Volume 1

June 17, 2007 through

February 10, 2011

by Thomas Boito

http://boitblog.blogspot.com

Contents
1 2007
1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

5
June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Create a Realistic Looking Ticket (GIMP) (2007-06-18 13:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Creating an Andy Warhol-like Eect with GIMP (2007-06-23 13:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16

July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

21

Creating Text on a Sphere with GIMP (2007-07-05 15:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

21

Creating a brush with variable size (2007-07-09 16:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

27

Blending Two Images with GIMP (2007-07-17 13:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

31

Grid on a Globe (2007-07-24 10:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

35

Crop Tool Quick Tip (2007-07-25 09:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41

August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

42

How to delete saved settings from Levels, etc. (2007-08-03 08:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

42

Put on a Happy Sky (2007-08-25 11:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

42

December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

51

Lawn Care with GIMP (2007-12-02 10:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

51

2 2008

59
Filling Text With An Image (2008-12-28 14:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 2009
3.1

3.2
3.3
3.4

59
71

January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

71

Lomographic Eect (2009-01-10 15:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

71

Brushes and Fonts for GIMP (2009-01-11 11:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

83

Using GIMPs Perspective Clone Tool (2009-01-18 19:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

84

April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

88

Two Tone GIMP (2009-04-06 18:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

88

July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

101

Create a Bright Neon Pattern of Repea... (2009-07-31 11:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

101

December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

114

Create an Attractive Star Field (2009-12-29 10:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

114
3

4 2010
4.1

4.2
4.3
4.4

121
March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

121

Just Too Big! (2010-03-01 16:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

121

Responding to Comments (2010-03-01 17:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

128

Moon Shadow (2010-03-16 15:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

128

June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

134

Old Blue Eyes (2010-06-07 13:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

134

August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

139

The Catch (2010-08-15 14:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

139

September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

141

Attack of the Clones! (2010-09-05 12:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

141

5 2011
5.1

5.2

149
January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

149

Quick and Easy Zoom Eect (2011-01-11 12:43)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

149

Make GIMP the Default External Editor in iPhoto (2011-01-18 13:17) . . . . . . . . . . . .

151

February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

153

Create a Watermark and Place it in a Photo (2011-02-05 19:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

153

Back in the Day (2011-02-08 11:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

162

Chapter 1

2007
1.1

June

Create a Realistic Looking Ticket (GIMP) (2007-06-18 13:14)

Create a new image

Default size (300 x 420)
Portrait orientation
Use the View menu to show the grid and snap to grid
Select a rectangular region using the Rectangle selection tool

Use the Bucket Fill tool to color the rectangle

Use a muted primary color
5

 Remove the selection (Ctrl+Shift+A)

The next step is to cut quarter-circles from each corner
Use the Elliptical Selection tool
Select fixed aspect ratio (drop down box)
Be sure to choose Add to Selection mode (second button)
Draw a circular selection centered on each corner of the rectangle
Click-hold the left mouse button on one of the corners
Hold Ctrl while making your selection
6

 Edit - Clear (Crtl+K) to cut out the corners

7

 Delete the selection (Ctrl+Shift+A)

Now the semi-circular perforation holes in the middle of each end of the ticket will be cut out

Using the same procedure as in the last step, make a circular selection in the middle of each short side

Use Ctrl+K or Edit - Clear to cut out the semi-circles

8

 Again, remove the selection as previously described

Now well add a very slight drop shadow for a realistic eect

Use Select Regions by Color tool to select the body of the ticket

Threshold should be pushed all the way down to 0.0

Script-Fu - Shadow - Drop-Shadow

9

 I used these settings to get a very slight eect.

10

 Remove the selection

11

 You should now have the body of the ticket completed

Now you can add text, lines, etc
Adding some lines
Create a new transparent layer
Use the Path tool to draw some lines on your ticket
Select Design mode and check Polygonal so your lines will be straight
Stroke path with the Paintbrush tool
Choose a small brush and default colors
12

Add the serial numbers

Select the Text tool
Use default colors
Select a font that would be appropriate for the serial number
Position the numbers near the end of the ticket with the Move tool
Duplicate this layer (Layer - Duplicate)
Move this layer (the duplicate) to the other end of the ticket
Right click on this layer in the Layers dialog, choose Merge Down
This places both sets of serial numbers on the same layer
Now dial down the opacity of this layer to about 70
13

Finally, put some text in the middle of the ticket

Turn the ticket on its side
Image - Transform - Rotate 90 CW
Use the Text tool to create some appropriate text
Use default colors
Use a heavy font
Set Opacity for this layer at about 70 to get a faded look
14

 Turn o the grid.

