in line, “Convert to curve” convert it into curve.

• Cups Node

This tool create a sharp angle in the curve by converting the node to a cups node.

• Smooth Node

This tool will smooth the roundness of the curve by converting the node to a smooth node.

• Symmetrical Node

This tool can apply the same curve shape to both sides of the node.

• Reverse Direction

This tool can Reverse the position of the starting node and the end node.

I hope this article will help you. Please do comments if you like it.

Convert to curves an object in Corel Draw.

Sometimes you face many problems when you play with an objects in Corel Draw. You don’t want default objects like Circle, Rectangle, Polygon  etc… you want your own made shaped object but can’t edit default shape’s objects. Well only one click can help you to converting an objects to curves.

How to convert an object to curve?

To convert an object to curve, select an object with PICK TOOL and follow these steps.
TOP MENUBAR > ARRANGE > CONVERT TO CURVES or CTRL + Q as shown in below screenshot.

 
This will help you to free an object to be manipulated with SHAPE TOOL.  You can also apply this trick on ellipse, an artistic texts and also on certain effects objects like envelops and perspective effects.

Example :

Well I made this object from above rectangle, Can you believe this??? You can made this type of many shapes and use it to create logos, designs, and your own art.

Break a part artistic text in Corel Draw

Well you already learn about TEXT TOOL in my previous tutorials Text reflection effect and Create a shadow effect. Now sometimes you feel that, you want only single word or single letter. In this tutorial you will learn How to break apart of text. Yes, Corel Draw can break it.

STEP 1: TEXT TOOL

Firstly, if you have any sentence (or you create it yourself like below picture) in text format.

STEP 2: Break apart (CTRL + K)

Now select whole sentence and follow these steps.
TOP MENUBAR > ARRANGE > BREAK ARTISTIC TEXT APART
Done…
 
Yes now you can see your whole sentence was break apart with single word. You can select any word now.
 
If you select a word and repeat step 2 again you can break a word with a single letter.


You can use this trick many times during your creation and make your work easy.

Draw various and amazing designs with CorelDraw.

Corel Draw has some very good Tips and Tricks which are make your drawing very fast, good and perfect. Every Indian know about ‘ASHOK CHAKRA’, yes I am talking about that circle which is located in middle section of Indian Flag. ASHOK CHAKRA is divided by 24 lines. Everyone know if you want to draw a perfect circle you have to travel 360° roundly. It looks so simple to draw that circle which was we already learn in my previously posted Tutorial Vector Drawing of Nature with Corel Draw in Step 7, but when you going to draw lines inside it, every time you feel that you need more perfection when finished. Well defiantly you have some mathematical knowledge. Yes the angle of two nearest line is exactly 15°. In this Tutorial you will learn about this trick and after that your feel that how easy it is.

Final Image:

Step 1: Open a blank document in CorelDraw.
Step 2: Draw a circle using ELLIPES TOOL. For perfect circle make sure that height and width is same or you can do it manually as shown in below picture.



Step 3: Select your circle. and click on pie. Now your circle will be shown as like below picture.


Step 4: Change angle between starting line and  ending line at 15°. Your circle will be cropped like this.
 

Step 5: when you click two single times(Not double click) on your object, you will get rotation free transformation. Now care fully drag transformation’s center point at perfect corner of starting line and ending line. Drag pie circle and look at rotation angle. when it will shown perfect 15° click right button before release left button of your mouse. 

 
Step 6: Now please read carefully this step because in this step you will learn about corel’s magical TRICK. After step 5 you don’t need every time drag and made a duplicate pie.  JUST PRESS CTRL + R (REPEAT) CONTINUOSLY AND COREL WILL AUTOMATICALLY DRAW YOUR CIRCLE PERFECTLY.
 
Step 7:  Select whole circle and follow these steps : TOP MENUBAR > ARRANGE > GROUP or press CTRL + G. Now ASHOK CHAKRA is ready. How easy!!!!
 
Step 8: Click and hold for two seconds on OUTLINE TOOL. Here you can select deferent size of thicknesses and line colors.
 

You can create a 3:5 rectangle and made Indian Flag, put your ASHOK CHAKRA.

Few Examples of CTRL + R TRICK:

You can create various and amazing designs with this trick.

