Indonesian Anti Drug Ads

Anti Drug Ads with Tukul Arwana "Empat Mata"

Anti Drug Ads with CorelDRAW

Create Beautiful Bevels with CorelDRAW® X3

By Steve Bain

Applying bevels to graphics with earlier versions of CorelDRAW® was certainly not simple and easy, and the results were arguably less than impressive. However, all that has changed with the introduction of the new bevel effect in CorelDRAW X3. You can now add a third dimension (see below) and customize your bevels with depth, color, and lighting options. This new feature is a welcome addition to the effects available in CorelDRAW.

Besides being completely customizable, the bevels you can create are dynamically linked to the source object they're applied to, so you can always adjust and edit your bevel creations. CorelDRAW X3 also enables you to specify full CMYK or spot colors, which makes this effect extremely versatile.

Fast and Easy Bevels

All of the controls you need to apply a bevel effect are found in the Bevel docker. You can apply your bevels to virtually any closed vector shape, provided you haven't already applied other complex effects to it. Closed vector shapes include artistic text, native shapes (such as rectangles, ellipses, and polygons), and any other shapes you can imagine.

Options in the Bevel docker are organized into Style, Bevel Offset, Shadow Color, and Light controls, with the last group of controls providing the most flexibility (see below). After your options are set, you can apply or update the bevels by clicking the Apply button.

When you apply a bevel effect, your original object becomes a control object. Any changes you make to the control object are automatically updated in the bevel effect you've applied. If you're experienced in applying other effects in CorelDRAW, working with bevel effects will be second nature.

If you're new to CorelDRAW X3 and you've never experimented with bevel effects, the following procedures will help you get started. The first procedure helps you create a bevel effect with a Soft Edge style. The second procedure helps you create a bevel effect with an Emboss style.

1. If you haven't done this already, select - or create and select - a closed vector shape to which you want to apply the Soft Edge bevels. Then, apply a uniform color fill by right-clicking on a color well in the on-screen color palette.
   
   
2. Open the Bevels docker by choosing Window > Dockers > Bevel. By default, the Bevel docker opens on the right side of your application window.
   
   
3. To apply soft, contoured bevel chisels to your object, choose Soft Edge as the Style option and To Center as the Bevel Offset option (see below).

   

4. Using the color pickers in the docker (see below), set the Shadow Color control to Black and the Light Color control to White (also the default).

   

   If you wish, adjust the sliders for the other available lighting controls.
   
   
5. Click the Apply button. The bevels are immediately applied to the selected object, according to the options you specified.

While Soft Edge bevel effects can be applied quickly to virtually any existing shape and look great in virtually any arrangement of shapes, the same isn't true for Emboss style bevels. A successful Emboss bevel requires a bit more time to set up. Follow these steps, and you'll see what I mean.

1. To apply an Emboss bevel, you need to create two objects - one shape to apply bevels to, and another, larger shape to serve as the background. Both objects must be filled with the same uniform color. Start by creating two objects with the object to be beveled arranged in front of the larger, background object (see below). Remove any outline pen properties applied to the objects.

   

2. Select the object in front, open the Bevels docker (choose Window > Dockers > Bevel), and choose Emboss from the Style selector.
   
   
3. When you choose Emboss, the only available Bevel Offset option is Distance. Specify a value in the Distance list box to set the width of your effect (see below).

   

4. Set the Shadow Color control to Black, and the Light Color control to White. If you wish, use the Lighting Control sliders to set the lighting properties of your Emboss effect.
   
   
5. Click the Apply button to create the effect. Note that two objects are automatically created and layered below your selected object. One of these objects represents the shadow color, and the other object represents the light source color. The overall effect is a raised surface (see below).

   

One of the powerful application of the new Bevel effects in CorelDRAW X3 is that you can adjust and edit your applied bevel effect at any time without having to start over. Simply select the object to display the current bevel settings in the docker, change the bevel options, and click the Apply button.

