LOS40 announces the nominees: Your next project in Inkscape
The special LOS40 program not only revealed the artists who will compete in the 20th edition of the Music Awards Santander 2025, but also gave us the perfect opportunity to put our Inkscape skills into practice. While the ceremony prepares for November 7 in Valencia, we prepare to transform this news into a vector design exercise that demonstrates how free software can generate professional-quality pieces. 🎨
From the news to the visual concept
Before opening Inkscape, every design starts with an idea. The news of the nominees in the National, International, and Global Latina categories gives us a rich context: competition, music, celebration, and a specific location (Valencia). Using elements that reflect these concepts—such as dynamic shapes, musical icons, or colors associated with the party—will be key to a coherent and effective design. This visual brainstorming process is fundamental for any project, regardless of the tool you use.
Key data for the design:- Event: 20th edition of the Music Awards
- Date: November 7, 2025
- Location: Valencia, Spain
- Main categories: National, International, Global Latina
Setting up our workspace in Inkscape
For a project like a poster or a nominees graphic, the first thing is to establish an appropriate document format. Use File → Document Properties to define an A3 or A4 size, depending on the final output. Creating separate layers for the background, graphic elements, and text will allow you to work non-destructively and maintain an orderly workflow. Alignment and distribution of objects will be your best ally for achieving a clean and professional design.
A well-structured design in layers is like a well-produced song: every element has its place and purpose.
Essential Inkscape tools
Depending on the angle you choose for your design, some tools will be more relevant than others. The text tool for listing the nominees, the shapes tool for creating bar graphs or decorative elements, and the node editor for adjusting each vector to the millimeter. Don't underestimate the power of keyboard shortcuts (like F1 for select, F2 for edit nodes, or F8 for text) to significantly speed up your work.
Recommended workflow:- Create a guide grid for precise alignment
- Define a color palette and typefaces
- Vectorize the LOS40 or Music Awards logo
- Apply shadow and blur effects for depth
- Export in high-resolution PNG or vector PDF
Vectorization of elements: logos and iconography
If your design incorporates the LOS40 or awards logo, the bitmap tracing tool (Path → Trace Bitmap) can be a good starting point. However, for a cleaner and more scalable result, manually tracing with the Bezier tool (Shift + F6) is usually the professional option. This method gives you total control over the nodes and curves, ensuring the logo looks sharp at any size, from a business card to a billboard.
Transforming current news into a design project not only keeps your portfolio fresh and relevant, but also forces you to face real briefs. The next time you see an awards announcement or cultural event, don't just consume it as news: think about how you could represent it visually with Inkscape. It's the best way to learn, create engaging content, and who knows, maybe even design the official poster for next year's edition. 🏆