Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
AHUJA
Anil Ahuja/Adobe Systems
Adobe's Product Specialist Anil Ahuja used a range of tools and techniques to
create his dragonfly, and relied upon transparency methods to obtain color
accuracy to closely match his reference photo. In his three levels of objects used to
create the wings (
Creating Wings
), this is readily apparent. After drawing the wing's
black-stroked vein structure with artistic calligraphic brushes of various sizes and
shapes, he selected the paths and chose Object> Expand (to outline the strokes),
then Merge (to create a compound path object). In the Appearance panel he
clicked Opacity, and changed the Blending Mode to Darken to reduce the opacity,
giving the wing its realistic brown color. With the brown and blue gradient mesh
objects (residing on a layer beneath the vein structure), Ahuja used the Direct
Selection tool to select individual mesh points to decrease the opacity (ranging from
0-90%). To make the wings appear translucent instead of just transparent, Ahuja
used the Pen tool to draw an outline copy of the wings which he put on a layer
below the veined structure and the mesh. He filled the outline with a color similar to
the background and reduced the opacity to 30%. To complete the illustration, Ahuja
created a shadow on a layer between the dragonfly and the gradient mesh
background. To make the shadow, he pasted a copy of the wing outline and with
the Pen tool added an outline of the body. He then reduced the opacity of the
shadow object to 53% and changed the Blending Mode to Darken.
