Seeing a lot of user-submitted artwork and animations via Blender, GIMP, and Inkscape enthusiasts (some of which you can see in 10+ Amazing Short Films Made With Free Software) has made me really appreciate images illustrated by hand, which includes wallpapers. Given the season, illustrated wallpapers shouldn’t be too difficult to find, and it might even get you excited for Halloween!

Here is a set of wallpapers that feature this exact illustrated-by-hand concept, though authors have not indicated that they used GIMP or other open-source image editing application. Also, some are from general wallpaper search sites, which I suspect don’t always link to the original author, but a number of these have a watermark (smart!) on them so they’re more traceable and attributable.

You can also find a few tutorials after the set of wallpapers, which may help guide you should you become inspired to create your own!

Download at: Zastavki

Halloween Wallpaper Tutorial for GIMP Users

Now if your creative juices are ready to work their way to your next piece of artwork, there’s a tutorial by Xcftuts to produce a basic wallpaper in GIMP (you can also make yourself other stunning wallpapers). You may also want to read How To Create Top-Quality Desktop Wallpapers for tips on attaining the best quality possible for your wallpaper according to resolution and the like.

For more Halloween material, there’s also a video tutorial if you’re interested in creating a cute ghost like the following:

Deciding on whether or not to change your profile picture on Facebook or Twitter for the occasion? Here’s one way to do it with style.

Here’s the video tutorial to achieve the eyes-in-hands effect:

Tutorial for Photoshop Users

Since the previous text tutorial is actually based on a PSDTuts+ tutorial, anyone with Photoshop can follow the guide here. Note that any stock images (source files) and final products in PSD are available to premium members of the site only.

If you’re like me, however, and just prefer to be amazed by others’ masterpieces, check out additional Halloween wallpapers on

Social Wallpapering, Foto Community, Wallpapr, Customize.org’s Wallpapers, Deviant Art, etc. which were discussed here along with other great similar sites, plus 3 convenient wallpaper rotator tools, such as Wally.

Do you have other great spooky wallpapers you wish to share? Let us know in the comments, and have a fun-filled Halloween weekend!

Photo credit: Zastavki

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Jessica Cam Wong

Jessica is interested in anything that enhances personal productivity and that is open-source. Find her on Twitter (@jecw).

Hide 9 Comments

oldcity October 28, 2010

Help setting a theme. Download to Download file OK. Went to Sys>Pref>Appearance
I do not know how to make the jpg file a theme.
Assistance please in setting the jpg as the theme of the season.
tia

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- Jessica Cam W. October 29, 2010
  
  Assuming by your reference to “Sys>Pref>Appearance” that you’re talking about Ubuntu, let me just say first that a theme is different from a wallpaper/background, which you see on this article. To add any of these wallpapers, you have to first download them and then go to Sys>Pref>Appearance. After you click on Appearance, you’ll get a dialog box: go to the second tab called “Background” and click on Add. Find the jpg file you downloaded. Then press Close.
  
  | Like
oldcity October 28, 2010

Help setting a theme. Download to Download file OK. Went to Sys>Pref>Appearance
I do not know how to make the jpg file a theme.
Assistance please in setting the jpg as the theme of the season.
tia

| Like
Baryonxi October 29, 2010

Or you could just load it in firefox and ‘stamp’ it. rigt mous click, select as wallpaper…

| Like
- Jessica Cam W. October 29, 2010
  
  Wow, I totally forgot about this, much easier. Thanks!
  
  | Like
Hollywood Wallpaper November 1, 2010

Thanks for Halloween Wallpapers

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