How to DRAW scrolls with CorelDraw!

[Leonardo]

Way to go Steve! You have made some nice "turns" there....
(03:00am here in Barcelona I must go to sleep for a while!)
Kind regards, Leonardo

 

[Francis Kisner]

If the program does not allow going to 162% to reach the Golden Mean, can it work in the other direction by using the mean and extreme proportions to achieve the same result? Alternately, since the program allows not only scaling but stretching and skewing, could the Golden Mean be achieved by starting with a spiral and bending it? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio for more information on the shape. Construction using Fibonacci sequence of squares takes a while but produces a usable result.

 

[Francis Kisner]

Golden Mean Spiral with Corel Draw

When I thought about it, I realized that I had better put my own effort into solving the Golden Mean Spiral. I copied the illustration of the Fibbonici square series from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio to have a clear curve from which to work. I rotated the illustration 180 degrees so it would line up with the shape Corel makes in the spiral tool. Of course, the curve didn't fit but I pulled it out until it was close on the broader part of the curve.

When I released the curve, nodes appeared along its length. Selecting the Bezier tool allowed me to move those nodes and adjust the node handles to make my curve fit the target.

So, yes, the tool will not directly produce the Golden Mean but it can be manipulated to give the desired result.
I'm using Corel v.7.

Peace.

 

[CRW]

This is a very interesting post and I have followed it all the way. I use CorelDraw version 7. I know I should upgrade but I really don't use it that much, only to tweak my drawings so it is hard to justify an upgrade.
I did this drawing very fast using the version 7. After reading this post it made it a lot easer. The design, if the scrolls are running the correct way and I think they are will have a border touching the outside of them. I have in mind this knife I have drawn, I know the outline is rough but I can smooth it up later. I just wanted to say that with this help I drew this in just about 2 minutes.

 

[Peter E]

Leonardo,
This is a very useful tutorial and I was able to follow it with the exception of using the "PLUS" key to duplicate the object.

I pressed the Shift and + on my keyboard and nothing happens?

Is there a key depicted as the "PLUS" key?

Thanks

 

[didyoung]

is this the same program that is offered for free on the net?

 

[KCSteve]

is this the same program that is offered for free on the net?

No, this is Corel Draw - the free one is InkScape

However, I've been playing with InkScape at it also has a spiral drawing tool so you can do the same things but you do them slightly differently.

 

[Leonardo]

Hi again!

Francis, that's ok. It is the way to trace any object and once you have what you need it is possible to copy and paste that object so many times as needed.
Thank you for your effort and input.

Carl, I am glad that you achieved that resut so fast. Keep at it!

Peter, using the PLUS key as a duplication shortcut only works with the plus key that is in the numeric keypad. May be you are using a laptop so, in this case you need to set the keypad function to on and try it in this way.

Steve, special thanks for your help in supporting other members questions. We are in diferent time zones and have many hours of diference so your help is really welcome.

Thank you all for your interest and comments.
All the best, Leonardo.

 

[CRW]

Leonardo,
Maybe I need to explain how I did the scrolls so fast. I have a free program on my computer that draws perfect scrolls with the turns that you want. The program is SPXE.
I already had the outline of the knife scanned into CorelDraw and open. I then opened SPXE and got the scroll I wanted, then I used the drag and drop and put the scroll into CorelDraw. Next you just cut and past and resize, flip and it is really fast.

Now I find the leaves are much harder, because of the manipulation that has to be done with the lines. For me it is very slow.

In my opinion, I think it would be better to do the backbone scroll in the desired shape and print it then draw the leaves you want. After that then you could Scan the drawing back into CorelDraw and scale it to the exact size and tweak it, if need be.
Thanks so much for these tutorials, they have been a big help to me, as well as everyone else, I'm sure.

 

[Mario Sarto]

Leonardo,
Maybe I need to explain how I did the scrolls so fast. I have a free program on my computer that draws perfect scrolls with the turns that you want...

