CorelDRAW Studio Techniques
by David Huss and Gary Priester

Publisher:  Osborne/McGraw-Hill
ISBN:  0078824508

Once you've got a handle on the basics and you're ready to take on more advanced techniques in CorelDRAW and PHOTO-PAINT, CorelDRAW Studio Techniques is an excellent resource. Authors David Huss and Gary Priester are both former grand prize winners in the prestigious Corel World Design Contest, and with this book you'll learn the inside secrets from these pros.

Each chapter includes a detailed, fully illustrated, step-by-step lesson demonstrating the techniques involved in creating each design. A few pages entitled "Variations on a Theme" follow each chapter, where the authors provide additional actual examples of how the techniques can be applied.

There is fairly even coverage of both DRAW and PAINT. Most lessons can be followed using either version 7 or 8 of the suite, but a few chapters require version 8. The versions are clearly marked in each chapter and an alternative is given when the technique varies depending on version. One of the highlights of this book is the way it truly showcases the way DRAW and PAINT work so well together. The authors put it best...

"With each release of CorelDRAW, it becomes easier to create objects in DRAW and move and use them in PAINT or the other way around--this is the synergy of the Corel suite of products.

Corel has made the pathway between DRAW and PAINT large and easy enough so there is no longer any excuse for not moving actively between Corel applications."

And the synergy they speak of is truly emphasized in CorelDRAW Studio Techniques. The real treat is in the last several chapters where the authors go "back-to-back": they each demonstrate a similar technique, one using DRAW and the other using PAINT.

Throughout the book the authors interject humor; especially in the "back-to-back" section, where the reader can sense the spirit of friendly one-upmanship through their competitive banter. Not only is the book informative and entertaining, it's also beautifully laid out. All 278 pages are in full-color with plenty of illustrations. Considerably shorter than the traditional computer software book, the authors manage to pack a lot of "wow" into these pages. The smaller size of this book also makes it much easier to manage when working through the lessons.

It should be noted that this book is not for the novice. You won't find the very basic stuff, like explanations of tools and menus. The authors get right down to business. For intermediate and advanced Corel users who want to expand and develop their professional techniques, CorelDRAW Studio Techniques is an excellent choice.

Sue Chastain, your Guide for Graphics Software