Creating a Tiling 3D Geometric Pattern Using Inkscape

Some time during the latter half of 2015 I sketched out the following design which I wanted to create as a pattern.

I finally got around to working on it at the end of January 2016. Creating the basic shapes in Inkscape was very easy. The fun came in when I started messing about with various filters to see what kinds of effects I could get. After a lot of experimentation I eventually ended up with this design.

In this tutorial I explain how to create this design using the simplest steps I can think of. My actual process was much more complicated and involved a lot of trial and error. (Please note: This tutorial is intended for instructional purposes only. I am not granting permission for anyone to use or publish this design in any form.)

How to Create Tiling Patterns in Inkscape – The Grid Methods

Patterns that tile can be fun to create and are useful for filling large spaces, like fabric, comforter covers, rugs, and so forth. There are many different methods that can be used to create these sorts of patterns. Herein I describe some simple methods that I think of as the grid style and which I used to create these summer-themed tiling patterns.

How to Make a Pinwheel Pattern

A Gimp 2.8 Tutorial

A pinwheel is defined either as a toy that has a set of thin vanes that are arranged like a fan on the end of a stick and that spin like a wheel when air is blown on them, or as a type of firework that spins like a wheel. A pinwheel pattern is, similarly, a pattern that takes the form of vanes arranged regularly into a circular shape.

This novice-level tutorial describes how to create this pinwheel pattern.

from this vane-like image of a wing that was cut from a photo of a Mallard duck.

GIMP Tutorial: How to Make a Hexagonal Pattern

Introduction

I've always been fascinated by patterns. Over the past year I've been playing around with creating patterns from pieces of photographs. This is a fun exercise and can result in interesting, and sometimes beautiful, images.

In a previous tutorial I described how to make rectangular patterns. In this tutorial I'll explain how to make a hexagonal tile from a triangular cutout from a photograph and then show how to tile multiple hexagons to make a repeating pattern.

This tutorial is broken into the following sections:

• How to Create an Equilateral Triangle
• How to Create a Triangular Tile Piece
• How to Create a Hexagonal Tile
• How to Create a Hexagonal Tiled Pattern
• Examples of Hexagonal Tiled Patterns

GIMP 2.6.11 will be used for the main part of the work, but Inkscape 0.47 will be used at the beginning because it has a useful tool for quickly creating geometric objects.

See Also: If you are interested only in creating a hexagonal shape in GIMP, see How to Create Regular Polygons in GIMP.

GIMP Tutorial: How to Make a Rectangular Pattern

Introduction

One of the definitions of pattern is "an artistic or decorative design". Throughout history humans have created patterns to decorate buildings, objects, and clothing. There are many different types of and structures to patterns. I find patterns that repeat in some form and that can be tiled to cover any size area to be endlessly fascinating.

Making patterns from pieces of photographs can be lots of fun. I'm often surprised at the beautiful images that result. I'm especially fond of making patterns from feathers. In this step by step tutorial I will show you how to cut an image from a photograph and create a basic rectangular tile with it that you can then use to make a repeating pattern.

How to Create a Tile Piece

First, load the picture of your choice into GIMP. (I'm using version 2.6.11.) I've chosen a picture I took of a turkey.