Designing Swords in Inkscape - A Tutorial
Mar 10, 2017 1:28:45 GMT
Post by Vincent Dolan on Mar 10, 2017 1:28:45 GMT
Welcome, one and all, to Vincent's tutorial on how to design swords with Inkscape. A bit of history first: about five and a half years ago now (has it really been that long, already?), one of our members, MOK, posted a tutorial on how to design swords using the freeware vector graphics program, Inkscape; as I was still struggling with pen and paper and trying to transfer the images in my head to the latter with the former, while being fought by a rather poor drawing capability, at the time, this tutorial was quite the game changer for me. Well, earlier this morning, another member messaged me for advice on designing their first sword, so I went looking for that old tutorial, only to be unable to find it; in the years since it was first written, the forum has gone through a few changes and migrations, and some threads have been lost along the way, which happens. So, I offered to write a new tutorial for them and, in turn, anyone else who wants to get started designing their own swords, but is unsure how to go about it.
First, you can download the latest version of Inkscape here: inkscape.org/en/
Once you have it installed, bring it up and you'll be greeted by a blank page occupied only by a single square line, much like in the image below; these first two steps will just be how to prepare the page to make things a bit easier.
I hope y'all found this interesting and, if you've wanted to get started designing swords, I hope you found this simple tutorial helpful. That's all for now, folks; ja mata.
First, you can download the latest version of Inkscape here: inkscape.org/en/
Once you have it installed, bring it up and you'll be greeted by a blank page occupied only by a single square line, much like in the image below; these first two steps will just be how to prepare the page to make things a bit easier.
- 1) This first step is somewhat optional, but provides a consistent canvas for us to work with. Use ctrl+shift+d to bring up the Document Properties window. At the bottom, you'll see several things outlined; these are the relevant items we need to concern ourselves with for this step. Width (in red) will change how wide the square on the page is and height (in blue) will change its height, which is a fairly simple matter. You can change these values to whatever you wish, but I personally prefer a Width of 800.00 and a Height of 640.00, and I'll explain why in a later step. And lastly, the Border Options. Tick the box next to "Border on top of drawing" and untick the box next to "Show border shadow"; the former will overlay the border on top of your work, giving you a good starting point to work with, while the latter will remove the 3D effect of the border, which I find distracting. If you don't want the border at all, just untick "Show page border".
- 2) In that same window, click over to the Grids tab and click the New button, creating a new grid for us to work with. Again, I've outlined the relevant items. In blue is the X and Y spacing, the value of which I set at 5, because that's how I learned with MOK's original tutorial, but you can leave it at the default if you wish. Lastly, in green, the Major Grid Line box. For this value, MOK's original tutorial made it 10, which allowed you to think of each box that resulted as 1 centimeter. However, I grew up with imperial units and I have a difficult enough time envisioning measurements as it is, so I make this particular value 16, making each box equivalent to 1 inch; I would recommend using whichever you're more familiar with.
- 3) Finally we can begin the drawing. First, select the line tool outlined in red to the left and draw the elongated, asymmetrical diamond outlined in blue, using the border we manipulated earlier as a starting point. Outlined in purple above the shape we just drew is a tool I use, but is completely optional; each slanting line equals to 3", each chevron to 6". This allows me to fairly rapidly measure out the length of the blade I want to design, but isn't actually necessary. The amount I measured out at the start is equal to 33", which will be the length of our blade. Regarding the border we manipulated earlier, using the values I use (W=800 x H=640) results in a box that is 10" long by 8" wide, which provides a decent starting point for what will be the tang of our sword.
- 4) Now that we have our basic shape, we can start making it look more like a sword. The first thing we need to do, however, is zoom in until we can see the smaller grid lines so we ca more accurately manipulate things; the zoom tool is easy to find, but I outlined it in red for convenience's sake. Next, you'll want to select the node tool outlined in blue, just above the zoom tool. Clicking on the line will bring up a gray diamond at each corner of our drawing, but for now, we just want to focus on the one outlined in green. Move it two points up or down along that same grid line so that it's off center, then double click on the line somewhere below that point. This will create a new node; click on it to move it so that it mirrors the original node, creating a flat base, which will be the base of our tang.
