[align=center]Hey Guys! Welcome to my thread! Here are some tutorials to people who are new to GIMP. [quote][i][b]As requested by[/b]: Beshy, Rei Ryuzaki [Aaron] and Pinky_Girly_Patricia [Patricia Isobel] [b]Request granted by[/b]: ♥brains&beauty♥ [Joanna][/i][/quote] [quote] [b]Credits go to[/b]: Me - for making the tut Beshy Aaron - for requesting GIMP site - for most of the screen shots Yahoo Answers - helped me a lot [/quote] [b] BEGINNERS:[/b] [b][u]Simple Floating Logo[/u][/b] [spoiler] Step 1: Adding Text [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-1.gif[/img] Use the text tool to add some text. You will get a new text layer which you can also see if you look at the layers dialog. You can use the move tool to move the text where you like to have it. Then merge it with the white layer below by choosing Merge Down from the Layer menu. You should now have one layer with black text on white background. Using <Image> Layer -> Colors -> Invert you will achieve something like the picture above. Step 2: Adding Colors [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-2.gif[/img] [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-3.gif[/img] First of all: Blur the image a bit (Gaussian blur at 5 may be a good start). Now add a new layer to the image with the help of the New Layer button in the layers dialog. Choose it to be white. It will be created above the just made text layer effectively hiding it. It will be active which can be seen from the fact that it has a blue background in the layers dialog. Click some times on the eye symbol to see how you can make a layer invisible and make the other layer active by clicking on its small preview in the layer dialog. At the end, leave the new white layer visible and active. Use the plasma plugin to make this layer a little colorful (Yes, you are invited to experiment with the parameters...). The layer dialog should look something like this now: Step 3: Bumpmapping [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-dia-1.gif[/img] It's getting funny now: Use the bumpmap plugin with the blurred text layer as a bumpmap on the plasma layer. You can play with the other parameters, but they have sensible defaults. You'll get an image like the one above. Now (still on the plasma layer) choose Add layer mask from the layer dialog menu. Choose the mask to be white. Nothing will change on the image for now, but the layer dialog will look like this: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-4.gif[/img] You can toggle whether a layers mask or the actual picture is active by clicking on their previews in the layers dialog. Step 4: Using the layer mask [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-5.gif[/img] Now activate the text layer again. (you don't have to make the layers on top invisible to work on this layer. It's enough that you activate it in the layers dialog.) Now do <Image> Edit -> Copy. Make sure you have the mask of the top layer selected and the layer is activated. Choose <Image> Edit -> Paste. You will again get a floating selection, shown in the layer dialog like this: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-dia-3.gif[/img] Use the layer dialog menu to Anchor Layer, which will anchor the floating selection into the previous activated layer (which is the mask of the plasma layer in our case). This will leave you with the following scenario: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-dia-4.gif[/img] Step 5: Adjusting the levels [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-6.gif[/img] Now add a new layer and fill it with some color (e.g. with the help of the bucket fill tool) and use Raise Layer or Lower Layer from the layer dialog menu to achieve something like this: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-dia-5.gif[/img] Now you'll see that the image of the logo isn't very sharp. We'll change this now. Make sure you have selected the plasma layer's mask and open <Image> Layers -> Colors -> Levels. This tool is one of the most important tools you have! Play with the little triangles you'll see in the two grey gradients and watch their effect on the image. For now, try to achieve something like the following: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-dia-6.gif[/img] What we do here is making the border of the mask sharper, and by that means, sharpening the whole picture (the area which is neither 100% opaque nor transparent will become smaller). But we can easily avoid the picture getting pixel-steps by leaving still a smooth transition between opaque and transparent parts of the layer. (If you didn't realize it by now - I bet you did - the layer mask works in such a way that all black parts of the mask will become transparent parts of the layer and all white parts will stay opaque (with smooth transitions realized by values of Grey). Step 6: Creating a drop-shadow [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-7.gif[/img] Using the layer menu you will have noticed the entry Duplicate Layer. Use this now. Then use Apply Layer Mask and Lower Layer which should leave you with something like this: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-dia-7.gif[/img] Make sure you check the Keep Transparency option (the little box next to the layer mode) and then fill that duplicated layer with black. You can paint over the text with a paint tool or simply drag a black color from the color selector and drop it over the image. You do not have to be careful: the Keep Transparency button will let you paint only on opaque parts of the image. This will give you: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/tut-basic-dia-8.gif[/img] Now make sure you uncheck the button again and move the layer some pixels to the right and downwards. You can move it with the Move tool while pressing Shift so that it moves the current layer instead of picking a new one. (Alternatively, can use <Image> Layer -> Transform -> Offset and enter a small offset for both X and Y: this will offset the contents of the layer without moving the layer itself.) Then blur your layer and adjust the transparency with the slider so the background will shine through: You've just generated a so-called drop shadow, which greatly enhances the 3D effect and is used in very many places.