Bevel Options

By applying bevels, you can to add depth to flat objects. The available options provide you with a basic toolset with which you can customize the bevel effects you apply. Let's take a guided tour through the options and see how flexible they are.

Beveling with Style

To begin our exploration, we'll start at the top of the Style selector menu. You can choose the typical Soft Edge style, which is most commonly associated with bevel effects, or you can choose an Emboss style. These two styles enable you to produce many unique effects (see below). The Soft Edge bevel style offers a lot of flexibility, and it produces an elegant, bitmap-based bevel according to the options you select. With Soft Edge selected, you can choose either the To Center offset option or the Distance offset option.

With Emboss selected, your offset option is Distance. Applying an Emboss style bevel produces two vector copies of your original object at the Distance offset value entered. These copies are arranged in back of your original and are colored so that they mimic the effect of a raised surface (see below).

You can produce different effects with Soft Edge bevels, depending on whether you choose the To Center offset or the Distance offset. The To Center offset applies contoured bevels that join the outer edges of your object to the center, creating a ridge or crest effect along the center of the shape. With the Distance offset option, you can specify the offset value, which enables you to control the bevel depth. The unbeveled portion of your object's surface is left flat (see below).

Setting Light and Shadow Colors

The uniform color fill that you apply to your control object influences the overall color and, in fact, serves as the foundation for lighting and shadow colors. Keep this in mind as we look at the next two, interrelated variables of your bevel that you can control: shadow color and light color.

Shadows automatically appear on the simulated side that faces away from the bevel's imaginary light source. The intensity of the shadow is based on its angle from the light source, but the color is based on what you select in the Shadow Color selector. Although you can choose a specific color in the selectors, the actual values of your shadow and light source colors are influenced by the original color of the object and the lighting options you choose.

The effects of the shadow and light colors that you apply depend on the bevel style you choose. With a Soft Edge bevel, the shadow color is smoothly applied over the contoured shapes of the bevel sides that face away from the light source, and the lighting color is smoothly applied on the sides that face toward it and any flat front surfaces. In the example below, a Soft Edge bevel at default colors has been applied to a simple purple-colored shape.

For Embossed bevels, two uniformly colored objects are automatically created to represent the shadow and light colors of the effect. Like the Soft Edge bevels, the shadow and light colors are affected by the color of the original object with which they're linked (see below).

When choosing your initial shadow and light colors, you'll likely find that keeping it simple is the best strategy. Unless you are trying to create a specific color variation or effect, it may be best to leave the Shadow Color and Light Color options to their default black and white, respectively, at least until you've had a chance to fine-tune the other lighting options.

Using Lighting Options

The next three options are also intertwined and significantly affect the overall appearance of the bevel color. The Intensity, Direction, and Altitude sliders enable you to quickly adjust specific lighting properties (see below).

The Intensity slider brightens or darkens the light source, and it has an adjustable range from 0 to 100 percent. Adjusting the light intensity of Soft Edge bevels changes the bevel color of sides that face toward the imaginary light source, and any flat surfaces are affected. On Emboss bevels, only the color fill of the object that represents the light source color is affected (see below).

You can control where your imaginary light source is positioned around your object by using the Direction slider, which specifies degrees. This slider lets you control where the dark and light sides of the bevel effect appear. The trick to setting the direction slider successfully is in knowing which degree orientation to enter. As a general rule, a setting of 0 degrees places the light source at the 3 o'clock position (see below).

Moving the Direction slider to the right or left increases or decreases the degree value, and rotates the light source position around the object counterclockwise or clockwise, respectively - which is just the opposite of what you'd expect. The illustration below shows the effects of applying four basic light source directions.

The Altitude slider is available only for Soft Edge bevels, and it lets you adjust the distance of the imaginary light source from the object with a value range of 0 to 90. This control determines the contrast between the shadow color and the light color. A low value increases the difference between the two colors and creates a stark contrast effect. A high value lowers the difference between the two colors and creates a more diffused lighting effect (see below).

