How to draw a 3D gear object using CorelDraw?

No, No, as title says, You can not make a real 3D objects in Corel Draw, but you can create an illusion of it. And after that you can use it to make a logo of some organization. It’s depends on your imagination that how you look your object in your subconscious mind. In this tutorial you will learn  how to draw a 3D gear.
First of all close your eyes and imagine that how gear is look like. If you cant imagine you can search on Google’s image section (or Click here). This is just for our reference and give you an idea to draw our object. So let's start…….

Final Image:

Step 1: Draw a Polygon

First of all we need to draw a polygon drawing, so select a polygon tool from the left tool bar and draw a polygon by dragging. When you select a polygon tool, a separate polygon tool bar will be enable automatically at top.

Well there are 5 sides polygon as default, but we need 16 points or sides, so look at the top. and increase points or sides option to 16 from 5. Your polygon is look like almost a circle as shown in below screenshot but it is not circle.

Step 2: Using Shape Tool

Now select a shape tool from left side tool bar. Click on any node and drag it to the center point of polygon till the shape is look like 16 threads star as shown in below image.

Step 3: Adding and Subtract Nodes

Make sure you selected shape tool, by double clicking you can add two nodes (see below image). These nodes will be automatically added on every teeth.

Now to make a perfect shape of teeth we need to subtract a node point which is located at the corner point of every teeth,


Double click on any one node and your object will be like shown as in below image.

Step 4: Fill Color like metallic surface.

To fill colors select an object. Remember we are going to make a 3D object, so uniform color is look so good. To create a metallic surface illusion, chose a FOUNTAIN FILL TOOL from the left side tool bar.
 
In the coming up next little window, chose any two colors light/dark combination whatever you like, set an angle, and click OK.

See your object is now look like metallic shiny surface.

Step 5: Draw a circle

Now draw a circle  using Ellipse tool. Make sure that ratio of height and width are same for a perfect circle.
 

Now put the circle on our polygon star as like in below picture. when you drag circle on polygon star, it will be automatically displayed CENTER point, so you can easily put it at on center.
 
We have to remove outline of circle. Click and hold on an OUTLINE PEN TOOL and select NO OUTLINE.


Your circle is still there but without outline.

 

Step 6: Trim two objects.

Now click your mouse left button somewhere else and drag it to select both of objects. See at the top some tools enabled like WELD, TRIM etc….


Click on TRIM BUTTON and see your 2D gear is ready.

Step 7: Create a 3D illusion look

For create an illusion if 3D object select an EXTRUDE TOOL.



Select presets and chose any 3D example whatever you like.



See your 2D gear converted in to 3D illusion. Set the depth of your gear object.

And your 3D gear is ready.

You can use it to create a logo, or whatever you need. Remember tutorial gives you an idea only. Practice will makes man perfect. Please post comments if you like this tutorial.

Create a smoke effect in CorelDraw

Many times I used smoke effect to create an attractive designs, I searched on net about smoke effect for corel, just because I want to find more easy way to create this effect,  but can’t satisfied with other tutorials. So I am inspired to write this tutorial. In this tutorial you will learn how to create a smoky effect in Corel Draw X5.

Final Image :

STEP 1 : Background

Open a new blank document in CorelDraw. Draw a rectangle with RECTANGLE TOOL. Select it and applied black (or any dark color). This is our background.

STEP 2 : Draw lines

Now chose a FREEHAND TOOL and draw a line anywhere like shown in below screenshot. Draw two three more lines.

 

 

STEP 3 : ARTISTIC MEDIA TOOL

Select all lines that you draw in step 2. Chose an ARTISTIC MEDIA TOOL, select category calligraphy and  Chose BRUSHSTROKS both are marked as an arrow in below screenshot.


Your lines are converting into your selected Brushstrokes.

STEP 4 : Applying Color

Now apply any light color on your lines.

STEP 5 : OUTLINE PEN TOOL

Make sure that all lines were selected. Chose OUTLINE PEN TOOL remove outline by clicking on NO OUTLINE.

STEP 6 : Converting Vector in bitmap

Put your lines on our dark background which we made on 1st STEP. In the next step you have to apply blur your lines, but you cant blur vector lines. So we have to convert all lines group object into bitmap. Follow these steps to convert it into bitmap. (Make sure all lines were selected).
TOP MENUBAR > BITMAPS > CONVERT TO BITMAP
You can chose DPI also in coming up next little window. Your Brushed lines are converted into bitmap now.
 

STEP 7 : Blur bitmap image

To create a smoky effect, you have to blur your lines bitmap image. Follow these steps.
TOP MENUBAR > BLUR > GAUSSIAN BLUR

In coming up next small window, you can set Blur radius, For best result set it around 20.

STEP 8 : Apply Ripple Distort

Now follow these steps to add some ripple effect on your lines bitmap image.
TOP MENUBAR > BITMAPS > DISTORT > RIPPLE

In coming up next small  window Period and amplitude to give a wave effect.
 
Your smoke effect is ready now.
Done !!!
You can use this trick on texts also. You have to Break apart of text and also convert into curve.

 

EXAMPLE :

Modify existing font using Shape Tool.

If you work as a designer many time you need some special fonts or you want modify only one or two letter. As topic says itself you can make your own font in Corel Draw, means you can customize your own font.
Well you can export it also in .TTF (True Type Font) in Corel and install it in windows default FONT directory, but it is very complicated process.  To save your objects in .TTF, you have to define every modified character with alphabets. So why to go with this method if you don’t need it.
In my previously posted tutorials Convert to curves an object  and Break a part artistic text, you already learn some modification of objects using SHAPE TOOL. So now I am going to tell you how to modify font with this TOOL.  

Modified Text Final Image:

STEP 1: TEXT TOOL

Chose a TEXT TOOL. Click anywhere you like and  type some text whatever you like.

STEP 2: TEXT FORMATING

Select Font and Font-size whatever like shown in below picture.

Step 3: Break apart and Converting to curves

Select your whole text and Break artistic text apart.
(See here for more details: Break a part artistic text)
Now your all letter is an object. Select all objects that you want to modify. Convert to curves your selected object.
(See here for more details: Convert to curves an object)
Your all selected objects are now free to manipulation.

STEP 4: Using SHAPE TOOL

Select any letter that you want to modify and chose SHAPE TOOL.
   
Now SHAPE TOOL BAR is enabled as shown in below screenshot. SHAPE TOOL BAR allow you to ADD NODS, DELETE NODS, JOIN TWO NODS, BREAK CURVE, CONVERT TO LINE, CONVER TO CURVE,  CUPS NOD, SMOOTH NOD, SEMETRICAL NOD, and many more….
 

Zoom in to your object till you feel comfort to modify it (Roll-over and Roll-Down your mouse Roller for zoom-in and zoom-out).
To know more about SHAPE TOOL visit my previously posted article “Use of SHAPE TOOL in Corel Draw”.
 
Select all and group it.
Finally you can add some cool Shadow effects to make it more attractive.

Modification:

    

Few Examples:

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.

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.