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Optional Steps

Step 15. Optional Step. Because of the direction of this linear fill, the right hand side of the highlight had partly disappeared. I wanted it to be more viewable, so I cloned the highlight object and simply adjusted the linear transparency.

Step 16. Optional Step. I created a small highlight at the very bottom of the droplet as reflected light.

Clone the bottom black shape and remove the transparency (blue in diagram plus flat transp). Clone it again and give it any colour (red in diagram plus flat transp) then nudge it upwards and to the left by 5 pixels.

Select both shapes and subtract shapes. Change the colour of the highlight to white and add a small feather - around 3.5 pixels. Give it a fractal plasma transparency, (Profile 4) start at 44.5% end at 100%. I stretched out the horizontal transparency node quite a bit more than the vertical one.

Also because this highlight lightens the bottom shading I selected the clipview group (Step 11) which is the shading all round and decreased the bottom linear transparency from 90% to around 70 - 75%. Because this also accentuates the bottom line of the droplet I also deleted the bevel from this version.

Step 17. Optional Step. Although water like this isn't blue in itself and 'takes on' the colour of the surface it is on. I just very quickly added a slight blue tint as another option.

This was another clone of the black bottom shape with a linear fill of Sky Blue (RGB: 0, 191, 255) at the bottom and Blue (RGB: 0, 0, 255) at the top. With a linear transparency of 94.5% at the top and 100% at the bottom. I used a stained glass transp, although it didn't seem to make an awful difference with this particular transp setting. Send this blue 'overlay' behind your top highlight objects. I also changed all black objects to a very dark blue - (RGB: 0, 0, 30).

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©2003 Su Lawrence All rights reserved
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