Tutorials showing how you can convert your photos into Pop Art style images using freeware apps: Inkscape & Gimp

Gimp a GNU Image manipulation app
We use Gimp to manipulate the original image, maybe altering contrast, colour and adding effects etc. Outputting bitmap format

Inkscape is an open-source vector graphics editor creating SVG files (Scalable Vector Graphics)
We use Inkscape to draw, trace and convert the source bitmap image to SVG format

Hi,
I decided to write this article and tutorials, because when searching for how to create Halftone effects for photos within Inkscape, came up rather short. There is a method however, using clone tiling from the edit menu. But proved to somewhat disappointing for what I was trying to achieve, and slaved the cpu somewhat anyway.

So, after much searching I came across a solitary video on Youtube which revealed a method for screen printing applications, converting an image to Halftone created in Gimp, then imported into Inkscape, auto traced using Colour quantization option, which is great for black and white images.

After much experimentation I came up with ways to trace these in colour, and reasonably produce results faithful to the bitmap images input to Inkscape.

Some examples:
Below: Starting with a black & white image for the sake of simplicity: Contrast altered and simple Halftone conversion in Gimp, then traced in Inkscape Colour option, See Tutorial 1

Below: Lips drawn over in Inkscape, and processed separately in 2 vectors. The main image traced and has 4 vectors. Halftone in Gimp, then traced in Inkscape

Below: Contrast changed in Gimp, eyes and lips redrawn in Inkscape, and processed separately. Halftone in Gimp and traced in Inkscape

Below: Contrast altered, Cartoon filter applied to create partial black outline in Gimp. Lips redrawn and retraced in 3 vectors, main imaged traced in 3 using Inkscape. Transferred back to Gimp to add the Halftone. Text, Caption and Retraced in Inkscape

The reason we use SVG is that it has a significant advantage over bitmap regarding enlarging and shrinking images, especially when versatility is required for the resizing of small or large posters for printing very specific height, width dimensions: The quality of the SVG always remains the same regardless of its size, see below:

These images below have been zoomed in to around 300 percent, as you can see the Bitmap has developed flights of stairs, whilst the SVG remains smooth

 bmp                                        svg