Bevel Tips and Tricks

After you've become comfortable applying bevels and controlling the available options, you can try a few nifty tricks to achieve specific effects. Here are a few to get you started.

If you're having difficulty applying a bevel effect to your object, be sure that the object is a closed-path vector object with a color fill applied. The bevel effect requires a color fill before you can apply the bevel. Both bevel styles are compatible only with uniform fill colors, although Emboss bevels can be applied with other fill types. Any outline pen properties applied to your object survive, but they are not included in the effect.

Your bevels are dynamically linked, so you can use the Break Bevel Apart command to dismantle them from your original object and examine them (see below). To separate the objects, choose Arrange > Break Bevel Apart (or access the command by right-clicking the effect or pressing Ctrl + K). Taking a Soft Edge bevel apart yields a CMYK bitmap with a soft mask applied, whereas dismantling an Emboss bevel produces two vector copies of your original object.

To remove a Soft Edge bevel effect from a selected object, you can choose Effect > Clear Effect. To remove an embossed bevel, click only the bevel portion of the effect, and choose the same command.

When applying bevels, you can create the effect of both raised and lowered surfaces by using one of two methods. The first method applies to Emboss bevels and involves swapping the shadow and light colors by using the available selectors (see below). The second method applies both to Emboss and to Soft Edge bevels and involves reversing the direction of the light source.

You can combine bevel effects with other effects in CorelDRAW X3, provided they're compatible. One logical combination is to apply drop shadows to Soft Edge bevels. To apply a drop shadow to your bevel effect, click the Pick tool to activate it, and hold down Ctrl while clicking the bevel bitmap. Then, choose the Interactive Drop Shadow tool, and drag away from the imaginary light source. The shadow is applied to the bitmap portion of your effect, and it remains linked to the effect (see below).

The new bevel effect is a welcome addition to the arsenal of creative effects in CorelDRAW X3. The effect can be applied quickly, requires no steep learning curve, and is relatively uncomplicated to use. Being able to control the depth, color, and lighting of your bevels allows you to produce truly customized results.

Steve Bain is an award-winning illustrator and designer, and an author of nearly a dozen books, including CorelDRAW®: The Official Guide.

The Color Wheel: Neon

By Gary W. Priester

Since CorelDRAW® acquired the ability to blend objects way back when, I've been able to create a neon glow effect. But there was always something missing. Specifically, the appearance of the glass tubing in which the electronically changed neon gas is contained.

While preparing for Rick Altman's CorelWORLD™ Conference in Boston last September, I came upon a better way to create a neon effect including the appearance of glass tubing. In this article, I will share my technique for creating this effect.

By the way, the term "neon" is often given to any glowing gas used for "neon" signs. In fact, neon only makes up two colors. There are many other gasses used to create the other vibrant colors including krypton, argon and more. Those of you who took Chemistry probably can tell me which gasses produce which colors.

We will be using pixels as our units of measure, as pixels are the international unit of measure for the Web. In the Grid and Ruler Setup (double-click the screen rulers) set the units to Pixels.

If you are creating your image for the Web, or just to be viewed on your computer screen, set the Resolution (Layout, Page Setup) to 96 dpi, Windows screen resolution. If you plan to output your design to a color printer or commercial printer, set the resolution from 300 – 600 dpi.

I'm using the old (and brighter) RGB palette instead of the simulated CMYK display because I intend my neon image to be displayed on the Web. For printed output, you can use the simulated CMYK display option, or convert your image to CMYK when you are finished.

Open the Symbols docker and select a star symbol either from Zapf Dingbats (which for some unexplained reason, showed empty for me) or Wingdings (Symbols). You can also create your own star by creating a 5-sided polygon using the Polygon Tool, and then using the Shape Tool to drag the center nodes to the center. Whatever method or source you pick, make the overall star size 130 x 130 pixels.



