10 Step Crystal Orb Tutorial

• Software: Inkscape (or any other software with vector tools)
• Level: Beginner
• Subject: Crystal Orb

This is the first of the tutorials that would be put up at KalaaLog. I had put up graphics tutorials earlier at Splat (see shiny ball and eyeball tutorial) and have got good response - with the readers and on-line friends asking for more. It was one of the driving forces behind the creation of KalaaLog.

Enough with the history. Let us start our vector programs - Inkscape in my case, but you should be able to walk through this tutorial quite easily. I will try to make it as generic as possible.

Step 1

I do not think that needs any explanation in terms of shape. Take the circle (or ellipse tool) and make a circle. Give attention to the color you choose for the stroke or outline and the fill color. Choose a darker color for the outline and a very light - almost pastel color of the same hue for the fill.

Step 2

Now, create a copy of the circle, and choose a transparent outline (or no-outline). Choose a color which is in the mid-range in terms of luminosity and give a circular (or radial) gradient to it. Note that the gradient is from full color in the middle to transparent at the edge - not white at the edge.

Give careful attention to the color chosen for the gradient. It should not be the same hue as the first color, but with a bit of shift in hue. Here the first color I chose was a yellow-green. Hence for the gradient I chose deep green.

Other such combinations could be cyan and deep blue, or yellow and orange, and many other set of colors that are next to each other in terms of hue.

But do not bother too much about it - after some experimentation, you would get a hang of it.

Step 3

The step is quite simple. Get the circle with gradient fill over the first circle and position it in absolute center.

Step 4

Now paste another copy of the original circle, switch of the outline and give it a gradient of dark color to transparent from bottom to top. The color chose is same as the one for the outline of the first circle.

Step 5

Again, as before, get the dark gradient over the other two circles and position it at absolute center.

Step 6

Make another copy of the circle. Do not bother about the color yet. We need to get the proper shape that will give it the glassy glare.

Step 7

Move that circle over the rest of them, and then resize it to have an approximate shape as above. It should be around half the height of the rest of them, and the width should be such that it just squeezes with in the outline.

Step 8

Now choose a color that is a very light hue of the fill color of the circle in Step 1.

Step 9

Give a faint gradient to it. Solid color at the top, and a bit transparent at the bottom. You can live it at this point, but to give it the extra ‘oomph’ proceed to the next step.

Step 10

Now, just select the ellipse and change its overall transparency to 0.75 or 75%.

And you are done. Pat yourself on the back and have a cup of coffee.

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