INTRODUCTION: This tutorial provides a simple way to make basic copper coloured text and objects. The precedure can be used in all versions of Corel Photo-Paint from 8 upwards. Following the cornstruction of the basic metallic effect are two additional variants which can be used to create a crumpled copper foil finish and a green oxidized copper appearance.

Basic Copper   |   Bump Mapped Copper   |   Oxidized Copper
 

BASIC COPPER:

Create a new image:

RGB, 600x200 pixels, 72 dpi, white background.

Create some text.

Select the Text tool , change the Property bar settings and then type out your text (a wide rounded font works best).

I used Futura Md BT at 140 points and the word ' COPPER'. The colour of the text is not important in this step.


Centre the text to the document: Object > Arrange > Align and Distribute, select To Center of Document, then press OK.

Create a mask from object.

Use either Mask > Create from Objects, CTRL+M, or the icon on the Mask/Object Property bar.

If the Mask Marquee is visible (Mask > Marquee Visible, CTRL+H, or ) you will see the marching ants around the text.

Fill the object with a dark copper gradient.

From the menu choose Edit > Fill. The Edit Fill & Transparency dialogue box opens.

Choose the Fountain Fill icon , then press EDIT.
In the Fountain Fill dialogue, use these settings:

• Type = Linear
• Color Blend: two color
• From colour = RGB 118, 67, 67
• To colour = RGB 153, 102, 102
• Angle: -90,
• Steps 999,
• Edge Pad: 0
• Mid-point 50

When you have made the changes, save this fill as a preset: Type a name (e.g. Copper - Dark) into the presets text entry area and press the + icon.

Press OK twice.

Emboss the object.

Choose: Effects >3D Effects > Emboss.

Set Depth = 4, Level = 60, Original Colour, then press OK.

(Mask and handles removed for clarity)

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Add some noise.

From the menu choose Effects > Noise > Add Noise.

Set Level = 20, Density = 30, and Noise Type = Gaussian.

Press OK to add the noise.

Apply a Glass Effect.

From the menu choose Effects > 3D Effects > Glass.
Change the settings to:

• Style: Wet,
• Bevel Width = 5
• Smoothness = 70
• Refraction = 75
• Opacity = 50
• Dropoff = Gaussian
• Brightness = 70
• Sharpness = 60
• Color = Light Brown (e.g. R200, G150, B100)
• Direction = 135
• Angle = 83.

Press OK to apply the Glass effect.

Apply a Second Glass Effect.

Effects > 3D Effects > Glass. The previous settings should be retained. Therefore you should only need to make the following changes:

• Smoothness = 53
• Refraction = 0
• Opacity = 100
• Brightness = 100
• Angle = 73

Press OK to apply the effect.

Apply a Third Glass Effect.

Effects > 3D Effects > Glass. The previous settings should be retained.

Use the same settings as above but change the color to white.

Press OK to apply the effect.

Apply a drop shadow. That's it for the Basic Copper text effect..

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VARIATIONS:

Here are two variations you might like to try to enhance that quite ordinary-looking copper text you just made:

• Adding a bump Map texture, and
• Adding a green oxidized look to your copper text or objects.

Bump-Mapped Copper Text (Foil).
This is quite easy to make and it turns your solid copper objects into copper foil wrapped ones. Here's how:

Apply a Bump Map to the text or object you created from the method above:
From the menu choose Effects > Custom > Bump Map. Cclick the Reset button. Resetting the Bump Map dialogue should result in all the right settings we need here. If not, here are the settings:

Bump Map Tab: The Crumpled.cpt bump map should be loaded. If not, click load icon and choose the Crumpled.cpt map from the bumpmap folder (it should be opened, if not look in .../Corel/Graphics(x)/Custom/Bumpmap). Scaling should be set to tiled, 600x600

Surface Tab: Inverted, Smooth=off, Scale Factor=1, Floor=197, Ceiling=255, Highlight=88.

Lighting Tab: Direction=315, Declination=70, Color=white, Brightness=75, Auto Compute Brightness=on, Ambient Light Color=white, Ambient Light Brightness=0.
 

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Weathered Copper: Adding a green oxidized finish.

The green oxidation we see on weathered copper is usuallu quite uneven and 'runny' due to the action of rain and water.

We utilize Paint On Mask (POM) mode and the ..... effect to achieve this effect here.

STEPS:

First:. Save a mask of the text/object. If you still have the mask of your text, then save it as a channel. Otherwise, create a mask from the object (CTRL+M) then save it as a channel (Mask > Save > Save As Channel). We will need this later.

Also, remove any drop shadow from the object if present (right-click on the object in the Objects Docker and choose Drop Shadow > Delete Shadow.

Creating the outside (leaked) corrosion effect:

1. With the mask loaded, enter Paint on Mask (POM) Mode (CTRL+K, or )

2. Distort the mask with a Wet Paint effect.
Effects > Distort > Wet Paint. Wetness = 45, Percent = 80. Press OK.

5. Create a new object, move it below the COPPER object and fill it with a suitable fill.
Click the icon on the Objects Docker then drag this object below the COPPER object. Edit > Fill select the Texture fill type then press Edit on the Edit Fill and Transparency dialogue to enter the Edit Texture Fill dialogue. In the Samples Texture Library choose Blended malachite (this default is quite OK) then press OK twice.

Creating the inner corrosion effect.
 

1. Delete the altered mask from the outside effect process just above (SHIFT+CTRL+R, or ) and load the mask you saved to the channel (Mask > Load > Alpha 1 or whatever you called it).
 

3. Load the mask from the channel (Mask > Load > Alpha 1 (or same) - The POM image now contains the original mask also.
 

6. Leave POM mode, create a new object and fill it with a suitable fill.
Use CTRL+K or to exit POM mode.
Click the icon on the Objects Docker to create a new object. It will be placed abobe the COPPER object and be selected.
Choose Edit > Fill then press OK (use the same fill as before).
 

7. Create a background to suit.