Creating Standard Orb

Did you know that orb can enhance your illustration or your website design? Again, maybe yes maybe no. I will explain how to draw it, but please note that you can use this trick to another illustration.
I’m going to use transparency to make the orb looks real. Here we go!
1. Create an ellipse using the ellipse tool. Hold Ctrl button at the keyboard to make it round, not ellipse, while drawing it. Size it with 120 x 120 mm.
2. Color it using Sky Blue as it fill color. Use no outline.
3. Change the fill color to radial fill by selecting the Interactive Fill tool. Then, in the toolbar change the fill type to Radial. Change the start color to Sky Blue and the end color to Black. Then, change the radial fill node position to left corner. It should look like this.
4. Select the ellipse object and strike the + button at the Numpad. This will duplicate the object. Color it White without an outline. After changing the color maybe you’ll get shocked by it. “Where’s my Orb?” calm down, men. It doesn’t disappear. It just covered by its duplicate so you can’t see it.5. Next, we’ll gonna trim the white one. First, duplicate the white round using the same way before. But this time, change the color to another color so you can see the different between these objects. I recommend red. Then, place the red one so that it’s look like this.
6. To trim it, first select the red round. By holding the Shift key, click the the white one. In the toolbar click the Trim button. Delete the red round as you’re not using it again. Make sure the white object is selected, then select the Interactive Transparency Tool by clicking it in the toolbox. Set the transparency type to Linear and change the transparency node position to the left corner. If you are right, then it should like this.
7. Give it a finishing touch by setting a shadow under the orb. I recommend to set it manually then using the Drop Shadow tool. First, duplicate the round object and change the color to Black. Resize it by dragging the top center handle downward and resize it side to center by holding Shift and drag the side handle to the center. Then, press Ctrl + Page Down to send it backward until it is behind the Orb.
8. Skew it by clicking it once again. The handle should change from square to arrowed one. Drag the top center handle to the right. Then, make it transparent by using the same way like the way before.
9. It’s not finished yet. Pay attention at the shadow we made. The left side is shown and makes the shadow doesn’t look real. To eliminate it, trim it by drawing a square to cover the ‘traitor’ and change square’s color to red and select both the square and the shadow object. Then click Trim in the toolbar. How it’s look like?

Introducing CorelDRAW X4

Many of the professional graphic designers create their professional illustration by using computer software. Those are Adobe Photoshop, CorelDRAW, Macromedia Freehand, 3D StudioMax, and many more. But I’m going to introduce CorelDRAW to you as I’m using it.
The latest CorelDRAW product is CorelDRAW Graphic Suite X4 including CorelDRAW X4, Corel Photo-Paint X4, Corel Capture X4, BitStream Font Navigator, Duplexing Wizard, and SB Profiler. The main application is CorelDRAW X4 itself, so lets explore it deeper.
CorelDRAW X4 is a vector graphic drawing software that is the 14th generation of CorelDRAW. I myself start using it since the 10th generation: CorelDRAW 10. There are so many new feature inside this X4 so that you can draw an eye-catching illustration easier. It’s just about your imagination and creativity. But, imagination and creativity itself it’s not enough here. You need to master CorelDRAW too. At least you can master the basic feature of this amazing software (^_^).
For the beginner designer, i’m going to explain to you the basic X4 main display (user interface):
- The Iguana toolbar. Surprised? Of course you are, because the Iguana toolbar heard like a fantasy thing (LOL). I named it like that because the X4 toolbar doesn’t static like the other software. It changes depending what feature you are using. For example, if you are drawing a square, then the toolbar interface changes to ‘square drawing need’, then if you are using transparency at the square, then its changes to ‘transparency setting need’.
- Properties bar. Here you can see the properties of the object you’ve just created of edited. Such as it’s dimension, position, color, cursor position, and some hints for your illustration.
- Toolbox. Inside the toolbox there’s a lot of tools that can enhance your drawing. But i’m not going to explain it here.
- Docker. The docker lets you configure the advanced setting for your drawing. You can add or dismiss any docker depending you are using it or not. The default docker display is Hints.
- Color Palette. It is located right of the docker’s position. Select an object and left-click the color to change its fill color and right-click to change its outline color.
Satisfied? Maybe yes maybe no (-_-!). Maybe some of you want to ask me: “Why there are no example image here? Makes me bored reading it!”
Hey... hey... hey... Do i need to place an image here? Although you are a beginner in CorelDRAW, i know you’re not a dummy. I’m sure you know the place of each of the items that i’ve just explained.