Sketch app is famous for being one of the fastest growing design tools in the industry. But its fame and glory didn’t go without a few hitches. Despite being an undeniable winner on the vector design scene, it’s also infamous for making its users pay for tutorials.
The Twitter discussion, featured at SketchTalk puts some light over the myths behind this statement but the question remains – are there any good SketchApp tutorials that users can use for free?
Free Beginner Tutorials for Sketch
The users’ undisguised disappointment doesn’t mean every single SketchApp tutorial will cost you an arm and leg. In fact, there are hundreds of free tutorials that can get you started with Sketch 3. And believe me, once you get a hold of the basics, you’ll learn that your time, efforts, and eventual expenses for migrating to Sketch will be significantly outrun by the advantages of this new design software.
To provide you with a better understanding of the techniques and principles of the Sketch design environment, I’ve prepared you a list of handpicked design tutorials. They will guide you through the fundamentals of the software and aid you in completing tasks as simple as setting up your workboard or as complex as creating a whole new design project from scratch. Let’s get started.
How to Build a Pattern Library in Sketch
Tutorial link: CreativeBloq
Created by: Richard Child
What you’ll learn:
In order to ensure your website design is consistent and easy to change, you need to know how to create your pattern library in Sketch. The pattern library is a collection of design elements, like navigation, headings, forms, etc. that can be reused to design pages. When changing the qualities of repeatable components of your design in other conventional design software you’ll need to make separate changes to each object. What Sketch’s Symbols feature does is allow you to create a library of reusable elements that you can change simultaneously. The designer Richard Child will guide you through the fundaments of working with the Sketch pattern library.
Draw in Sketch With a Limited Set of Shapes
Tutorial link: Medium
Created by: Yuki Erqiudao
One thing that makes vector design software so incredibly easy to use is the freedom it provides users in terms of content creation methods. Yuki Erqiudao, designer at Mind Labs shared his insights on creating illustrations in Sketch only with the use of rectangles, circles, and lines. Once you get familiar with the vector design environment, you’ll notice that it’s actually ridiculously easy to create illustrations with a flat design approach. This article will get you through all the basics, including a good load of shortcuts, to help you design your own illustrations in Sketch.
Guide to Login Form Interface Design For Beginners
Tutorial link: Web Design Tutsplus
Created by: Armando Sotoca
Creating a login form is on the to-do list of almost every designer but that’s not the reason why this tutorial is so special. Armando Sotoca took the time to explain in detail every small step of the design process. From creating an artboard to managing the Inspector panel, and designing the basics of the layout, the author will guide you through every single action you need to take to create your own login form without leaving your questions unanswered.
Organizing Sketch 3 For iOS
Tutorial link: Medium
Created by: Timur Nurutdinov
Since its initial launch, Sketch has developed tremendously. Its newest version has introduced numerous innovative features that allow users to take advantage of a bitmap design environment, use Symbols to facilitate the design of repeatable elements, export design files in an effortless way, and more. Timur’s Sketch tutorial will guide you through all of the above and go beyond that, providing you with valuable tips on managing your creative workspace with Sketch 3 for iOS.
Other honorable mentions:
Design a Colorful Switch
Sebastien Gabriel‘s detailed tutorial will show you every single step of the process of creating a colorful switch icon in Sketch. You can check out his tutorial at Google Design.
Use Magic Mirror to Create a Poster Mockup
In his tutorial, Marko Vuletič shows the basics of creating a fully-functioning poster mockup in Sketch. He will teach you how to use Magic Mirror, an image perspective transformation tool for Sketch and make your realistic poster mockup in just a few steps.
Create Your Own Sketch Plugin
Liu Liu, a UX designer at Google, shares an inspiring story and a whole tutorial on how he made his own Sketch plugin without being a code guru. He claims anyone can do it, as well, so why not give this one a try? You can read his tutorial here.
Best Practices for Using Sketch
Nick Woodman’s article is an honest and insightful guide through the fundamentals of using Sketch. Check out his seven best Sketch practices at his Medium blog.
Design Data With Sketch
Ivo Mynttinen shares some time-saving techniques for designing tables and charts in Sketch. You can read his tutorial here.
Resizing Symbols in Sketch
Jérémy Paul‘s handy tutorial will teach you how to rezise symbols in Sketch like a boss. His tutorial is especially useful for resposive web design as well as millions of other purposes. Read it here.
Craving more design tutorials? Read these:
Everything You Need to Know About Adobe Creative Cloud in 7 Tutorials