Hello Carl,
i have just tested and it works well with CorelDraw! What a neat piece of software - small and fast. Thank you for sharing this.

Leonardo, i bet you have enough to do with other things. There is no need with this co-helper to spend your precious time to write a macro. Just drag-n-drop - that is all.

Mario

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Well I also downloaded this SPXE and indeed if you use exponential and the multiplier set at 1,62 you make a perfect golden mean spiral. I downloaded the Fibonacci spiral to verify that.

But now I have a other question:
If I draw with a pencil, I'm able to to fit all the scrolls touching each other, but probably they are not perfect golden mean scrolls then.

And as I learned in Ron's book "Advanced Drawing Scrolls" there is a chapter " Anatomy of a Perfect Scroll" and it looks totally different than the Fibonacci spiral.

So is this golden mean scroll only a try to perfect scrolls, or can they always be used? As to me when using a pencil I can draw scrolls that always fit to each other and that look good although they are not perfect scrolls.

So what is the goal?


arnaud

 

[Sam]

The goal is a balanced scroll design with each one having a perfect proportional spiral. This does not mean that every spiral must be consistent with the Golden Mean ratio to be correct. it's ok if it is but not something you need to focus on. If you want to design for the Golden Mean, then focus on the overall design and not so much the individual components that make up the design.

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Thanks Sam for the reply, to me that sounds that you have more possibilities using a pencil than vector or whatever other design.

arnaud

 

[Leonardo]

Great answer Sam! I really had not one for that question. Thank you!

Carl, that's ok. As was told, all fall in finding the balance that best suit our individual needs.

Mario, I was thinking in that but, if we have one spiral drawn as we like, we can copy and paste it so many times as we need, so I do not think that that macro would be of special value.

Thank you all again for your comments.
Cheers, Leonardo

 

[Mario Sarto]

Hello Arnaud,
i understand it as only one tool of a wide range. If i like to i can do the whole design by vectors. I also can draw all with pencil, pen, marker or what ever directly to the metal or on paper. I can use the combination of both.
What i can't see is there could be a limitation by using vector programs only or why you have more options when using a pencil only. Currently a pencil is much faster - and it has a lot more charm - for me.

Until now i have not seen a design based completely on the golden spiral but a lot use minors and majors for balance (like your pretty one on the knife, you know).
Just my two cents...
Mario

 

[Mario Sarto]

Mario, I was thinking in that but, if we have one spiral drawn as we like, we can copy and paste it so many times as we need

Of course that's true - but if there where no alternatives like SPXE, a macro (or a plugin) would be appreciated even if we get out of the golden mean and like to use other multipliers (higher or lower than 162)...
Thank you for this Leonardo!

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Hello Arnaud,
i understand it as only one tool of a wide range. If i like to i can do the whole design by vectors. I al
so can draw all with pencil, pen, marker or what ever directly to the metal or on paper. I can use the combination of both.
What i can't see is there could be a limitation by using vector programs only or why you have more options when using a pencil only. Currently a pencil is much faster - and it has a lot more charm - for me.

Until now i have not seen a design based completely on the golden spiral but a lot use minors and majors for balance (like your pretty one on the knife, you know).
Just my two cents...
Mario

Mario, indeed the vectors when properly used have no limitations, but on the other hand when drawing the backbone scrolls with the pencil for example, I can see where the pencil has to go to, but drawing a vector spiral I can't figure out the settings to draw one like I do with a pencil.
Sure you can draw a spiral and than manipulate the nodes and than you have all flexibilities like a pencil.
But as you say that is done much faster with the pencil.
It is also because it took me a of time to be convinced of the pencil, you remember my knife design, that I need to convince myself every time I have droughts.

So I agree with you that the best is when you can draw with vectors, pencil pen and marker, but I have to stay with the pencil to increase that skill. :big grin:

arnaud

 

[builderofstuff]

Another program to consider for those of us on a tight budget is Inkscape, it's a free vector drawing program and has a spiral function as well.

Chris
www.blowyourbrassoff.com