Creating a Lantern: Handles

Handles

Lets start out with the two handles that the Lantern should have. Switch to Layer 8 now, which should be empty, then open up the Display Options Panel and go to the Backdrop Tab. For the Bottom Right Viewport, use the settings shown in picture 44.



Click OK to apply the background image to the BR Viewport. We can’t just trace this background image with the Pen Tool like before since the shape of it isn’t quite that simple. What we need to do is make a polygon that has the shape of the intersection of the Handle, and then extrude it and work from there.

Set the Grid Size to 2mm and use the Point Tool to place 4 points at the positions shown below. What you can do here is simply place 4 points at a random location, and then move them one by one using the figures below.


Once you finished positioning the points, activate the Mirror Tool by pressing “Shift+V”, then mirror these points across the Z-axis at the centre. You can use the Numeric Panel if you want to, just set the axis to Z and the Centre values to 0, then close down the Numeric Panel and press Space to perform the operation.

Use the Mirror Tool again and this time mirror all the points across the X-axis at the centre. Drag a lasso around the points shown in picture 46 to select them.


Copy these points by pressing “c” on the keyboard, then paste them in again in the same layer by pressing “v”. Keep the points selected and activate the Rotate Tool, then place the mouse pointer at the centre of the Top View and rotate these points –90 degrees. If you want to use the Numeric Panel for this, then set the axis to Y, the Angle to –90 degrees and all the centre values at 0, then click Apply.

Keep these 8 points selected and activate the Move Tool, then move these 1,6mm on the X axis, then activate the Mirror Tool and mirror them across the X-axis at the centre. Picture 47 shows the Top View at this point.


We need to add a few more points before we turn it into a polygon, so activate the Point Tool and place 4 points at the positions shown in picture 48.


Keep these 4 points selected and activate the Mirror Tool. Mirror these across the X-axis at the centre. Once done, deselect the Mirror Tool and add the 4 new points to the selection until you have 8 points selected, shown in picture 49.


With these points selected, activate the Mirror Tool and mirror them across the Z-axis at the centre and we’re done. Deselect everything, then start selecting these points in a clockwise order, and once all the points are selected, press “p” to create a polygon. All right, the first step done in creating the handles, picture 50 shows the polygon.


Now we’re going to extrude this polygon, but first lets move it into position. Use the backdrop in the BR Viewport and place it in the upper area of the straight handle-part, like picture 51 shows.


Okay, for the following procedures are a bit tedious, but I’ll try to explain it as good as possible. Activate the Extrude Tool by pressing “Shift+E” on the keyboard. Working in the BR Viewport, extrude this polygon just a few millimetres downwards using your left mouse button, like in picture 52.


Deselect the Extrude Tool and then select the polygon facing downwards. Activate the Move Tool and move this polygon to the bottom of the straight handle-part, like in picture 53.


We will now use 4 Tools to make the polygons follow the curve of the backdrop image. Smooth Shift, Rotate, Move and Stretch, and we will be working freehand in the BR Viewport. Keep the polygon facing downwards selected and activate the Smooth Shift Tool, then right click in any of the Viewports to duplicate the points. Zoom in on the lower part of the handle and use the Move Tool to move the polygon downwards even more, like in picture 54.


When you’re done moving, use the Smooth Shift Tool again to duplicate the points, then activate the Rotate Tool. Place the mouse pointer just to the right of the polygon and rotate it a few degrees to make it follow the curve of the handle, like in picture 55.