Using the Freehand Tool, draw a horizontal line 80 pixels wide. Click twice with the Pick Tool to enter Rotate/Skew mode and, while holding down the CTRL key to constrain the movement, drag the left-center skew arrow upwards until the line has been skewed 30 degrees.

Select the line with the Shape Tool, then marquee select both nodes (drag a rectangle around the line with the Shape Tool).

On the Property Bar, click the Convert Line to Curve icon. Deselect the line, then using the Shape Tool, click the left node to enable the Bezier control handles. Drag the left handle to the center as shown. Repeat for the right node, dragging the Bezier control handle to the center. You should now have a gentle S-shaped line.



Make five duplicate lines. Select the lines and the star and open the Outline Pen Dialog (Outline Tool flyout on the main toolbar). Set the line width to 20 points and check the rounded corners and rounded joins radio buttons.

Arrange the lines and star as shown so that the thickness of the outlines do not touch one another, or just barely touch as shown in this illustration. If for some reason, the outline color is not black, change it.



Select all the lines and star. Press the plus key (+) on the numeric keypad to place a duplicate set of lines. Do not deselect the lines. Change the line width (in the Outline Tool flyout) to 10 points. Change the outline colors as follows: a. Ruby Red, b. Pastel Blue, and c. Blue. Make a duplicate set of all the 10-point lines and set this duplicate to one side for the moment.



Select all of the new lines and the star and make another duplicate set. Change the line width to 4-point and change the colors to: a. Red, b. Power Blue, c. Sky Blue.

Note: If you let your cursor hover over any color on the screen palette, the color name will appear in a tool tip. The names of selected colors in your image will appear on the bottom right side of the status bar.



Make yet another set of duplicate lines. Change the line width to 1 point and change the colors to: a. Faded Pink, b. White, c. White. Name and save your drawing and take a short eye break.



Zoom in very close to the lines. Select the Interactive Blend Tool from the Interactive Tools flyout menu. Create a four-step blend from the black outline to the next largest outline, to the next largest outline, to the 1-point outline. Repeat for the other six groups of outlines. If you are unfamiliar with blends creation, drag the Interactive Blend Tool cursor from one shape to the next, to the next, to the next, etc.



Find the set of duplicate 10-point outlines. Select all and Combine them (CTRL + L). Make two duplicates of the combined lines and place one set to the side for a moment.



Select the other duplicate 10 point outlines and change the outline width to 1-point. Make the outline color for the large outlined group white and the outline color for the 1 point group black.



Marquee select both groups of lines. Blend both sets of lines either using the Interactive Blend Tool, or in all versions except version 9, select Blend from the Effects menu. (Blend took a vacation from the Effects pull down menu for some reason in version 9 but, happily, has returned).

Select the Blend and from the Bitmaps menu, select Convert to Bitmap. Select Grayscale from the Color: drop down list. Set the resolution to 300 dpi. Place a check next to the Transparent Background option. Press OK to create the bitmap.

With the bitmap selected, select Blur, Gaussian Blur from the Bitmaps pull down menu. Apply a 1.5 pixel radius blur. These settings are for version 10 and may vary greatly in previous versions. Basically we just want to subtly soften the edges of the bitmap.



Center the grayscale bitmap over the blended shapes. Apply an Interactive Transparency, Uniform, amount 50% This creates the appearance of the glass tubing.



Fetch the other duplicate you made of the 10 point outlines. Change the line width to 8 points and combine (CTRL + L) all the lines. Now (version 10 only, I'm afraid) Convert Outlines to Shape. This creates fillable shapes from the outlines.

Press the TAB key once to select the invisible original outline and delete it. Normally this invisible outline is not a problem, but it can cause trouble because we tend to forget it is there. So, to be on the safe side: whenever you convert Outlines to Shape, delete the invisible lines. Save your file and take an eye break.



Duplicate the combined duplicate (+) and offset the duplicate right and down a few pixels in each direction, as shown here.