Youre finished!

If you find this useful a small donation would be appreciated

Make payments with PayPal - its fast, free and secure!

15

Creating an Andy Warhol-like Eect with GIMP (2007-06-23 13:18)

Includes:
Using guides
Resizing the canvas
Threshold dialog
Anchoring a Layer
Part 1 - Prepare the base image to copy
From an existing image, make a square selection that will be the image used in your creation
Use the Rectangular selection tool
Select Fixed aspect ratio
Set Width and Height to equal numbers ( I dont think it matters what numbers)
Apply Filters - Enhance - Unsharp Mask to the selection
16

 Set the amount between 2 and 3

From the image menu, Layer - Colors - Threshold

After you select Threshold, click anywhere in the image to open the dialog

Set the middle slider so the lower bound (on the left) is 100
17

 Edit - Copy (Ctrl+C)

Part 2 - Create a new image
Create a new file, File - New
By default, the Width and Height should be equal to the dimensions of the base image
Now resize the new image to fit four copies
Image - Canvas Size
From the drop-down, select percent instead of pixels
Change Width and Height both to 200
You should now have an image with a white square in the upper left and the rest transparent
18

Next, expand the white square to fill the image

Layer - Layer to Image Size
Save in xcf format
Part 3 - Position the guides

From the image menu, Image - Guides - New Guide (by Percent) ...
Select Horizontal from the drop-down, set at 50 %
Repeat the two previous steps, this time selecting Vertical
Part 4 - Paste, position, and color the base image
Edit -Paste (Ctrl-V)
This places one copy of the base image in the center
Select the Move tool and position the image in one corner
Filters - Colors - Colorify ...
Select red
19

Edit -Paste (Ctrl-V)

This places another copy of the base image on top of the red one
Select the Move tool and position the image in another corner
Filters - Colors - Colorify ...
Select green
Repeat these steps to fill and color the other two corners
Part 5 - Closing out
Anchor the copies to the background by using Layer - Anchor Layer (Ctrl+H)
View - Show Guides (deselect)
20

 Save your finished creation If you find this useful, a small donation would be appreciated.
Make payments with PayPal - its fast, free and secure!

1.2

July

Creating Text on a Sphere with GIMP (2007-07-05 15:30)

Includes Using guides,Text tool,Script-Fu drop shadow,Merging layers,Object mapping

21

Part 1 - Create a new square image

Choose the color of the sphere as the Background Color

File - New

Set the dimensions to 250 x 250 pixels

Part 2 - The guides

Image - Guides - New Guide (By Percent) ...

Select Horizontal from the drop down

Set Percent at 50 %

Use the same procedure to set a Vertical guide at 50 %

22

Part 3 - The text

Choose the color you want for your text as the Foreground Color

Select the Text tool

In the tool settings, select centered alignment

Set the text size about 30 pixels

Click in the image to show the text dialog

Type the text you wish to appear on the image in the dialog box

Select the Move tool

Use the Guides to position your text in the center of the square
23

Part 3a (Optional) - Add a drop shadow to the text

Script-Fu - Shadow - Drop Shadow
I simply used the default settings

Part 4 - Creating the sphere

In the Layers dialog, right click any layer, select Merge Visible Layers ...
Select Expand As Necessary
24

 You should now have a single layer

Filters - Map- Map Object

Select the Options tab
Select Sphere from the drop down
Check Transparent background
Check Enable antialiasing
25

Part 5 - Finishing up
Hide the Guides
View - Show Guides (deselect)

You can now easily Copy and Paste into another image
The parameters I used throughout this lesson are a matter of personal preference. Feel free to experiment
and have fun. If you found this lesson useful, a small dontation would be greatly appreciated.
26

Make payments with PayPal - its fast, free and secure!

Creating a brush with variable size (2007-07-09 16:18)

When I first started to use [1]GIMP, one of the Photoshop features I most missed was the ability to resize
a brush on-the-fly rather than having to reselect a dierent size brush or create a new one of the needed size.
I searched unsuccessfully for a way to do this.
Recently, as I was looking in the [2]GIMP manual online, I noticed an item [3]Creating a brush with variable
size. I hadnt ever noticed this item before, so its either been recently added or Im #@ % &. At any rate,
Im presenting it here enhanced with screenshots for those of you who would like to make use of this handy
feature.

