How to draw a complex custom shape

Drawing a shape in MyDraw is done via using the Tools section of the Home tab in the ribbon.

Here is a step by step guide on how to draw a complex custom shape in MyDraw:

Open MyDraw and choose a Blank Drawing.

Choose a tool to start drawing the shape you’d like to create. For this example, we will design an olive tree branch. First we need to build the main twig of the branch – to do so we are using the Arc Tool.

Drawing the main twig

Start with drawing a long curved line.

Hover the mouse over the end control point of the first line, until it shows you a tooltip “Extend geometry” and draw a second one almost up to the end of the first line.

Extend the geometry one more time and close it. Once the geometry is closed, MyDraw automatically fills it up.

To edit this shape and make it look like a twig – select the Pointer tool and then select the Edit Geometry tool. This allows you to modify each control point separately. Continue editing each control point until you achieve the desired look.

Drawing the leafs’ petioles

Once the main twig of the branch is ready, it’s time to build the leafs’ petioles. To do this we use the Cubic Bezier Tool.

To make a nice 2D petiole start drawing from the twig-out.

Then from the end of the first line, extend the geometry by drawing a second line very near the beginning of the first one.

Use the Line tool to close the geometry and form a 2D shape.

In the end, modify the control points of the newly created shape by using the Edit Geometry tool.

Copy and paste this shape as many times as necessary to match the number of petioles you want the branch to have.

Position and modify the petioles by using the functions from the Action tab in the ribbon (for rotating and reflecting) and the Edit Geometry tool to modify them.

Drawing the fruits’ stalks

To finish the skeleton of the branch - draw the stalks of the fruits in the same manner as the petioles.

Drawing the leaves

To create a leaf draw a line using the Cubic Bezier Tool.

From the end control point of the first line draw a second one with the same length and opposite direction to close the geometry.

To reveal the 2D nature of the shape, modify the control point via using the Edit Geometry tool until you achieve the desired shape.

Use Copy-Paste to multiple the leaf shape and position each one to match a separate petiole.

To arrange the display order of the leaves – select a leaf, go to the Arrange tab in the ribbon, and press “Send to Back”.

Drawing the olive fruits – last in this example we draw the olive fruits

Using the Arc tool we draw a line.

Extend the shape via drawing a second line and closing the shape.

Modify the control points to create an oval.

Once you have the final structure of your desired shape the only thing left to do is add some style formatting to make it look more realistic.

Start again with the skeleton of the branch (the twig, petioles, and stalks) – select them and go to the “Geometry fill” located in the Geometry formatting section in the ribbon. Select it and press “More Options”.

From the drop-down menu select the type of color filling you’d like to apply. In our case, we choose the Hatch fill.

Choose the desired colors and styling you’d like to apply and then press the “OK” button.

Once the filling color is applied you should also change the stroke color – in the Geometry formatting section press the “Geometry stroke” and either thick “None” to remove the stoke or choose the color you’d like the shape’s stroke to be. Press “OK”.

Repeat for every geometry you’d like to format.