Tutorial Number 5

Tutorial Number 5:
Following on from Tutorial 1, Create This Hot Rod by combining Photographic Images with created Vector Images.

Step 1:
Import an Image of a car and fit it to the page roughly as I have on the left. Any three quarter Image of a car like the one on the left will be suitable for this exercise.

Step 2:
Zoom into the car and select the 'Draw Bezier Curves and Straight Lines Tool'. Click around the outside of the car using many clicks to capture the detail. You can move the sliders to pan around the Image whilst zoomed in and return and keep clicking. It is important to make the path inside the wheel arches....refer the white area in the Image below.

Step 3:
You can use the' Edit Paths by Nodes' Tool to curve the nodes to fit around the Photo.

Level: Medium: You must learn the Inkscape basics first and its a good idea to carry out Tutorial 1.

Step 4:
I have colored the new Path I have created white to show which part of the car I have chose to Clip.

Step 5:
With the Select Tool select both the Photo Image and the new Path you have created. Choose Object > Clip > Set to set the clipping path. You should have an Image like the one below.

Step 6:
Click on the Image with the right mouse button and choose the 'Duplicate' Option from the pop up menu. Then with the select tool move the duplicate copy away from the original.

Step 7:
Select the duplicate copy and choose Object > Clip > Release.You should now have the original Image and the Path you created. Delete the Path and keep the Original Image of the car because we are going to create another Path around the wheel.

Step 8:
Select the 'Bezier Tool'. Click around the outside of the wheel as I have done on the Left. You can use the' Edit Paths by Nodes' Tool to curve the nodes to fit around the Wheel.

Step 9:
With the Select Tool select both the Photo Image and the new Path you have created. Choose Object > Clip > Set to set the clipping path. You should have two Objects like the Image below.

Step 10:
Select the Wheel center and choose Edit > Make a Bitmap Copy.Then move the copy away from the Original. Then delete the Original. This reduces the size of the file in the computers memory.

Step 11:
Create an Oval using the 'Ellipse' tool over the top of the wheel center we have clipped.

Choose the Lower Section to the bottom button to place the Oval below the wheel center.

Use the Rotation handles and Scew handles to size and rotate the Oval as in the Image Above

Choose the Lower Section to the bottom button to place the Rectangle below the wheel center

Step 13:
Use The Select Tool and click on the Image of the car twice to bring up the rotation handles. Move the center '+' mark to the front left hand bottom corner as on the left.
Rotate the Image so as the back of the car lifts up as the Image on the right.

Step 14:
Select the entire wheel we created before and right click on the selection to bring up the options menu. Choose the 'Duplicate' option.

Step 15:
Choose the Front center of the wheel and the front black oval as on the left and choose 'Raise selection to the top' from the property bar. Then select the large area of the tyre as on the right and choose 'Lower selection to the bottom'

Step 17:
Select the center of the wheel and use the control handles to adjust the width of the wheel. You will also have to Scew it a little and Rotate it a little. The same applies to the outside oval of the wheel. Then you must then repeat the same process as we did on the front wheel. You must raise the front two selections of the wheel to the Top, and lower the rear selection of the wheel to the bottom. Refer the Image below.

Step 18:
Next we will use the Rectangle Tool to create a simple rectangle. Use the Scew handles to shape the Rectangle as in the Image below. Then color the Rectangle Dark Gray with no Stroke (outline). After this Choose the 'Lower selection to the bottom' and move the selection under the car as below.

Step 20:
We are now going to add some custom air intake stacks found on high performance engines used in Hot Rods.
Select the 'Draw Bezier Curves and Straight Lines Tool'

and create the simple shape on the left.
Use the ' Edit Paths by Nodes Tool'

to round off the top section as on the left.

Step 22:
Use the Create And Edit Gradient Tool.

Then use the Gradient Editor to edit the Gradient as on the Left using three Stops, 70% Gray, White and 70% Gray again. Refer the Image on the left.

Step 23:
Use the Create And Edit Gradient Tool and click on the oval at the top of the stack. From the property bar menu choose the same gradient we just created for the body. Look at the menu options (the square buttons) and make sure that you select the gradient to work on the Fill area and not the Stroke area. Refer The Image on the below.

Step 24:
Create a smaller Oval and fill it with black and give it a Blur of 3.0 as on the left.

Step 25:
Create another small Oval, fill it with black and place it at the bottom of the stack as on the left.

Step 26:
Select all the Stack objects together and choose Object > Group to group them as one object. Then right click and from the options menu choose 'Duplicate'. Duplicate the Stack until you have eight stacks and arrange them on the top of the car hood as I have done on the left.

Step 27:
Use the 'Draw Bezier Curves and Straight Lines Tool' to create a shape around the windscreen as I have on the right. Select all the Air Intake Stacks and Raise them to the Top.
use the' Edit Paths by Nodes' Tool to curve the nodes to fit around the Window

Step 28:
Use the Gradient Tool to create a Gradient in the window, use the colors and Stop points as I have on the Left.

Step 29:
Use the 'Draw Bezier Curves and Straight Lines Tool' to draw the other windows in the car as above

Step 30:
Use the Gradient Tool to select the Gradient you created for the front window

Step 31:
Use the Select Tool and select all the side windows . Choose Path > Combine from the main menu

Your finished project should now look like the car on the right. Depending on what you intend to use the Image for. You can choose to select the whole Image, make a bitmap copy and Trace to a Vector Image. Or you can select the whole Image and export it as a .png file for the web. Saving the file in it's current form as a .svg file will keep the Vector and Bitmap elements in their current form.

Important Note: If you import an Image, inkscape does not save the Image with the file unless you export the file as a Pdf, Eps, Png etc. Inkscape only links the Image file when you save the file as a .svg file, so it's a good idea to store your Image files in a logical file somewhere on your hard drive. Also when Inkscape makes a Bitmap Copy it stores these Images in the Inkscape folder.