1. Start with opening the Brush dialog by double-clicking on the Brush area in Toolbox, or by File
Dialogs Brushes. Click on the New Brush button to open the Brush Editor dialog.

2. Name your brush at once, Variable Round for instance.

27

3. Your brush will appear in the Brush options with a blue corner.
28

4. Now, go File Preferences Input Controllers

Click the Main Mouse Wheel tab.

Check Enable this controller.
Scroll through the Events list and select Scroll up (Shift).
Click on the Edit button to open a window that allows you to assign an action to the selected event.

29


1. Click on the small triangle next to Context to drop the list down. Scroll through this list and select
the context-brush-radius-increase item.

2. Do the same to assign the context-brush-radius-decrease action to the Scroll down (Shift) event to
decrease the brush size.
3. Click on the Save button in the Brush Editor to save your brush.
I am using a third-party mouse on my iMac and didnt have success with the scroll wheel actions. However,
using the Main Keyboard tab I was able to assign increase and decease brush radius to the up- and downarrow keys. I also used the left- and right-arrow keys to decrease and increase the hardness of the brush.
30

If you work with a tool that has a Brush option and have selected your Variable Round brush, press the
Shift key and you will be able to vary the brush size by using the mouse wheel or the up- and down-arrow
keys. This change will be visible in real time in the brush area of the Toolbox and in the Brush Dialog.
Hope you found this useful. tab
1. http://www.gimp.org/
2. http://docs.gimp.org/en/index.html
3. http://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-using-variable-size-brush.html

Blending Two Images with GIMP (2007-07-17 13:13)

Included in this tutorial Resizing a Canvas

Creating a new transparent layer
Anchor a floating layer
Using a layer mask
Using the gradient tool
Flattening an image
Open both pictures you intend to blend

Activate the one you intend to use as the base image

Increase the canvas size of this image to accommodate pasting the overlapping image
Image - Canvas Size
31

 Break the Width/Height link by clicking on the chain icon

If the two images are the same size you need to nearly double the width

Create a new transparent layer

Layer - New Layer ... (or click the new layer icon in the layers dialog)
Name the new layer Overlay layer
Select Transparency as Layer Fill Type

Activate the second image which will be the overlay layer and copy it
Edit - Copy (or Ctrl+C)
Activate the base image and paste the copy of the second image onto it
Edit - Paste (or Ctrl+V)
32

Anchor the floating pasted layer to the transparent Overlay layer

Layer - Anchor Layer (or Ctrl+H, or click the anchor icon in the layers dialog)
Use the Move tool to position the Overlay layer so that it overlaps the base layer as much as you like
Note that its helpful to slide the Overlay layer down a little so you can see how much overlap youve got

Add a layer mask to the Overlay layer

In the layer dialog, right-click the Overlay layer
Add Layer Mask ...
Select White (full opacity)
Paint a black-to-white gradient on the layer mask
Select the Gradient tool with the options shown
33

 Draw a straight line (use Ctrl to constrain your line if necessary) from the left edge of the Overlap layer
to the right edge of the base image

The two images should now be blended together as shown

Even up the tops of the two images

34

 In the layers dialog activate the overlay image by clicking on it (look for the white border)
Use the Move tool to drag it up so the tops of the two images are aligned
Finishing up
Flatten the blended image into a single layer
Image - Flatten Image
Use the Crop tool to remove the unwanted portions of the image

This tutorial was adapted from a Photoshop tutorial. There may be dierent and/or better ways to do
some of these things. Some of the methods I used were developed from trial-and-error. I try, too, to include
some less frequently used techniques if I can. I hope you find this tutorial useful and instructive. - tab

Grid on a Globe (2007-07-24 10:30)

I saw a similar eect on a recent Newsweek cover and I was inspired to try replicating it with GIMP. After
a good bit of experimentation, I came up with a not-too-complex method which I have presented here.

35

Part 1 - Preparation
The most tedious part of this exercise is preparing the images you plan to place on the sphere. You will need
twenty 100 pix by 100 pix square images. Of course, for the purpose of the exercise you could use just a few
images repeatedly. At any rate, you will need to select your images and crop each one to a square. Then all
the images will need to be resized to 100 x 100 pixels. I used Mac OS Xs Automater to create a workflow to
perform this second step. There are also a number of [1]freeware/shareware utilities to carry out this task,
as well, and an [2]Apple Script.
Part 2 - Create a new image for the picture grid
Create a new image 425 pixels by 530 pixels (height = 1.25 x width). Next turn on the grid and configure it.
1. View - Show Grid
2. View - Snap to Grid
3. Image - Configure Grid ...
Set Width and Height both to 108. This will allow an 8 pixel space between the images in the grid.

