It seems like there’s a growing number of users that have given GIMP, Inkscape and other open-source software a chance. In many cases, being liberated from the grips of commercial software does not mean professional-grade graphics cannot be created. With a lot of patience, skill and enthusiasm, many users have demonstrated time and again that Photoshop really isn’t the only tool capable of producing high-quality visual art.

To prove my point, I’ve scoured the web and DeviantArt in search of great graphics. The result was absolutely exhilarating. Not only did I find many magnificent pieces made entirely with open-source software, I also was surprised to find a growing community of professional visual artists dedicated to spreading the word about GIMP, Inkscape, MyPaint, etc. using them exclusively to produce their artworks and even extending them to produce improved painting packages like GIMP Paint Studio. There were too numerous works worthy of mention here, but including all of them would have probably made this too long of a post. So here are some stunning pieces flowing around deviantArt.

Inkscape 0.47 Contest Entry

Author: ~sko on deviantART

Software used: Inkscape

Inkscape Is My Bitch

Author: ~wflu on deviantART

Software used: Inkscape

sm_2

Author: ~hrum on deviantART

Software used: Inkscape

Bjork Vector Inkscape 2

Author: ~ndop on deviantART

Software used: Inkscape

Inkscape 0.48 Screen Contest

Author: ~Arwassa on deviantART

Software used: Inkscape

Jacky D Icon

Author: ~uberdiablo-pixels

Software used: Inkscape

Pinkitude For Life

A reminder for women that self-breast exams are key for early detection & prevention.

Author: ~QuicheLoraine on deviantART

Software used: Inkscape

Nixie Pixel Portrait

Author: *TheShock on deviantART (author of GIMP Paint Studio)

Software used: GIMP and GIMP Paint Studio

Jensen Ackles – GIMP Painting

Author: ~LasiaNicole on deviantART

Software used: GIMP

Ailvhe Ni Faolain

Author: Anokorok on deviantART

Software used: GIMP

Princess Of The Wind Kingdom

Author: *Anokorok on deviantART

Software used: GIMP

Sweet Candy

Author: *starca on deviantART

Software used: GIMP

Attack Of The Gnome

Author: hrum on deviantART

Software used: GIMP

big_water

Author: ~hrum on deviantART

Software used: GIMP

Negra In Vector

Author: ~pretojackson on deviantART

Software used: Inkscape & GIMP

Interesting DeviantArt Groups

If you’re interested in exploring additional paintings, be sure to look at the galleries of the following groups on DA. Each group has an RSS feed that you can subscribe to and most even accept members without any eligibility restrictions. That way you can constantly see artwork and be motivated to keep learning.

• FOSS Designers
• Open Artists
• Ubuntu Artists
• Linux Deviants
• MyPaint
• Gimp Dome
• GIMPies
• GIMP Artists
• Master GIMPers for resources, patterns, tutorials
• Krita Free Art App

I imagine at this point you’re bit curious to learn more about Inkscape and GIMP. If so, check out some hand-picked beginner video tutorials, some easy text-based tutorials to create your own wallpapers, or some dedicated websites. After being through with those, you can have fun creating cartoonish versions of your photos, or use GIMP for some non-artistic work, such as making GIFs, image maps, adding speech bubbles or callouts, zoom effects, and optimizing (read shrinking file sizes of) images. If you want to use GIMP to paint, you should definitely check out GIMP Paint Studio, which offers a variety of brushes and goodies to improve the drawing and painting features in GIMP.

Do you know of any beginner-friendly tutorials for open-source software that are worth mentioning? Please let us know in the comments!