- 5) Scroll to the left until you reach the end of the border and the widest point of our drawing. As you've probably guessed, this is the base of our blade. Now, create two more nodes, one on each line, as outlined in red. These will form the shoulder nodes. A good rule of thumb for a tang is that it should be about half as wide as the blade which means, as our blade is 2" wide, our tang needs to be 1" in width. Outlined in purple is another optional tool I use to make this process easier. I just draw a line from one edge of the blade to the centerline (the point halfway between the blade) and then reposition it until it evenly straddles the centerline like in the image; from there, it's a very simple matter of moving the shoulder nodes to each end of the line. Just make sure to delete the line after you're done!
- 6) I'm going to preface this by pointing out that this step is completely 100% optional. I would still advise reading it, as there's an important technique involved, but what I actually do here, I'm only doing because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and it would bug me to no end to leave this undone. Now, with the disclaimer out of the way, the actual step: rounding the blade shoulders. On a real blade, the previously angled shoulders would create a hot spot that could potentially cause failure, but this is a drawing, so it won't matter. This is a pretty simple process, as you only need to click on the node, hold the shift key, and then drag in the direction of the blade base; this will create a node handle that will curve the line in that direction, as you can see. When I do this, I move the node handle so that it is even with the blade base nodes and slightly offset, as I find this creates a slightly less extreme curve than if the handle were directly horizontal.
- 7) With the tang done, we can finally get started on the actual blade. We're going to start with what I call the profile taper nodes; anyone who's browsed my design thread has probably noticed that, in each weapon's specs, I put "@ profile taper" in the blade width. Well, this is how I measure that. Anyway, just like with the tang shoulders, we need to create two nodes, one on each side of the centerline, this time near the tip. Where these nodes actually go, their distance from the tip, and how near or far from the centerline they are will vary wildly depending on what type of sword you're making. For the sake of this tutorial, we're making a rather basic Oakeshott Type X. For these, I like to put the nodes 3" from the tip and further from the centerline than closer; their distance from the centerline will determine how much profile taper a blade has. This particular blade has 5/8" of profile taper, as the profile taper nodes are 5 grid points from the greatest width of the sword (in this case being 2" if you think of the blade as occupying a rectangle).
- 8) Yes, the blade is supposed to look like that... For the moment. Select both nodes by first selecting one then holding shift to select the other. With both selected, you're now going to click on the Smooth Node tool outlined in blue at the top of the image. This changes the previously harsh angle of the tip into a gentle curve, which is what we want... Even if it does make the blade looks like it's been hitting the nachos a bit too frequently (can you blame it?).
- 9) The previous step created two node handles spreading from each side of the node. For our purposes, we currently want the one on the right, so scroll that direction until you find it; from there, it's a simple matter of dragging the handles until the circles rest on the blade base nodes (I left them one grid point to the left for illustration purposes). Each node's handles created with the Smooth Node tool are linked, so moving one in one direction will move the other in the opposite direction, which is good. You can create some interesting blade shapes by messing with the placement of this node handle, but that's a bit more advanced than is called for in this tutorial. Besides, experimenting is half the fun.
- 10) Heading back towards the tip, it's time to mess with its node handles. These handles will determine how acute or rounded the tip is. As we're making a Type X, we need a more rounded tip, so feed it a few donuts as you drag the handles directly away from the node along the vertical grid line. The farther away, the more spatulate the tip will get. For this particular sword, I moved the handles 5 grid points away, but as with the profile taper nodes, these can radically differ between sword types and you can subtly alter the shape by moving away from the vertical, but again, that's a bit more advanced.
- 11) Now that we have the basic blade shape finished, it's time to start on the fuller. This is accomplished in almost exactly the same way as the blade, except instead of a diamond, we need to draw an elongated triangle. Similar to the last two points, this will also be different depending on the type of sword you're making; for a Type X, we need a fuller that's almost the full length of the blade, so the triangle can extend until about 2" from the tip.
- 12) Next we need to move the base of the fuller inwards, which will again depend on the type of sword; Type Xs have a fairly broad fuller, with some being about 3/4 of the blade width. For this one, the fuller is a hair narrower than the tang.