4. Start placing the small square pictures into the grid.

36

File - Open as Layer... (Ctrl+Alt+O)

5. With the Move tool, position the picture in the top left corner of a grid square.
When you get near the corner, itll snap into place.

6.

Re-

peat steps 4 and 5 until all the grid squares are filled.
7. When the grid is filled, flatten the image to a single layer.
Image - Flatten Image

37

Part 3 Create a second image which will become the sphere

1. Create a new square image 1000 pix by 1000 pix. 2. Activate the grid image and copy it. Edit - Copy
(Ctrl+C) 3. Make the new empty image active and paste the grid image onto it. Edit - Paste (Ctrl+V) The
grid image is now a floating layer centered over the plain background layer. 4. Stretch the new layer (the
grid) vertically. Layer - Scale layer... Break the Width/Height link by clicking on the chain icon Set the
height to 850 (height = 2 x width)

38

5. Anchor the floating selection to the background layer.

Layer - Anchor Layer (Ctrl+H, or click the anchor icon in the layers dialog)

39

Part 4 - Map this

image to a sphere
1. Filters - Map - Map to Object...
Select Map to : Sphere
Check Transparent background

40

2. Depending on the speed of your system, this may take a bit to render.
Use this as a jumping-o point. You may want to experiment with dierent aspect ratios for the individual
images, dierent numbers of images, dierent grid sizes, and so on. An idea I might work on is blending the
pictures rather than having distinct frames. tab
1. http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/batchresizecrop/Batch_Resizing_Cropping_Tools_Tips.htm
2. http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2004092804461334

Crop Tool Quick Tip (2007-07-25 09:25)

I had never understood how to use the Fixed aspect ratio option of the Crop tool correctly to retain the
images proportions. I learned this procedure from [1]Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional, Akkana
Peck, Apress, 2006.

1. Select the Crop tool and click in the image to open the Crop dialog.
2. Click on From selection to set the crop rectangle to the entire image.
3. Next check Fixed aspect ratio. Now you can drag on one of the resize handles (upper-left or lower-right)
to change the size of the crop rectangle while the proportions remain the same.
4. Then you can use one of the move handles to position the crop rectangle as desired.
1.

http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-GIMP-Novice-Professional/dp/1590595874/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/

002-8198665-9067258?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185374522&sr=1-1

41

1.3

August

How to delete saved settings from Levels, etc. (2007-08-03 08:23)

This information applies to Mac OS X, GIMP 2.2
Sometimes while working on a project you may want to save the settings you used in a Levels or other dialog
to use on other images in the project. When that project ends, you will probably want to delete those saved
settings.
I found myself in this situation recently, but I was unable to find any documentation explaining how to
delete these saved Levels settings. I was eventually able to determine these settings were stored in a folder
in /home/.gimp-2.2. I then learned that since this folder name begins with a dot, it is hidden by OS X.
Next, I had to figure out how to access this hidden folder. I found the following scripts which run from the
Terminal. Type this in the Terminal to show all hidden folders and files,
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
killall Finder
Then, open Finder from the Dock and navigate to the .gimp-2.2 folder. Open it and delete the saved profiles.
Youll likely want to restore file/folder hiding. Run the following,
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE
killall Finder
A note of warning, be careful when modifying hidden things. Backup first.
Hopefully, future versions of GIMP will have a simpler way to delete these no longer needed files.

Put on a Happy Sky (2007-08-25 11:27)

In this lesson you will have the opportunity to learn a procedure to replace an overexposed sky in a photo
with a more attractive sky from another image.
Before -

After 42

Included in this lesson Decompose HSV filter

Threshold tool
Quick mask
Adjusting a selection
Moving layers
Open the photo with the unattractive sky (foreground image) and the image with the good sky you want to
use. Its much easier if these images are the same size, so you may want to scale one or both images before
proceeding. For the time being, you may want to minimize the sky image to reduce clutter.
Step 1 - Decompose the background image to HSV
Filters - Colors - Decompose ...
Select HSV in the dialog. This will create a new image with the same name as your original foreground
image but which has HSV appended.
Be sure the Value layer is active (white border) in the layers dialog
43

Step 2 - Apply the Threshold tool to the Value layer

Tools - Color Tools - Threshold ... OR Layer - Colors - Threshold ...