Select both shapes and press the Quick Trim icon on the Property Bar. Delete the top shape (the trimmer). Change the fill color to Powder Blue. We will use this shape to create highlights to the glass tubing.

Note: Corel uses the first selected object as the trimmer and the second selected shape as the object to trim. Hence you want to select the top object first and the bottom object second. If you reverse the order, the bottom shape will do the trimming, which is not what we want.



Convert the Powder Blue shape to Bitmap (Bitmaps menu). Change the Color to RGB, and leave the other settings as is: 300 dpi, Transparent Background. Press OK to create the bitmap. Apply a 5-pixel Gaussian Blur (Bitmaps menu). This will soften the edges of the highlight and give it a more natural appearance.



Position the highlights over the neon shapes so it appears over the top left portion.



Add a black filled rectangle behind the neon shapes. Apply a Radial interactive fill. Center the Radial fill over the center of the star and change the center color to Twilight Blue. This rectangle and Radial fill creates the impression of a soft glow behind the neon elements.



And here is the finished image.

So that's my technique for creating neon in a glass tube. You can use this for just about anything that has a single outline.

For my session at the CorelWORLD Conference, I made some single weight letters for the word "draw" and used these to create the same neon effect that was then used as an interface for a Web page. Just to be on the safe side (in case any of Corel's lawyers were in attendance), I placed the text, "I Love To …" over the neon "draw", so there could be no confusion with the name of the Corel product, CorelDRAW.

If you would like to see more articles like this one, let me know. Or if you have any comments, or questions, feel free to drop me a short note at garypriester@earthlink.net. I'll try to provide you with a colorful reply.

Gary W. Priester lives in Placitas, New Mexico with his wife, their five cats, and Harry the extraordinary canary. He worked for 25 years as an advertising print and television art director where he developed a knowledge and appreciation for typography

CorelDRAW Tutorials : How to create chisel shapes: Part 2

By Steve Bain

In part 1 of this 2-part article, we learned how to create the illusion of chiseled effects in CorelDRAW 11 using the most basic of shapes. Next, we'll explore how to deal with more complex shapes and apply realistic color schemes to simulate lighting. If you haven't yet absorbed part one, now may be a good time since the settings you'll need to have selected and the techniques covered in those step sequences lay the groundwork for the tutorials which follow.

Tackling different object types
It goes without saying that the shapes you'll want to apply the chisel effect to won't always be simple circles, squares or polygons. In fact, you can apply this effect to almost any object type you can create in CorelDRAW 11. But, how you approach each challenge will depend on the object type. Let's take a close look at three uniquely different examples and explore how chiseled sides can be created.

Freehand lines
First, we'll see how our chisel effect can be applied to a simple open curved path. The basic thrust of this technique involves drawing an open path, applying a heavy line weight, converting the outline to an object, and applying the chisel to the resulting shape.

1. If you don't already have a line ready to apply the effect to, use the Bezier Tool to create an open path. Be sure the path doesn't cross itself, and try to ensure it is composed of mostly curves with a minimum of nodes. Copy your selected path to the clipboard (Ctrl+C) for a later step.

2. With the path selected, choose the Pick Tool and use Property Bar options to increase its thickness value (in this case 16 points). Then, choose Arrange, Convert Outline to Object (Ctrl+Shift+Q) to convert the state of your line into a closed path complete with corner nodes (as shown next).

   

3. Choose the Shape Tool (F10) and select each pair of nodes at either end of the object and use the Break Curve button in the Property Bar separate the nodes. Then, choose Arrange, Break Curve Apart (Ctrl+K) to separate each of the lines in the object. Select each of the lines representing the ends and use your Nudge keys to offset their position (as shown next).

   

4. Paste (Ctrl+V) a copy of the original path from your clipboard onto your page. By default, the copy is pasted exactly in its original position, but you'll need to perform a little node editing. Using the Shape Tool, double click to add a new point beside each end point, and double-click the existing end points to delete them. Choose the Pick Tool and press your numeric keypad "+" key to duplicate the path.

