Planet RealDRAW

Draw a Ladybug

This tutorial shows how to create a ladybug. This tutorial will also get you in the habit of naming the layers, a good habit to get into. It makes editing much easier when the layers are labelled to reflect a part of the final image rather than the default labels that are likely to not be unique, especially in an image with many layers.

Step 1. Select the circle tool and drag out an oval. Make the width = 107 and the height = 131. Color the oval red. In the layers window, double click on the Circle layer and name it "Body."
Step 2. Click on the circle tool again and drag out a black circle. Make the width=43 and the height=38. Bevel it using a 'Smooth Bevel' with the settings 29 and 61 and adjust the light direction to 82. Rename this layer "Head" and send it to the bottom.
Step 3. Click on the Pen Tool and select "Curve" and make 3 curved paths that will be the left legs. The middle path can be straight, but try to approximate the top and bottom curved leg as shown in the image to the right. Select the top path and send it to the bottom layer. Then select the middle path and send it to the bottom layer. Repeat this 2 more times until the 3 paths are the 3 bottom layers in the layers window. Bevel each of the 3 paths using a "Smooth Bevel" with the settings 8 and 75 and adjust the light direction to be 135.
Step 4. Select the top left path and copy and paste it. Select the path that you just pasted and using the right arrow key on your keyboard, move it to the right side of the image. When you have it approximately placed, make sure it is selected, go to Object>Flip>Horizontal. Then use the left or right arrow key to put the top right leg into final position. Repeat this step for the middle and bottom legs.Select all 6 paths and then press Ctrl+E to creat a package. Name the package "Legs."
Step 5. Select the 'Line Tool' and drag a straight line in the middle of the body from top to bottom. HINT: Press and hold the SHIFT key while you drag the line and the line will be perfectly straight! Name this layer "Divider"
Step 6. Select the circle tool and drag out a a series of circles and position them on the left and right side of the divider. Vary the size of the circles. When you have completed making and placing your circles, select all the small circles and create a package (press Ctrl+E). Label the package "Spots"
Step 7. Now we are ready to make the antenna. Drag out a black circle that has a width = 42 and a height = 40. Copy and paste the circle. Select the top black circle and change the color so that you can see both circles. It doesn't matter what color the top one is -- I picked green here--but the bottom circle must be black. Make the green circle slightly bigger than the black circle as shown in the image to the right. Select the black circle first, then press and hold the SHIFT key and select the green circle. It is important to select these two objects in that order. Then click on Object>Combine Objects>Boolean Subtract and the result should be a crescent shaped object. Click on the black crescent shaped object, copy and paste it, then horizontal flip it. Then position each antenna as shown in the ladybug image to the right. Finally, send each antenna to the back and rename each layer "Antenna Left" and "Antenna Right," respectively.
Step 8. Select the layer named "Body" and copy and paste it. Select the top layer (the object you just pasted) and name it "Highlight." Change the color of the Highlight layer to white and add a linear transparency. Edit the transparency as shown in the image at the right.
Step 9. Select the rectangle tool and drag out a rectangle. Select 'Radial Gradient" from the Color and Texture window. Make the foreground color a light green and the background color a darker green. Select "Human Skin Hand" from the "Surface Skin" Window to approximate a leaf-like background(or you can draw a leaf or use a bitmap of a leaf for the background). That's it!!! You now have a happy ladybug that you created in RealDRAW!
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