- 13) Much like Step 6 (Rounding the Shoulders), this step is completely optional and is primarily something I do because of my perfectionism; if you look at many antique blades, the fuller tends to extend a bit into the tang and has a rounded end. If you choose to do this step, just grab the node handles and drag them until you get the shape you desire.
- 14) This step is exactly the same as steps 8 and 9; in this case, however, the profile taper of the fuller will often be far less extreme than that of the blade, so it's a little less fiddly.
- 15) Same as step 10 and was included more for the sake of completion than anything.
- 16) Now it's really starting to look like a sword... Or at least a bare blade. At this point, I like to starting putting in the base colors so that I don't go cross-eyed trying to keep a jumble of black lines straight. For the blade, I use 30% gray and the fuller gets 20% for the time being to keep it visible. Also at this point, I like to remove the black line to show that that part is "complete"; you can leave it in if you wish, but to remove it, select the piece and right click on the stroke color at the very bottom, then click on "Remove Stroke". Voila: no more black lines.
- 17) With the blade mostly complete, it's time to get started on the hilt. Since the process is the same for the purpose of this tutorial, I've combined the grip and guard into one step. For the grip, just draw a rectangle 1" wide by however long you want it; in this instance, that length is 3 3/4". The guard is the exact same, except you'll want to drastically slim this one down; I made this one 1/4" wide by 6" long, but there are just as many guard types as there are blade types, so feel free to experiment here.
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- 18) With the basic shapes done, we need to move them into position, but the guard is obviously in the wrong orientation. This can be changed by selecting it and then clicking on the "Rotate 90°" tool, outlined in red; which direction doesn't really matter with such a simple guard, but it will with some. You'll notice that the top of the grip is the same exact size as the tang. You can change this now, if you like, but I prefer to wait until I've got the hilt put together before making any changes to the grip.
- 19) Next is the pommel, which can vary even more than the guard, profile nodes, and tip node put together. For simplicity's purpose, we're just going to focus on a basic wheel pommel. Select the Circle tool outlined in red to the left and draw out the circle that will be your pommel; I tend to gravitate towards a 2" diameter as standard, but some will be bigger or smaller.
- 20) Okay, this is probably going to be a lengthy step to explain. First, you'll want to move the pommel into place, having it touch the end of the grip; the gap will be fixed in a later step. Now is the perfect opportunity to shorten the tang so that it ends towards the end of the pommel, though if you want to show off a peen, that can be done the same way you extended the base of the fuller a few steps back. From there, I like to move the whole drawing so that the base of the pommel is touching the far right edge of the border. This started back before I named my works, so if I wanted to find one again I had to click on each one and wait for the preview to load, which took longer the more designs I had and the habit really stuck. It's not necessary, but if you want to do so, the best way to accomplish this is the "Select All" tool, outlined in green at the top of the image, and then move the entire drawing as one.
- 21) Now that we've got the hilt more or less situated, it's time to change the shape of the grip so it's less of a block and more of an actual grip. Select the two nodes on the guard side of the grip and move each outwards slightly so that there's a bit of open space between the edge of the grip and the tang. While we're at this end of the grip, there's another optional step that I like to take, primarily for an aesthetic purpose: when you look at the image from a more normal distance, there can appear to be a gap in the image where the grip meets the guard if the two don't overlap. To prevent this, I like to create two node points and move each so that the grip is overlapping the guard by a bit. Do the same on the pommel side of the grip to remove that gap. Fill in the guard and grip with the color of your choice, select the guard and pommel, click the Home key to bring them to the top of the image, and you're done with the flat colors. From here on out, everything is polish, making it look better; if you don't care about that, you can skip to the last few steps in this tutorial.
- 22) To begin prettifying your sword, you'll want to use ctrl+shift+F to bring up the Fill and Stroke panel. Select both blade and fuller (make sure you change the fuller's color to match the blade's) and click the "Linear Gradient" option in the Fill menu, outlined in blue, then click the Edit button, outlined in green.
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- 23) This will bring up the Gradient Editor window defaulted to CMYK options. The first thing is to click on the drop down box at the top and select the bottom option; selecting this will change the A value, previously at 100, to 0. Change it back to 100 and then change the K value to whatever you desire. For metal, I like to go with half of the original value, so in this case, change the K value to 15. This will create a linear gradient that goes from dark (the end with the square) to light (the end with the circle).