How to create a Shadow effect using Corel Draw

Previously we learnt about text reflection effect. In this Tutorial you will learn how easily you can create  a Shadow effect of text using Corel Draw.

Final Image:

Step 1: Open a blank document in Corel Draw.
Step 2: Select a Text Tool from the left side toolbar, write your text. Chose your text font and font size as shown in below Screenshot.
 
Step 3: Now with help of PICK TOOL select your text. Click and hold your mouse left button for 2 second on BLEND TOOL. Chose Fourth one INTERACTIVE DROP SHADOW TOOL as shown in below picture.



Step 4: See now there are many preset drop shadows. Select one of them whatever you like.


Step 5: You can adjust your shadow’s Angle, Opacity, Feathering,  Feathering direction, Fade, stretch, Shadow color etc… from  this section as shown in below picture.


You can use this technique also with a vector drawing. If you don’t want to go with presets, you can create and adjust your own shadow, .

Few examples:

Text Reflection Effect in Corel Draw

In this Tutorial you will learn how to create a reflection effect of text using CorelDraw.
Final Image :

Step 1: Open a blank Document in CorelDraw X4.
Step 2: Chose TEXT TOOL from left side TOOL BAR. Chose a font and font size as you shown in below picture. Type your Text.



Step 3: Now with the SELECTION TOOL select your text and make a duplicate mirror text as we mention in our previous Tutorial “Vector Drawing of Nature with Corel Draw”. Chose a TRANSAPRENCY TOOL and applied it on mirror text from top to bottom (Check out below Zoom screenshot)
 



Step 4: Put the whole creation on suitable background or create your own.


Example:

Vector Drawing of Nature with CorelDraw.

In my first Tutorial “How to create a Glossy web buttons using Corel Draw?”, you already leaned about creating a rectangle and shape it in Step 2 and Step 3. That was a basic tools. If we use our brain, we can easily draw a beautiful drawing also. In this next tutorial we will learn a complete vector drawing with the help of BEZIER TOOL, TRANSPARENCY TOOL and FOUNTAIN FILL TOOL.

Final Image:

  

Step  1: Apply FOUTAINFILL TOOL on rectangle.

Firstly create one rectangle, select it and applied a FOUNTAIN FILL TOOL(See step 8 Image), with LINER TYPE from top to bottom. chose two color nearly Orange and Yellow, so sky will look like at evening time.

 

Step 2: Duplicate reverse image of rectangle.

Drag the rectangle and made a duplicate reverse Image as shown in below. (Click on free transforms middle point, click and hold your mouse’s left button, drag it and click right button before you release a left button)

Step 3: Draw a mountain with BEZIER TOOL.

Chose a BEZIER TOOL and draw an object roughly as shown below for look like a mountain. Select an object (mountain) and chose a black color from the color bar which is in mostly located on right side.


 

Step 4: Mirror image of mountain.

Now our mountain is ready. Select it and repeat step 2 for made a duplicate mirror image like shown in below.

 

Step 5: Apply TRANSPARENCY on reflection object of mountain

Select that mirror object, chose a TRANSPARENCY TOOL from the left TOOL BAR.

Step 6: Adjusting Transparency type and Starting Transparency.

Look at carefully on below picture. Select TRANSPARENCY TYPE at UNIFORM. Adjust STARTING TRANSPARENCY.

Step 7: Creating circle

Now our mountain and lake is ready. We need to make a Sun so with the help of a CIRCLE TOOL make one circle like shown in below.

Step 8: Apply FOUNTAI FILL TOOL on circle.

Select a circle and chose a FOUNTAIN FILL TOOL.



In the coming up next little window, Select Type as REDIAL, chose tow color Orange and White and click on OK. Our Sun is ready.

 

Step 9: Put an object behind another object.

To put the Sun behind mountain follow this step – TOP MENUBAR –> ARRANGE –> ORDER –> Click on BEHIND. Now click on Mountain. Sun is behind mountain now as shown below picture. 

Step 10: Draw a coconut tree with BEZIER TOOL

For making a coconut tree use again BEZIER TOOL and draw it roughly like this…. Select whole Coconut Tree and click on 90% Black color for it as we already mention in STEP 3.

Step 11: Finalize your Drawing.

Make 2 or 3 more different sized Coconut Tree and put them like shown in below picture. Our Drawing is almost ready.



Finally you can put some more objects and make your drawing more beautiful.