[/spoiler] [b][u]Borders on Selections[/u][/b] [spoiler] Step 1: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/img13_tools.png[/img] Before doing anything, we need to make a selection with the shape we want. There are several ways to make a selection, including all the tools in red shown above and select by color as explained on Selecting and removing one color . When using the tools, holding shift at the beginning of the selection process will add the selection to what is already selected, while holding the control key will subtract from it. Step 2: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/img16_step2.png[/img] Use the selection tools to create a selection with the desired shape. Step 3: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/img15_brushes.png[/img] After you have the selection, choose a brush from the brush selection dialog. Choose also a color and you can play with the spacing option for the brush. Brush selection dialog Step 4: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/img15b_stroke.png[/img] When all the options are selected you can click on <Image> Edit -> Stroke. You will get a dialog allowing you to set many options for stroking your selection, including dashed lines and other fancy features. If you select Stroke Using a Paint Tool, you will be able to use the brush that you have selected. Step 5: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/img17_result.png[/img] When all the options are selected you can finally click on OK. Using a fuzzy brush and selecting a blue color here is the result for the selection made above. Outcomes: Playing around with the spacing options in the brush selection dialog, the color or using one of the animated brushes you can get very interesting results... Here are some examples: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/img18_example1.png[/img] and [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/img19_example2.jpg[/img][/spoiler] [b][u]Simple Paths [Bezier Selections][/u][/b] [spoiler] What is it? [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/bezier_box.png[/img] [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/bezier_button.png[/img]The Path tool can make complex selections by specifying certain points that are connected together with a curve. So to make a box you would specify four points, one for each corner of the box. Example in image above. The great thing is the corners don't have to be 90 degrees. In older GIMP versions (1.2.x), you had to close all paths by joining the last point of the path to the first one. This is not necessary anymore in 2.0 and later versions, but this is still useful to create closed shapes such as a box. So after creating the fourth point, press and hold the Ctrl key and click on the first point to close the path. Of course you can have as many points as you need. Finally, click the "Stroke Path" button (in the Path Options dialog) or use the menu Edit->Stroke Path... to draw the new shape. You can also use the button "Create Selection from Path" if you want to have a selection that you can fill or stroke. Step 2: Modifying the Curves: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/bezier_curve.png[/img] Straight lines alone are useful things, but it's not all. Actually they are not lines but curves. Cool anti-aliased smooth curves. The curves can be modified quite flexibly by adjusting the 'handles' of the nearest points. 'What handles?' you say... See the image above? The small circles are those familiar points we used with the box in the previous section. The little boxes are those handles. The handles are not visible by default, you must drag them 'out' from a point. To make the handles visible 1. click to a point to make it active, 2. while pressing the Ctrl key, click again on the same point and 3. drag the handles out with the mousebutton still pressed down. You notice the curves between the points are not straight anymore. You can control the shapes by dragging the handles around. A Few Tips: > Always before modifying any points or handles, click the handle or a point to make it active. > To have a smooth curve, both handles should be aligned at each point. Press Shift while dragging a handle to ensure that the other one remains aligned. > A path can have multiple components. If you have closed a path, you can create a new component by clicking where you want to place the first point of the new component. > If you want to create several components without closing them, press Shift and click where you want to start a new one. > When you are satisfied with the shape, you can use Stroke Path or Create Selection from Path. > The default GIMP installation creates a dock containing the tabs "Layers, Channels, Paths, Undo". Click on the Paths tab to manage your paths.