5. Select the copy together with one of the paths representing the outline of your shape and Combine them (Ctrl+L). Using the Shape Tool, select each pair of end nodes and click the Extend Curve to Close button in the Property Bar to close each end of the object (shown next). Now select the path you duplicated together with the second outline and repeat this. You now have two sides of your chisel effect and only the ends remain unfinished.

   

6. Using the Pick Tool, select one of the end lines you moved earlier and use your Nudge keys to move it back into position. Now, choose the Bezier Tool, click one of the end points, and click the point where the two chisel paths meet. Then, click the last node on the line to close the path. Perform this same operation on the line at the opposite end of your chiseled line.

7. Since the two shapes in your chisel are curved, let's apply a radial fountain fill applied to each to create the shading effect. Using the Interactive Fill Tool, select the upper chiseled side of the shape and choose Radial as the Fill Type from the Property Bar to apply the fill at defaults. Drag the white center marker to the upper-left area of the shape and drag any dark color from your onscreen color palette to the other secondary fill marker. Then, select the lower chisel side and do the same, but this time drag the white center marker to the lower-right area. To finish the shading, set the end shapes with the same uniform color used for your secondary color and your effect is complete (as shown next).

   

Chiseling simple text shapes
Creating chiseled text effects is of the more practical applications. Simple text characters are relatively easy to work with, but you'll need to analyze each character shape before you begin. In the case of characters, the one-step Blend usually serves as the best technique to use. Let's examine how to apply this effect to a simple sans-serif character shape.

1. Using the Text Tool (F8), create an Artistic Text character (single click, then type the character), and apply your size, font, and weight attributes using Property Bar options. The example is an uppercase C set to Franklin Gothic Heavy Italic. Choose the Pick Tool and convert your character to curves (Ctrl+Q).

2. Using the Shape Tool (F10), select the nodes joining the curves with the straight lines and click the Break Curves button in the Property Bar to unjoin the nodes. Then, use the Break Apart command to separate the curved lines from the straight lines (as shown next).

   

3. Choose the Interactive Blend Tool and click-drag between the two curve paths to create a default blend effect. Use Property Bar options to set the number of blend steps to 1. You'll notice the blend effect doesn't even come close to matching the shape of either curve. This is because the nodes have not yet been mapped.

4. Click the Miscellaneous Blend Options button in the Property Bar and choose Map Nodes. Use the targeting cursor to click on each of the adjacent end nodes on the two curves to map them to each other (as shown next). Using the Pick Tool, right-click the blend object and choose Break Blend Group Apart from the popup menu to separate the effect. Even after the node mapping is complete, you may notice the blend object is still slightly inaccurate (as highlighted in yellow). You can often correct these irregularities using the Shape Tool by double-clicking to delete the node(s) where the anomaly occurs.

   

5. With your chisel path selected, use the Shape Tool to add nodes as shown next, and delete the existing endpoints to shorten the curve shape. Select the curve using the Pick Tool and press "+" on your numeric keypad to create a copy. Combine (Ctrl+L) the copy with the outer curve, use the Shape Tool to select two adjacent endpoints, and click the Extend to Close Curve button in the Property Bar. Repeat this to join the two nodes at the opposite end and close the path.

   

6. Choose the Bezier Tool next and click one of the short, straight lines remaining. Click an existing node and click the point where the two chisel corners meet and then click the opposite end of the line to close the path. Repeat this operation on the other straight end line.

7. To apply quick shading to the curved shapes of the arrangement, use the Interactive Fill Tool to apply radial fills using white as the center color and any dark color as the ending color. Position the white center at the upper-left on the inner curve and at the lower-right for the inner curve (shown next). Apply Uniform fills to the triangular chisel shapes at either end and you're done.