- 24) Next we need to modify the positioning of the gradient handles so they give the impression that there's a light source. I tend to envision my light source as coming from the top and slightly to the left. As such, the blade's gradient goes from light to dark and the fuller's gradient the opposite. Move the handles so that the gradient line stretches across the entire object, as in the image; this will ensure the smoothest transition.
- 25) Do the same with the guard and pommel; for wheel pommels, I like to offset the gradient handles just a touch as I feel it makes them look a bit more organic, but this isn't necessary.
- 26) The process for the grip is the same as the rest, but the color values are a bit different. To emulate the look of leather, I like to use the darkest shade of the color I want and then set the lighter value at about 70-80% of the original. In this case, I chose a dark brown that has a K value of 83; for the lighter value of the gradient, I set this at 60. This is personal preference, so if you find something you like better, go for it.
- 27) Next up is the step that actually had me stumped for months when I first started using Inkscape... Mostly because MOK is a professional graphic designer and I have little in the way of artistic talent, so the knowledge gap made for misunderstandings when I originally read his tutorial. With that in mind, I'll try to explain this process as simply as I can. First, select your grip, right click, and then select the "Duplicate" option. This will create an exact copy of the grip on top of the original (without replacing it, obviously).
- 28) Under the Edit button where you modified the gradient, you'll find another drop down box. Click on it and select the "Direct" option; this will create a repeating gradient of light to dark that becomes most evident in the next step.
- 29) Move the two gradient handles so they're on adjacent grid points on the horizontal plane and you get to see just how the Direct option is going to be used: emulating cord wraps.
- 30) While the duplicated grip is still selected, look at the two sliders to the side; for our purposes, we want the one labeled "Opacity". This will affect how opaque or sheer the selected item is, allowing the original grip's gradients to show through, giving a more natural feel to the gradients. I prefer 40%, but as with several things in this tutorial, it comes down to what you think looks best. To finish this step off, simply bring the grip and pommel back to the top once more.
- 31) Now to begin the grip risers. If you don't want any on your sword, congratulations! You're done! If you do, however, stick with me a bit longer. Draw two lines at each end of the grip, select both and go to the Stroke Style tab in the Fill and Stroke menu.
- 32) The outlined options, the Stroke Width and Cap, are both down to personal preference and even the theme of the sword as a wider or thinner riser, along with a flat or rounded finial, can change how a sword feels from an aesthetic point of view. For this tutorial, however, the Width will be 15 with a rounded cap. The effects are quite drastic, as you can see.
- 33) Adjust the risers so the ends just extend past the grip; then select both and right click on the same shade of brown we used for the grip and select "Set Stroke". This changes the color from black to brown.
- 34) Select both risers and now go to the third tab of the Fill and Stroke menu, the Stroke Paint tab. This should be a pretty familiar process by now: edit the gradient and move the handles to the vertical.
- 35) Now duplicate the risers and adjust the gradient handles like we've done with the grip.
- 36) Lastly, change the opacity of the risers to the same value you used on the grip.
- 37) Now to save your work, which should be pretty easy for anyone to figure out these days, but I just want to take this moment to advise giving the sword a name of some sort; it doesn't have to be fancy or anything, just something to differentiate from the rest. The default file name, as you can see, is "drawing", and if you keep it as the default, you'll eventually find yourself with dozens of drawings where the only way to tell the difference is the number at the end. I'm pretty sure I mentioned how much of a royal pain that is. I personally preface all my swords with "sword_(name)", which became especially useful once I started branching out to things like knives, axes, and poleweapons. I didn't for the sake of this tutorial, though, because "drawing" is actually far more unique, making it easier to find in the future.
- 38) The final step is in exporting your sword, turning it into an actual picture you can upload to somewhere like Photobucket or whatever your preferred image hosting site is. I've outlined the export tool in red on the right, which will bring up the Export window. You can either export it to the default location, which is where the .svg files (the files Inkscape opens to edit your drawings) will be stored, but you can save it to a particular folder if you want to.
And that, my friends, brings us to the end of the tutorial and the only thing left is to admire the fruits of our labor:
I hope y'all found this interesting and, if you've wanted to get started designing swords, I hope you found this simple tutorial helpful. That's all for now, folks; ja mata.