# drawing with TikZ

I am unable to create the images (a) and (b) as shown below

The above image is borrowed from http://www.nature.com/nmat/journal/v1/n1/fig_tab/nmat715_F1.html

Can someone please guide me in creating the image (a) or image (b)?

Thank you.

• Are you able to create any part of it? What is the hard part? – Torbjørn T. Apr 25 '14 at 10:12

Here is a try, I leave you the micro meters in the last image as an exercice ;-)

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}

\begin{document}

\scriptsize

\begin{tikzpicture}

\begin{scope}
\clip (-2.5,0) rectangle (2.5,1) ;
\shade[outer color=blue!50, inner color=white] (2,0) arc (60:120:4 and 6) arc (240:300:4 and 6) ;
\end{scope}

\begin{scope}[shift={(2,0)}]
\draw[dashed] (0,0)--(140:1.5) ;
\draw[<-,>=stealth] (140:.8) arc (140:180:.8) ;
\end{scope}

\node[text width=1.7cm,align=center] at  (0,.5)
{Internal \\ contact angle} ;
\node[below]{\bf Normal surface} ;

\draw[very thick] (-2.55,0)--(2.55,0) ;

\end{tikzpicture}

\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{scope}
\clip (-2.5,0) rectangle (2.5,3.8) ;
\shade[outer color=blue!50, inner color=white] (2,1.75) arc (0:180:2) arc (180:360:2 and 1.8) ;
\end{scope}

\begin{scope}[shift={(.5,0)}]
\draw[dashed] (0,0)--(18:2) ;
\draw[<-,>=stealth] (18:.5) arc (18:180:.5)
node[midway,anchor=south] {Increased angle};
\end{scope}

\node[below]{\bf Superhydrophobic surface} ;
\draw[very thick] (-2.55,0)--(2.55,0) ;

\end{tikzpicture}

\begin{tikzpicture}
\filldraw (-2.55,-.8) rectangle (2.55,0) ;
\foreach \i in {-2.45,-2.25,...,2.4} {%
\begin{scope}[shift={(\i,0)}]
\filldraw[white] (0,.1) rectangle (0.09,-.4) ;
\end{scope}
}

\shade[outer color=blue!50, inner color=white] (2,1.75) arc (0:180:2) arc (180:360:2 and 1.8) ;

\draw[dashed,->,>=stealth] (0,1.80)--++(60:1.95)
node[midway,sloped,above] {0.7\,mm};

\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

• Thank you Tarass. Thats pretty cool. Your help is appreciated. Thank you. – Mia Apr 26 '14 at 14:04