[/spoiler] [b][u]Quickmask[/u][/b] [spoiler] Step 1: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image1.jpg[/img] For your first step, load up an image. Any image will do. GIMP 1.1.7, a development version of GIMP, introduced QuickMask. The QuickMask control button is located at the lower-left side of the image. Step 2: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image2.jpg[/img] First, make a rectangular selection around the edge of the image. Then click on the red-bordered QuickMask icon in the lower-left corner of your image. Step 3: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image3.jpg[/img] After you click the red QuickMask button, a translucent red mask appears around your selection. This red mask represents the outside of your selection. When you click the dashed QuickMask button to go back into normal selection mode, anything red will not be selected, and anything clear will be. So, let's start playing with this mask. First, right click on the image and select <Image> Filters -> Distorts -> Waves from the menu. Apply the filter, and watch what happens to the mask. Step 4: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image4.jpg[/img] The mask gets all wavy. Let's add one more effect: <Image> Filters -> Blur -> Gaussian Blur (RLE). Step 5: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image5.jpg[/img] Now that there is a soft edge on the mask, click the dashed QuickMask button to convert the mask back into a selection. Step 6: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image6.jpg[/img] See how the selection follows the mask? This is a powerful feature of QuickMask. You can use it to modify any existing selection, and you can even use it to create new selections. Our last step is to use <Image> Select -> Invert and <Image> Edit -> Fill with BG Color. The result, a soft white fade into the background, is shown in the final step. Outcome: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image7.jpg[/img] Here is my outcome. There are are a lot more examples. Check them out! Examples: :idea: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/spread-11.png[/img] The above image used <Image> Filters -> Noise -> Spread, with horizontal and vertical settings at 11, to get the effect. :idea: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/newsprint.png[/img] I used some blurring and the <Image> Filters -> Distorts -> Newsprint plugin to get this effect. :idea: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/pixelize-10.png[/img] As in the tutorial, this one used Waves, but instead of blurring, I used <Image> Filters -> Blur -> Pixelize instead.[/spoiler] [b][u]Red Eye Removal[/u][/b] [spoiler] Step 1: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/zoom1.png[/img] I zoomed in on the image, 4:1 ratio, as this is almost pixel by pixel work. I ended up using the 5 x 5 fuzzy brush that came with the GIMP tarball. As usual, your choice depends on the resolution of your image. A fuzzy brush is highly recommended. On this web sized image, the 3 x 3 fuzzy brush didn't work fast enough. As always, you can <Image> Edit -> Undo until you make the right selections. Step 2: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/dialog-channels-sm.png[/img] If your Layers,Channels and Paths Dialog is not open, open it and leave it open. Select the Channels Tab. Deactivate the Green and Blue Channels by clicking to the right of the thumbnails in the dialog window. The image should still look like the screenshot of the close up in step 1. If it looks all red, you have just turned the view of the color off. (burning the red eye area will not work if the Layers, Channels and Paths dialog is set up that way, I happen to know). Step 3: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/burnopts-sm.png[/img] Make certain you have a good brush selected (for this image I used the 5 x 5 fuzzy) Then select the Dodge and Burn Tool. [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/dodgeorburn.png[/img] Double click on the button to get the Tool Options dialog. My dialog defaults to dodge and midtones, for this project, choose burn and highlights (as illustrated). Touch all of the red in the eyes with the burn tool. I think that I used the burn tool on the mid tones just a little bit also. GIMP doesn't have a magic button to fix red eyes with, but it has the tools. It has been my experience that each image is slightly different and I sort of like the control that GIMP gives you .. Tigert [An expert in Gimp] warned that this method can leave the white spots in the eyes slightly green. I have found this to be true, however so far it hasn't been enough green to worry about. Given a photo where the green will make a difference, you can use the same tool combination on the green channel, just move the opacity slider to a smaller percentage. <Image> Edit -> Undo until you get it right. Step 4: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/zoom2.png[/img] ...looking so much better! The very best fix, of course would be to prevent it from happening. Due to the nature of the problem, my guess is that it will be the same people over and over again with this problem. Some personalities have no problem looking deeply into the camera lens (like this beautiful baby for instance) and maintaining the gaze through the flash. My guess is that as soon as these people know what is going on, they can fix it themselves. Other personalities have other portrait problems. There is a small handful of people who have no problem looking into the camera lens, but anticipate the flash and blink at the wrong moment. This causes the portrait to look like the object is starting to sneeze. Outcome: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/swimming2.jpg[/img] What a cute baby! I'm keeping this pic. [/spoiler] [b][u]Straight Line Tut[/u][/b] [spoiler] Step 1: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/blankimage.png[/img] First, create a new image. Any size will do. Step 2: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/toolbox.png[/img] Then click on the paintbrush. Any of the red-highlighted tools on the above toolbox can do lines. Step 3: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/startdot.png[/img] After you click the paintbrush tool, you can click the image. A single dot will appear on the screen. The size of this dot represents the current brush size, which you can change in the Brush Dialog. Now, lets start drawing a line. Hold down the Shift button, and keep it down. Step 4: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/draggedline.png[/img] After you have a starting point, and have held down the Shift Key, you'll see a line like above if you're running GIMP version 1.2.x or later. This feature was not present in GIMP version 1.0.4. However, the next step works the same way. Press the first button