Push the middle slider to the right until the sky is white and the foreground is black. Use one of the Paint
tools (pencil, brush) to make any adjustments needed.
44

Step 3 - Apply Quick Mask to the foreground image

Select your original foreground image and toggle the Quick Mask ON by clicking in the bottom left corner
of the image window (Shift+Q OR Select - Toggle Quick Mask).
The entire image should now be covered by a translucent red layer.
45

Step 4 - Copy the Decomposed image and paste it onto the Quick Mask in the foreground image
Select the Decomposed HSV image and copy it.

Edit - Copy (Ctrl+C)

Switch to the foreground image.

Edit - Paste (Ctrl+V)

Step 5 - Define the selection

Toggle Quick Mask OFF by clicking in the bottom left corner of the image window (Shift+Q OR Select Toggle Quick Mask).
The red layer should be gone and the marching ants selection border should appear.
46

Right now the sky is selected, but you want the foreground to be selected.

Select - Invert (Ctrl+I)

Select - Shrink ... [setting: 1 pixel]
Select - Feather ... (Ctrl+Alt+F) [setting: 2 pixels]

Step 6 - Place the foreground on a new layer of its own

Edit - Copy (Ctrl+C)

Edit - Paste (Ctrl+V)

You should see a floating selection at the top of the layers dialog.
47

Put this on a new layer of its own.

Layer - New Layer ... (or click the New Layer icon at the bottom of the layers dialog)
48

Name this layer foreground.

Step 7 - Copy the new sky from the other image to the foreground image
Activate the image containing the sky you wish to use and copy it.

Edit - Copy (Ctrl+C)

Activate the foreground image

Edit - Paste (Ctrl+V)

Layer - New Layer ... (or click the New Layer icon at the bottom of the layers dialog)

You now have the sky image on its own layer. Name this layer sky.
49

Step 8 - Reposition the sky layer

Move the sky layer below the foreground layer in the stack by either dragging it or using the down button
at the bottom of the layers dialog.

Step 9 - Finish up
If you want to save your image in JPG or PNG format youll need to flatten it to a single layer first.
Image - Flatten Image
50

Understand, this is NOT the ONLY way to do this. It works well for me and gives you an opportunity to
use some functions of the GIMP which may be less familiar to you. The techniques used can be applied in
other tasks as well. I hope you find this useful and instructive. Comments and/or donations appreciated.

1.4

December

Lawn Care with GIMP (2007-12-02 10:16)

In this short tutorial, youll learn a technique you can apply to fixing many kinds of photo problems. In this
lesson youll use ...

The Lasso selection tool

Feather a selection
The Move tool
Move a selection
Move a layer
The Layers palette
Floating Selection

51

 New Layer

Merge Down

and Flatten Image

In this photo youll notice a couple of bad patches of lawn that detract from the appearance of the picture.
Were going to repair the larger patch to the left.
1. Use the Lasso selection tool to draw a border surrounding the area to be repaired.
52

2. Feather the edge of the selection by at least 10 pixels, Select - Feather...

3. The selection needs to be dragged to a patch of good grass. Click the Move tools icon then click the
Selection icon so the move aects the selection only ...

53

...

then drag the selection to a patch of good grass that will be placed over the bad patch.

4. Usethe keyboard shortcuts Control-C to copy that patch of good grass, then immediately Control-V to
paste it as a Floating Layer on top of itself.
5. Use the Move tool again, but this time with the Layer icon chosen for Aect ...

...

54

and

position

the

copied

patch

of

good

grass

over

the

bad

patch.

6. Now, put the Floating Selection on a new layer of its own. In the Layers palette, be sure the Floating
Selection is active, then click the New layer icon in the bottom left corner ...

... so the Floating Selection becomes a Pasted Layer in the Layers palette
...

... and the selection boundary has disappeared. (The layer boundary is still visible.)

55

7. Position this layer exactly as you want it, then merge this layer with theBackground layer by right-clicking
the Pasted Layer in the Layers palette and selecting Merge Down from the context menu.

8. Repeat this process to repair the other bad spots, then flatten the image, Image - Flatten Image, and
save your work.

56

I havent had much time for writing tutorials recently, but Ive wanted to share this for some time. I hope
you learn something you can use.
This is likely the last tutorial Ill write until I get GIMP 2.4 and learn about it.

