User:Al2/Tutorial about Illustrations

Software

Inkscape is a vector graphics editor.

I use Inkscape for the illustrations. Inkscape is a vector graphics editor application.

Vector graphics

Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and polygons, which are all based upon mathematical equations to represent images in computer graphics. It is an alternative to raster graphics, which is the representation of images as a collection of pixels, as is typically used for the representation of photographic images.

Vector graphics are ideal for drawing diagrams and schemes as they can be enlarged without losing resolution.

Choosing a topic

Normally I choose the topic I feel comfortable with, specially regarding individual interests and knowledge. I do not want to spend time doing something I do not like.

Help needed

If you want to have an idea of what is needed in wikipedia, you can consult here:

Images_to_improve This page within commons lists requests for images, needed in wikipedia.
Category:Images_that_should_use_vector_graphics This category lists images composed of simple shapes, lines, and letters that should be converted into vector graphics as an SVG file.

Initial research

I pick some images from wikipedia which can be used to illustrate what I want to do, and complement that with http://images.google.com/.

Drawing

When I have the material I need, I draw the image based on a picture or a series of pictures. I normally trace over the picture as it is easy. I star right off with the default size brush and Bezier tool and change it later.

Adjusting sizes

Images are less than 800px due to the monitor resolution, so I have to adjust that. When I have the drawing I start comparing it with the original image and include shades and details to highlight the image.

Terminology

Then I look for a glossary which contains key terms I can use in the image, to put the terminology, etc.

Final touches

Images are saved either as regular SVG files or Inkscape SVG files.