   

Chiseling more complex character shapes
Complex characters require a little more ingenuity as you'll discover next. The approach is similar, but more steps are involved. Let's see how it's done.

1. Begin with an Artistic Text character again, this time an uppercase H. Apply a sans serif font style, such as the Franklin Gothic Heavy Italic used in the example.

2. Using the Shape Tool, hold Ctrl+Shift while clicking any node to select all nodes. Click the Break Curve button to break the nodes apart and separate all the lines using the Break Apart command (Ctrl+K). Apply an outline color to the lines by right-clicking any color in your onscreen color palette.

3. Create a one-step blend between the vertical parallel lines in the original character shape using the Interactive Blend Tool (as shown next), right click each blend object and choose Break Blend Group Apart to separate the effect.

   

4. Apply a one-step blend between the two horizontal lines and notice the blend path is not the shape you need. Using Property Bar options, click the Miscellaneous Blend Options button and choose Map Nodes. Use the targeting cursor to map the adjacent end pairs to each other. Right-click the blend object and choose Break Blend Group Apart.

5. The blend paths will serve as the chisel paths, but they'll need to be edited. Using the Shape Tool, increase the length of each line as shown next. Select the three chisel paths and create copies (with the + key). Add nodes on the vertical lines where they meet the horizontal chisel lines and click the Break Curve button. Separate these using the Break Apart command. Each side will now have a corresponding chisel path.

   

6. Assemble the sides using the Combine (Ctrl+L) command and connect the pairs of end nodes for each side using the Shape Tool and the Extend to Close Curve button to close the shapes (as shown next). Then, use the Bezier Tool to finished chiseling the remaining ends. Once the shapes are closed, you're ready to apply the final color and shading and remove the outline colors.

   

Shading your chisel effect
Although nearly every example we've looked at shows a finished a color version, we still need to explore some basic techniques for applying color and shading. After your shapes have been created, this effect would be nothing without it. Before you begin applying color though, you'll need to determine a few key characteristics. For example, is your chiseling recessed or on a raised surface. From which direction will it be lit? How bright is the light source? What is will the color scheme be? Your answers will help you determine which colors to use and where to place them.

When it comes to applying uniform fills, the color of chisel sides facing the light will appear brighter while the others are darker. One quick technique to lighten selected object colors applied to the sides facing the light is using the Hue/Saturation/Lightness filter (Ctrl+Shift+U) by moving the Lightness slider (shown next) to the right while clicking the Preview button to view the results.

An efficient way to darken selected object colors is by adding black in incremental percentages using the CMYK model. Select the sides you wish to darken and open the Uniform Fill dialog shown next (Shift+F11), click the Models tab and choose CMYK from the Mode menu. Increase Black in percentages of 20 percent until the shade appears suitable.

The two examples shown next illustrate a how shading schemes can be applied using the Lightness and techniques discussed next. In this case a base color of Red (100 magenta + 100 yellow) was applied to the shapes. Sides facing the light were lightened using only the Red channel by the values indicated using the Hue/Saturation/Lightness filter. Sides facing away from the light were darkened by adding percentages of black. By varying the settings, you may control lighting contrast illustrated by the bright light source on the left and the dim one on the right. This particular chisel requires only 4 variations on the original color to simulate the lighting.

Color Styles offer another quick way to formulate colors. Open the Color Styles docker shown next (Window, Dockers, Color Styles), create a new color, and then create child colors of the color. This will enable you to create a variety of lighter or darker colors (or both) based on whichever color you choose. Use options in the Create a New Child Color dialog to add as many colors as you need.

Raised chisel effects like the ones shown in the examples can quickly be converted to recessed chisel shapes simply by rotating the objects 180 degrees. The example shown next demonstrates how simple rotation creates this illusion. This works perfectly if the objects you're working with are symmetrical. For non-symmetrical objects you may still use the rotated object shades as reference for other objects.

Steve Bain is an award-winning illustrator and designer, and author of nearly a dozen books including CorelDRAW The Official Guide