57

58

Chapter 2

2008
Filling Text With An Image (2008-12-28 14:01)
Filling Text With An Image
In this lesson you will learn how to use [1]GIMP to fill text with an image as in this example ...

Among the skills used in this lesson are ...

Creating a new image
Creating and modifying a text layer
Selecting by Color
Using the Paste Into command
Adding a drop shadow to a selection
Anchoring a layer

59

 Flattening an image

Though there are a number of ways to accomplish this eect, this method is quick, simple, and flexible.
Step 1 - Create a new image
File > New Use the setting Width 420, Height 300, Fill with : Foreground Color

Step 2 - Create a text layer

Select the Text tool Using a bold, heavy font produces better results. I used Impact Condensed, Size: 85,
Color: White, Justify: Centered
60

Step 3 - Select the text

Choose the Select by Color tool Click anywhere inside the white text and all of the white text is selected.

Step 4 - Delete the text layer

Using the Layers dialog Select the text layer and delete it. The white text will be gone but your selection
will remain.
61

Step 5 - Open the fill image

Open the image you want to fill the text with. I found an image of fireworks to use as my fill. This image
should be about the same size as your new image or a bit larger. It may be necessary to scale this image.

Step 6 - Copy the fill image

From the fill images menu, Edit > Copy
62

Step 7 - Paste the fill image into the selection

From the new images menu, Edit > Paste Into This fills the selection with the fireworks image as though
the text has been cut out and and the fireworks image is behind it.
63

Step 8 - Adjust the position of the fill image

You may use the Move tool to slide the pasted layer around to get the best eect.
64

Step 9 - Add a drop shadow

Filters > Light and Shadow > Drop Shadow ... Adding a bit of a drop shadow will enhance the eect.
65

Step 10 - Drop Shadow dialog settings

I used Oset X: 2, Oset Y: 2, Blur radius: 8, Color: Red, Opacity: 80 (Oset X controls the horizontal
position of the shadow. Oset Y controls the vertical position.)

Step 11 - Anchor the Pasted Layer

Layer > Anchor Layer Cements the pasted layer to the background. After this step you will no longer be
able to edit this layer.
66

Step 12 - Flatten the image, deselect, and save

Image > Flatten Image This will reduce the image to a single layer so you can save it as a jpg file.
Select > None This will remove the selection

67

The finished product ...

This is a basic example. You may play

around with the settings and the way you have the layers stacked, and so on. I went one step further and
used Filters > Light and Shadow > Sparkle ... with the default settings to get a little glitter thing.

68

You can use this method to fill shapes other than text, too. In this example, I filled stars with an American
flag. I created the stars with a third-party [2]brush, otherwise the procedure is identical.

I hope you found this lesson useful and that you will share it with
others.
[3]
1. http://www.gimp.org/
2. http://launchpadlibrarian.net/10450317/gimp-brushes_0.0.1%7Eppa1.tar.gz
3. http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/6f99d4f3-e5a4-4c1c-a063-8bc3dd4574c3/

69

70

Chapter 3

2009

3.1

January

Lomographic Eect (2009-01-10 15:59)

[1]Lomography emphasizes casual, snapshot photography. Characteristics such as over-saturated colors,

o-kilter exposure, blurring, and alternative film processing are often considered part of the Lomographic
Technique. Users are encouraged to take a lighthearted approach to their photography, and use these techniques to document everyday life, as the Lomo LC-As small size, simple controls, and ability to shoot in
low light encourages candid photography, photo reportage, and photo vrit. The 35 mm LOMO LC-A
Compact Automat camera was originally created and produced by LOMO PLC of St. Petersburg, Russia.
(Wikipedia)
There are numerous methods for achieving a lomographic eect through post processing. After exploring
several of these, I developed the following relatively simple process using GIMP to create the desired eect.
71

This lesson includes the following:

Creating a rectangular selection with rounded corners
72

Feathering a selection

 Duplicating and creating layers

Setting layer modes and opacity
Using the Curves Tool
Using the Unsharp Mask filter
And more
Choose an appropriate image or [2]download this one.
Begin by duplicating the background. I always like to duplicate the background image. In case anything
goes horribly wrong, I can easily recover my original layer.
PART 1 Create the lomo trademark dark vignette
1) Create a new layer named vignette
2) Use the Rectangle Select Tool to create aselection several pixels inside the edges of your original photo.

