Where I live, a sure sign that Spring is on it's way are the rows upon
rows of daffodils growing and blooming in the fields....a magnificent
carpet of yellow!
This tutorial will teach you how to create a daffodil and leaves using
easily edited path shapes which can be used in future images you do
and although the instructions are primarily for PI 7, I'm certain it
can be done in PI 6 too.
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Daffodil Head/Petals
Lets start by clicking on File/New/New Image. We need a 400 x
400; white; RGB canvas, so be sure that you have the same settings
as I have here before clicking on OK.
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Using the Path Drawing Tool set on 2D and a light yellow colour
(The hex code for the yellow I used is: #FCFCA9), select Custom
Shape Arch 2. Keeping an eye on the settings on the left hand side
of your status bar, draw your shape to appoximately W=45 and H=66.
Then use the Transform Perspective Tool to pull in the bottom edge
slightly to formulate a petal shape. |
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Right click and duplicate your petal 4 times. Arrange them into
a star shape as you can see I have done on the left here...there
isn't any need to be accurate about how you arrange them just as
long as they're in some sort of star shape. Right Click, Select
All Objects and then Merge as a Single Object and then right click
again Select Properties and alter the Transparency to 15.
Use the Burn Tool on Round Shape 5; Level 100; Soft Edge 50 to
draw in lines from the tip of each petal to the center and then
use the Blur Tool on Round Shape 100; Level 5; Soft Edge 50, to
soften those burned lines slightly.
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Right click to select shadow and use the same settings I have
on the left here. |
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The Daffodil Trumpet.
Using the Path Drawing Tool set on 2D with a sligtly darker yellow
and more orangey colour than you used earlier (The hex code I
used is this time is: #FFD978), select Custom Shape Round Shape
2. Draw your shape to appoximately W=76 and H=69 or until it's
of a size that will fit nicely as the a daffodil trumpet part
in the center of your petals
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Right click to duplicate this shape and then use the Transform
Tool to make the duplicate just slightly smaller and rotate it by
about 22.5 degrees. Click on Object/Convert Object Type and then
on From Text/Path to Image. Click once on the + sign of the brightness
button to make this duplicated shape look a little lighter than
the original. Use the Burn Tool on Round Shape 10; Level 100; Soft
Edge 50 to darken areas of your daffodil trumpet, especially the
center, then use the Blur Tool on Round Shape 100; Level 5; Soft
Edge 50, to soften those burned areas slightly. |
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Give the daffodil trumpet a shadow using the settings show on
the left here: Then Right click to Select all Objects and Merge
as a single object. You may want to click on the + sign of the brightness
button one time to give your completed daffodil head a sligtly lighter
look, but that's an optional step. |
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Stem and Leaves
To create a stem for your daffodil, use the Path Drawing Tool
set on Shape - Rounded Rectangle; 3D Round and a light bright
green colour (The hex code I used is: #A9E969). Make the border
4 and the depth 30 and then draw a long thin stem. Click on Object/Convert
Object Type and then on From Text/Path to Image. Use the airbrush
with a much darker shade of green to spray over your stem slightly
to give a more realistic look about about it and then place your
stem into position behind your daffodil head.
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To create the leaves, use the Path Drawing Tool set on 2D with
a dark green colour (The hex code I used is: #008800), select Custom
Shape Brush Tip 2. Draw your shape approximately W=97 and H=288.
Use the Transform tool to resize it to a width of about 20. You
should now have a long slender blade. |
 
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Change from the Path Drawing Tool to the Path Edit Tool and then
click on the Toggle button. Be sure that the mode is on Edit Point
and then click on one of the top curving lines above the two center
edit points on your leaf....that curved line will change from black
to red. In the attributes bar click on convert line to a straight
line and then convert line to a curve. Then do exactly the same
thing to the line on the opposite side of the top part of your leaf
and again to both sides of the bottom part of the leaf. When you've
finished, click again on the Toggle button and then use the Transform
Perspective Tool to pull in the bottom edge of your leaf to give
it a more slender look. |
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Click on Object/Convert Object Type and then on From Text/Path
to Image. Use the airbrush with a much lighter shade of green to
spray over your leaf highlighing different part slightly to give
a more realistic look about about it. Use the Blur Tool to soften
the look and then when you're ready, right click and duplicate this
leaf a couple of times. Make one of the duplicated leaves a little
shorter and the other a little taller and then rotate and flip the
longest one horizontally. Position the 3 leaves arond the bottom
of the stem of your daffodil, Select All Objects and Merge as a
Single Object. Your beautiful blooming flower is complete. |
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Of course daffodils normally grow in groups, so you might like
to duplicate the one you've just created, resize as necessary
and formulate a nice little group of them as I have done on the
left here. Don't forget to save your daffodils as a .ufo or in
your easy palette so you have them there ready to use in any image
you choose to use them in.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and I look forward to seeing
your beautiful daffs springing up everywhere :-)
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