10 of the Best Inkscape Tutorials

Here is an old list of 10 of the Best Inkscape Tutorials from back in 2009. All the links should work now, again.

Web design layout with inkscape

Here is another great tutorial from Josh over at Tucson Labs. In this tutorial, Josh walks you through designing and exporting a webpage layout with inkscape.

Graffiti / Street Art type design

Here is a tutorial to create a vector design in a street art / graffiti style. This tutorial does not go into much detail on each of the steps, is more of a demonstration of the workflow the artist used to create the design. Well worth a look for intermediate and advanced Inkscape users.

Creating a Business Card Template and Basic Business Card with Inkscape

Here is a great tutorial for creating business cards using Inkscape. This tutorial has two main sections.

The first details how to create a printer ready template from a PDF guide using clones and guides. Using clones in this fashion to create a template in inkscape is awesome; once the template is created correctly, the changes that are made to the original populate thoughout the rest of the tempate!

The second section provides a detailed process for creating a basic business card (with a nifty pinstripe background). This portion of the tutorial is a great introduction into basic fill / stroke techniques, pattern fills and text editing and kerning.

Learn to draw a first-aid kit

This tutorial by Yuriy Apostol explains drawing objects in perspective using a somewhat underestimated 3D Box tool. You will also learn creating realistic rounded edges of 3D objects and complex shadows.

Inkscape Video Tutorial Double Feature – Faking 3d Text & Wrapping Text Around a Globe

Introducing a new segment here at the inkscape tutorials blog: the Inkscape Video Tutorial Double Feature. Screening this week, we have:

3D Text Using Interpolation: An example on how to use the interpolation effect to create a faux 3d (yet impressive none-the-less) text effect:

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And, Secondly, we have:

Wrap Text Around a Globe:

Another awesome screencast by heathenx:

In this episode I will demonstrate how to wrap text around a three-dimensional globe in Inkscape v.046.

I used a fairly new extension from Gerrit Karius (aka G33K) called Bezier Envelope. If you want to follow along or use the Bezier Envelope for whatever future purpose then be sure to download it here. Thanks Gerrit.

Intoduction to gradient creation and manipulation in inkscape.

Here is a great tutorial providing a detailed and easy to comprehend introduction to creating and manipulating gradients using inkscape. It is aimed at the absolute beginner, but even the seasoned inkscape professional may glean a useful tip from this comprehensive tutorial. It also inadvertently provides a great introduction to the most useful dialog in Inkscape: Fill and Stroke.

creating icons with inkscape – a basic workflow

Here is another great tutorial for everyone’s favourite open source vector graphics editor. (that would be inkscape…)

Today’s tutorial outlines a basic workflow for creating, tweaking and exporting icons with inkscape. If you need some more icon tutorials check out the icon category

Realistic Guitar Tutorial

In this tutorial,  Nick Roberts [ of Everlong Design] demonstrates in detail how to illustrate a “Fender Stratocaster” type guitar.

This tutorial is close to one of the best inkcape tutorials out there.  The final result is stunning, and the author has detailed the steps superbly with many super useful screen shots. The author even details the hex values of all the colours that are used. Be sure to check it out and leave feedback on the tutorial itself. More positive feedback to the tutorials authors means more higher quality inkscape tutorials for all…

Creating Icons with an on the table perspective.

One of my fellow fedora artTeam members, Martin Sourada has created a great tutorial for creating icons with an ‘on the table’ perspective.

This particular tutorial links closely to the echo icon theme that the fedora artTeam are working on at the moment, but contains useful elements that can help with all icon design in inkscape.

Create an impressive stick man cartoon character / avatar

Here is another tutorial / in depth guide on creating cartoon characters by one of my favourite inkscape tutorialists, David Shaw. A while back, he published an awesome guide to creating a simple cartoon character in the tutorial Slime to Start.

This time he has created another in-depth guide to character creation with Inkscape, and this time the goal is to create a cute cartoon stick man with a style similar to the Order of the Stick by Rich Burlew. Once again, David goes into immense detail of his entire creative process, and the result is a great introduction to inkscape with an awesome result.

For those of you interested in cartooning in inkscape, make sure you check out the following screenshot by Inkscape artist / developer, John Bintz (of Moment of Clarity fame.) It outlines the workflow that John goes through tracing, tweaking and inking his cartoons. Note that the screenshot is done before the 0.46 paint bucket tool came out (which i am pretty sure john had a hand in developing) so cartooning in inkscape is even easier.

howto illustrate a chinese dragon using inkscape

here is another great tutorial from kalaalog, in this one the entire workflow to illustrate a chinese style dragon, from concept sketches to finish product is outlined. This tutorial is in two parts, the link after the break links to part 1, and there is a link at the end of that to part 2 of this tutorial.

Drawing a compass graphic with inkscape.

Here is a neat workflow showing how to create a fairly detailed compass graphic by adding and editing simple shapes. This is a great tutorial for inkscape beginners, as it is well communicated, and intoduces simple inkscape operations like node editing. As always the link to the tut is after the break.

Create a Metal Orb using inkscape

Here is a great tutorial on making a metal orbs from chrisdesign.

pac-man ghosts / baddies tutorial

nicu has outdone himself again. Not only has he created a tutorial for creating cool pacman baddies, but he has again put his results into the public domain for all to download, and this time he has also done a screencast of his process… enjoy!

How to make RPG map elements with inkscape.

Here is yet another awesome tutorial from Nicu a great tutorial for creating RPG map symbols using inkscape. In this “How it was made”, Nicu outlines a workflow for creating a simple jailhouse RPG element. Nicu is a major contributor to the Open Clip Art Library, and he has placed a large collection (50+ drawings) of these RPG map symbols into the public domain. You can also download the whole package from his own clipart gallery. Comments and praise should be left at Nicu’s Blog post for this tutorial.

all languages:

Drawing a diamond using inkscape

here is another simple tutorial, that has a very impressive finished product, a brilliant cut diamond!

Illustrating Basic 3D looking objects in Inkscape

here is a good tutorial on creating basic 3d looking objects using inkscape.

drawing a pack of dynamite using inkscape

here is a very nifty tutorial that shows you how to draw a pack of dynamite using inkscape. this tutorial has no step – by step instructions, but a whole lot of diagrams and arrows. it is a different approach to a lot of the tutorials out there, but i like it cos it makes you think a bit more.

view this tutorial 

slime to start: creating simple cartoon characters in inkscape

here is an in-depth tutorial on creating a simple cartoon character in inkscape.
it follows the complete workflow through research, initial sketches, creating inkscape objects, and finishing of your slime.
all in all a very cool little tutorial.

 view this tutorial

icon creation

here is a super-simple tutorial that shows the simple workflow of creating a very nice looking icon using inkscape. the resulting icon from this tutorial is actually an image in the open clip art library

 view this tutorial