3) Next round the corners of the selection by 10 %.

From the image menu, Select > Rounded Rectangle ...
73

4) Now feather the selection by about 100 pixels.

Again, from the image menu, Select > Feather...

74

5) The next step is to invert the selection.

Using the image menu, Select > Invert.

6) Now use the Bucket Fill Tool to fill the whole selection with black
(FG color).

75

7) In the Layers palette, set the Opacity of the vignettelayer to 60 %

8) From the image menu, turn o the selection, Select > None.
This is what you should have at this point ...

76

PART 2 Create the

hard, brassy color eect.
1) Flatten the image to a single layer, Image > Flatten Image.

2) Duplicate that layer and rename it as curves.

77

3) Using the Curves Tool , Colors > Curves...,

... adjust the color curves to an s-shape as shown here ...

4) Create a New Layer called grain using the Foreground color (black) as the Layer Fill Type.

78

5) For the grain layer set the Mode to Grain merge and the Opacity to 20 %.

This is about where you should be now ...

79

Part 3
Sharpen the image a bit and finish.
Again, flatten image to a single layer, duplicate the layer and rename it sharpen.
1) From the image menu, Filters > Enhance > Unsharp mask...

80

2) Use the settings shown below, Radius: 20, Amount: 0.7, and Threshold: 0.

81

3) Flatten the image once more and Save.

Your finished product should look something like this ...

82

I hope you acquired at least one new skill or idea from working through this lesson. If you liked it, please
share it.
[3]
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomography
2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/22979569@N08/3185928712/sizes/o/
3. http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/e16460ee-0001-43ef-a870-404a9faf5c3c/

Brushes and Fonts for GIMP (2009-01-11 11:23)

Sources for [1]GIMP brushes and fonts
GIMP brushes at [2]deviantART
[3]
GIMP and PS brushes from [4]BlendFu[5]
Extensive collection of fonts at [6]dafont.com
[7]
To install on a Mac: Simply download and extract the brush or font files and put them in the appropriate
folder.
user/library/application support/gimp/brushes
user/library/application support/gimp/fonts
For Windows users, click [8]here.
83

[9]
1. http://www.gimp.org/
2. http://browse.deviantart.com/resources/applications/gimpbrushes/?alltime=yes&order=9
3. http://img.skitch.com/20090111-ksf7n1xn5uiuswdxdk8w8529yx.jpg
4. http://www.blendfu.com/
5. http://img.skitch.com/20090111-txmwatht6fesyyuqsqc2yqe7ti.jpg
6. http://www.dafont.com/
7. http://img.skitch.com/20090111-rpwnnni3hsy5xgcpsdrw89s44i.jpg
8. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1033539/howto_install_gimp_brushes/
9. http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/0fd37b67-a481-4a37-96b5-5aaeea03ea0e/

Using GIMPs Perspective Clone Tool (2009-01-18 19:15)

In this simple exercise youll see how to use the Perspective Clone tool. This tool allows you to clone in
an image with distinct perspective lines. First, set the wanted vanishing lines in the same way as with
thePerspective tool. Then clone a source area in the same way as with the Clone tool.
In this image there are strong parallel lines receding from near to far. Theres a blemish in the middle of the
image which can be fixed using the Perspective Clone tool.

[1]Download this image.

1) First, duplicate the background layer. Youll have new layer named Background Copy.
84

2) In the Tools palette, click on the Perspective Clone tool icon.

From the tool options, choose Modify Perspective as the Mode.
Then click anywhere in the image to show the tool.

3) By grabbing the corners, drag the perspective lines to match those in the image, as shown here.
85

4) Next, in the tool options for the Perspective Clone tool, change the Mode to Perspective Clone. Be
certain the source is set to Image. Select a brush large enough to cover the area you are going to fix.

86

5) Set the clone source by Control-clicking on the Background Copy layer.

6) Create a new layer named Clone with the Layer Fill Type set to Transparency.

7) Be sure the Clone layer is the active layer. Click near the center of the area you want to cover. Dont
worry if the cloned image is not quite lined up the way it should be.

87

8) Select the Move tool set to Aect: Layer and adjust the Clone layer
to the desired position.

9) That looks better, but the cloned area obviously doesnt blend too well. I
just used the Brightness & Contrast tool to make a quick adjustment to the brightness to get a better overall
match. There are better ways to do this, but theyre outside the scope of this example.