on the Mouse (the leftmost one usually) and then let it go. During that whole "click" of the Mouse button, you need to keep the Shift Key held down. Outcome: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/drawnline.png[/img] See how the line is drawn on top of the preview? This is a powerful feature of the Paint Brush. You can use it with any of the tools shown in step 4, or even draw more lines at the end of this one. Our last step is to let go of the Shift key. Examples: :idea: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/exp1.png[/img] This one I turned on gradient in the Paint Brush Tool. :idea: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/exp2.png[/img] This one I rendered a grid, and then used the Smudge Tool with a low spacing and a slightly larger brush. :idea: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/exp3.png[/img] This one I used the Clone tool, and set the source to "Maple Leaves" pattern. :idea: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/exp4.png[/img] This one I rendered a plasma cloud, and used the Erase Tool with a square brush. :idea: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/exp5.png[/img] This one I used the Dodge tool on the top and left of a blue box, then used the burn tool on the right and bottom.[/spoiler] [u][b]Loading Brushes to GIMP[/b][/u] [spoiler][quote][i][b]Note[/b]: There are no screen shots for this. Sorry. [/i][/quote] Step 1: Search for brushes in Google. Download it and Save. Step 2: After downloading, right-click the Zipped Folder then click "Extract Files". Choose a location where you can easily find your extracted files: Desktop, My Computer, Local Disk and many more... Step 3: After choosing a location, an image should appear (GIMP Icon). Step 4: Open GIMP, then go to: File > Preferences. When the new window pops up look on the left hand side for the folder icon. Click on that and then look for the icon that is for brushes. Click on that. That will give you the location of where GIMP looks for new brushes. Search for the extracted files you saved earlier. Click Load/Save. Then, you're done! If you can't see it, restart GIMP. [/spoiler] [u][b]Sun Ray Effect[/b][/u] [spoiler] Step 1: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image1-1.png[/img] Open a new image. Set the width and height to 400. [Ex: 400x400]. In the new image dialog under the Advance Options, set the fill to Transparent. Step 2: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image2-1.png[/img] Activate the grid by going to View > Show Grid or pressing CTRL+SHIFT+T. You will also need the "Snap to Grid" feature open, so go to View > Snap to Grid to activate it. Step 3: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image3-1.png[/img] With the path tool, draw your first ray. Pay attention, this may get tricky. Observe where the grid points are located. :idea: Remember: When drawing your path, be sure to have it on '[b]Design mode[/b]'. To close it, you must have it on Edit mode or try holding down the CTRL key. Step 4: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image4-1.png[/img] Once you have drawn your path, in the path dialog, click on '[b]Selection from Path[/b]'. Create a new layer and name it '[b]1[/b]'. Step 5: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image5-1.png[/img] Change the foreground color to white. Select the '[b]Blend tool[/b]' or press '[b]L[/b]'. In the the Gradient dialog, select the '[b]FG to Transparent[/b]' Gradient. Step 6: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image6-1.png[/img] Now, apply the Gradient from bottom to top as shown in the image above. Step 7: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image7-1.png[/img] De-select the ray by going to Select > None / Shift + CTRL + A. Step 8: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image8.png[/img] Move it to the center of the grid, as shown in the image. Basically, you only duplicate the layers to complete a full circle and make it look more, umm, what do you call it? Ray-ish. Haha... Step 9: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image9.png[/img] Duplicate the layer and name it '[b]5[/b]' Select the Rotate tool or press Shift + R and rotate the ray by using the rotate dialog and set 83 for the angle and Center X and Y at 192. [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image9.png[/img] Step 10: Using the same technique, create 13 more rays and use the grid to position them with the exact equal spaces between each ray. Just make sure that you adjusted the center point to 192. :idea: Remember: This is optional. You can create how many rays that suit your taste. Outcome: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image10.png[/img] Example: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/sunrayeffect.png[/img][/spoiler] [u][b]Simple Scanlines Tut[/b][/u] [spoiler] Step 1: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image1-2.png[/img] Open up a photo, or something else that you want to provide with scanlines. But in this case, try using it in one of your sigs. Step 2: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image2-2.png[/img] Create a new empty layer. Take the Bucket Fill-Tool, choose white as foreground color and then fill the layer with it. Step 3: [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image3-2.png[/img] Now, apply Filter / Distorts / Erase every other row and just click OK. The lines are divided already, but the effect is not clearly visible. Step 4: We're going to enlarge the layer. Take the Scale-Tool. Click the layer. In the upcoming dialog choose 200 "Percent" as Value for height and width. Click OK. Now set the layer mode to "Overlay". [img]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd119/chanellejasmine1122/image4-2.png[/img] Then, you're done! Happy Scan lining! [/spoiler] Hope these tuts were helpful! Comments and Critics are very much appreciated. [/align]

Last edited by forsakendoll (2010-02-24 10:22:30)