The Book of Inkscape, 2nd Edition

The Definitive Guide to the Graphics Editor

by Dmitry Kirsanov

October 2021, 576 pp.

ISBN-13:

9781718501751

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Download Chapter 11: SHAPES

Dmitry Kirsanov, a former core Inkscape developer, shares his knowledge of Inkscape's inner workings as he shows how to use Inkscape to draw with various tools, work with objects, apply realistic and artistic effects, and more. Step-by-step task-based tutorials show you how to create business cards, animations, technical and artistic drawings, and graphic assets for games.

This second edition covers the new tools, improved text features, advanced new path effects and filters, as well as many new UI conveniences in Inkscape 1.0. A new chapter describes Inkscape's extensions for both users and developers.

Author Bio

Dmitry Kirsanov is an author, developer, and graphic designer. For many years, he was a core Inkscape developer and added many features to the program while making its UI more fluent and flexible. He currently works as an XML/SVG developer and web developer; in his spare time, he writes and edits books for IT publishers.

Table of contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Inkscape and the World
Chapter 2: An Inkscape Primer
Chapter 3: Setting Up and Moving Around
Chapter 4: Objects
Chapter 5: Selecting
Chapter 6: Transforming
Chapter 7: Snapping and Arranging
Chapter 8: Style: Color and Opacity
Chapter 9: Style: Stroke and Markers
Chapter 10: Gradients, Meshes, and Patterns
Chapter 11: Shapes
Chapter 12: Editing Paths
Chapter 13: Path Effects
Chapter 14: Drawing
Chapter 15: Text
Chapter 16: Clones and Symbols
Chapter 17: Filters
Chapter 18: Bitmaps
Chapter 19: Extensions
Chapter 20: Tutorial: Designing a Business Card
Chapter 21: Tutorial: Creating an Animation
Chapter 22: Tutorial: Drawing a 3D-Correct Cartoon
Chapter 23: Tutorial: Artistic Drawing
Chapter 24: Tutorial: Technical Drawing
Chapter 25: Tutorial: The Rose
Chapter 26: Tutorial: Artwork for a Game
Appendix A: An SVG Primer
Appendix B: Import and Export
Appendix C: The Command Line
Index
Color Illustrations

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View the detailed Table of Contents
View the Index

Reviews

"If you’ve ever wanted to design art for video games or any other application, The Book of Inkscape, 2nd Edition by Dmitry Kirsanov is for you . . . It doesn’t matter if you’ve never seen a graphics program or even a photo editor. It guides you through the creation of business cards, animations, technical and artistic drawings, and graphics for games."
—Bob and Joy Schwabach, oncomp.com

Reviews from the First Edition:

"I give this book a big thumbs up."
—LinuxPlanet (Read More)

"Highly recommended, well written and full of practical examples and insights, this excellent text can make you a pro at using Inkscape."
—IT World (Read More)

"Inkscape is a really exciting, interesting and powerful design program to learn, and The Book of Inkscape makes this learning process fun and rewarding."
—Dr. Dobb's CodeTalk (Read More)

"Kirsanov . . . is able to hand out the knowledge with ease, without confusing the reader. He also has an uncanny ability to prioritize concepts and tools, and so each chapter and each section appears at the right moment in the book, while the reader is ready for it."
—OSNews (Read More)

"Dmitry Kirsanov's book enables you to sit down with a freshly downloaded version of Inkscape and work in an ordered and logical way through the software features."
—Free Software Magazine (Read More)

"Anyone who wants to use, or learn about, Inkscape should take the time to examine The Book of Inkscape."
—Linux Users of Victoria (Read More)

"This book is a great guide to using Inkscape."
—On Computers (Read More)

"Clear writing and numerous step-by-step tutorials make this manual the go-to reference for artists new to Inkscape and for experienced users looking for detailed information on the application's features."
—SciTech Book News (Read More)

"The Book of Inkscape is an absolute must for anyone trying to master the program for professional use."
—The Midwest Book Review (Read More)

"The ability of Dmitry Kirsanov to vary his tone and detail depending on the subject matter is perhaps key to The Book of Inkscape largely being effective in its ambition of being the definitive guide to the graphics editor."
—About.com (Read More)

Updates

First Edition Resources