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BASIC
DRAWING
In this
tutorial using the character in this example, you will learn
how to create a drawing using basic shapes. You will learn how
to apply transparency and gradient fills to shapes, transform
gradients, and reshape your drawn shapes.
The Rectangle/Square and Ellipse/Circle Tools can be used
to create every shape used to create the character in this
animation.
If you are not familiar with the SWiSH interface, you may
find it helpful to read the Shape Panel, and Color Selector
topics in the User Interface section of the Help Manual before
beginning this tutorial.
Drawing
the Face / Using Gradient Fills
1. Select
the Ellipse/Circle Tool from the Toolbox, Position the pointer
over the left top corner where you want to begin your shape,
click and drag diagonally until you have the desired shape.
2. With the shape selected, from the Shape Panel, select
Line | None, and Fill | Radial gradient; a gradient bar will
appear.
Note: By default there are two triangles above
this bar; the left triangle defines the starting color of
the gradient (in this case the center color) and the right
triangle defines the ending color (or the outside color).
3. Click the left triangle and select the white swatch from
the color palette. Click the right triangle and from the color
selector, click the small palette icon in the top right corner
to access the custom palette menu; choose a flesh tone, and
adjust the color as desired.
Drawing the Eyes / Adjusting Gradient Fills
4. Begin
by creating the white area of the eye. Select the Ellipse/Circle
Tool and create a smaller horizontal ellipse, this time select
Line | Solid, enter 1 in the width box and select black from
the palette. Select the Radial gradient fill, choose white as
the starting color and a pink for the ending color.
The pink area should only appear around the rim, so we need
to enlarge the white area.
5. Click on the gradient bar just left of the right triangle,
a third triangle will appear. Select the white swatch from
the color selector; this will constrain the pink area along
the outer edge, you can adjust the position of this triangle
by dragging it left and right along the gradient bar.
Note: you can remove a color from the gradient
bar by dragging the triangle past the end of the gradient
bar.
6. When you are satisfied with the gradient, select the
shape, copy and paste the shape. Place in desired position
on the face.
Adding the Iris and Pupil / Changing the Alpha Transparency
7. Select
the Ellipse/Circle Tool. Create a circle by holding down the
Shift key while dragging (this will constrain the scale so that
it is uniform, Shift-drag will create a square when the Rectangle
tool is selected). Select the Radial gradient fill. Choose black
as the starting color and blue for the ending color. Left click
above the gradient bar somewhere near the center to add another
color to the gradient. Select black and drag to the desired
position. Click the blue triangle and change the Alpha value
in the dialog box from 100% to 60%. Select Line | Solid, change
the Line width to 2, then click on the color button and select
a blue color from the palette selector. Finally, click the color
button again to adjust the line’s Alpha value from 100% to 33%.
8. When you are satisfied with this shape, copy and paste
a second eye, then center both within the white area of the
eye.
Let’s add a little life to the eyes by adding some reflective
light.
9. Select the Ellipse/Circle Tool and Shift-drag to create
a small circle, Select Line | None and Fill | Solid. Select
white form the color palette. Place over one of the eyes,
resize if needed then copy and paste a second for the other
eye, and place over the other eye.
Drawing the Neck / Transforming Gradient Fills
10. For this task, the neck is a simple object to start
with. Select the Rectangle/Square Tool and create your shape.
Select Line | None.
Note: The gradient fill will default to the same
colors, alpha value, and number of points, as the last radial
gradient or linear gradient fill selected while the Shape
Panel was active, so you may want to select the face with
the Shape Panel active, before you change the fill on this
shape.
Select the Linear gradient fill. Instead of swapping the
white and flesh tone positions, Click on Transform tool from
the drawing tool bar to select, and then click on the Rotate/Skew
tool. Drag one of the corner points and rotate 180°. With
the Transform tool selected, drag right and/or left until
the gradient is positioned where you want it.
One last shape and you will be ready to finish this drawing
on your own.
Note: It is often easier to create a more complex
shape by reshaping a shape that you create with the Ellipse
and Rectangle tools than it is to draw the shape using the
Pencil and Bezier Tools.
Reshaping / Adding the Crown and Bangs
11. Select
the Ellipse tool and create a shape wider than the forehead.
Select Line | Solid and choose a line color that will contrast
well with the background and the face. Select Fill | None, and
then resize such that the top of the ellipse is at an appropriate
position for the top of her head. Next, drag the bottom of this
shape until the shape’s center points line up where you want
the bottom of her bangs to be.
12. Select the Reshape tool, and right click on the bottom
node, select Remove Anchor from the menu. Remove the other
two points remaining on the bottom half of the shape.
After you have removed these points you will note that there
are two control points (circular anchors) that hang below
If you drag each of these up to the bottom anchors and towards
the center of the shape, you can overlap and end up with a
fairly straight line at the bottom.
13. To make the part in the bang, you will need to right
click along this line and select Insert Anchor from the menu.
Insert two more anchors along this line and drag upwards on
the anchor in the center to create the part. You can resize
and center if needed.
14. Fill the shape with the Radial gradient, choosing black
for the starting color and a reddish brown for the ending
color. Transform the gradient to place the highlight near
the top of her head.
You have completed the basic tasks needed to create this
character and are ready to complete this character on your
own. View susie.swi for guidance in
selecting the colors and alpha transparency as needed.
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