10) Finally, in the Layers palette, right-click on the Clone layer and merge it with the layer below.
This has been a very rudimentary example of using the Perspective Clone tool. To get a really good result,
you would need to experiment and make some variations. Still, I hope you found it useful.
[2]
1. http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/8113/planksexercisecf0.jpg
2. http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/3bddcf8d-c1f7-4d23-863c-631aa5dc2a79/

3.2

April

Two Tone GIMP (2009-04-06 18:54)

Apply a Two-Tone Tint Eect to an Image
In this tutorial youll see how a two-tone tinting eect can be easily applied to a picture using GIMP.
88

Among the tools and techniques youll use in this tutorial ...

Desaturate an image
Set guides by percent
Multiply layer mode
Layer mask
Blend tool

First open an RGB (color) picture to use as the base image for this tutorial. I found this nice image of kids
playing football, but you can apply this technique to just about any RGB image.
89

Step 1 - Desaturate the image and adjust the brightness and contrast
Colors - Desaturate... Use the default settings in the Desaturate dialog.

90

Next, Colors - Brightness-Contrast...

91

In
the
Brightness-Contrast
dialog, set the Brightness to 15 and the Contrast to 18. You may want to adjust these settings to work

better for your base image.

The
result

92

should

be

something

like

this.

Step 2 - Set three horizontal guidelines to help define the tinted regions
Image - Guides - New Guide (by Percent)...

93

Set a Horizontal guide at 25 %.

Set
two
more
guides
in

94

the

same

way,

one

at

50

%,

one

at

75

%.

Note the percentages are 0 % at the top and left to 100 % at the bottom and right.
Step 3 - Apply a green tint to the lower half of the image
Create a new transparent layer named Green tint, Layer - New Layer...

95

Now fill this layer with green. Youll need to select the Bucket Fill tool and set the foreground color to
green
(00cb2f).

Your picture should now be solid green. From the Layers palette select Multiply from the Mode dropdown

96

list.
You should now see your picture with a green tint applied to the entire image. Next, youll use a layer mask
to limit the tint to the lower portion of the image.
Layer - Mask - Add Layer Mask... Be sure White (Full Opacity) is selected in the dialog.
Next you need to paint a black to white gradient on the layer mask Select the Blend tool and be sure the
colors are reset to the default black foreground and white background.

Draw your blend line from thetop down to the 75 % guide to get the following result.

97

Step 4 - Apply a yellow tint to the upper half of the image

Create a new transparent layer named Yellow tint in the same way you created the Green tint layer in Step
3, then fill this layer with yellow (00).
Apply alayer mask to the Yellow tint layer as described in the previous step, but draw the blend line from
the bottom up to the 25 % guide to achieve the following.

98

Finally, remove all the guidelines. Image - Guides - Remove all Guides.

99

Finish up by flattening the image and saving it as a JPG.

100

Thats it. I think its a nice eect to use in some images. You might like to experiment with applying the
two-tone eect vertically or even diagonally, maybe even along a curve.
Hope you picked up a new skill or idea. If you liked this lesson, please share it.
Im trying something new. Im embedding the map I used to write this tutorial. It might be a good posttutorial reference.
IFRAME: [1]http://share.xmind.net/ embed/xmath2007/two-tone-tutorial-1/
[2]
1. http://share.xmind.net/_embed/xmath2007/two-tone-tutorial-1/
2. http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/2bc9cb58-2560-48d7-808a-b2ce75fa9467/

3.3

July

Create a Bright Neon Pattern of Repea... (2009-07-31 11:16)

In this lesson you will learn how to create an image in which a simple shape is repeated in a variety of glowing
colors on a black background. This is our goal ...
101

[1]
To complete this exercise you will need to have the GIMP Layer Eects plug-in installed. If you dont have
it, you can download it [2]here.
You will also need a simple black-and-white line art shape like these ...

[3][File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1228r42zsfvk_b]
[4]Download
[5][File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1229dg3tdtgw_b]
[6]Download
Download either shape or use one of your own. I chose to use the star shape.
Some of the things youll do in this lesson ...
Use the Layer Eects tools
Paste as a new layer
Move layers
Rename layers
Hide and show layers
Merge layers
Use the Select by Color tool
Shrink a selection
Use guides
1) From the image menu, click Image > Image Properties to get the dimensions of your chosen shape image.
As you see, the star image is 479 pixels high by 455 pixels wide.
102

[7]
2) Youre going to create a new image (File > New...) based on multiples of these dimensions. To get the
height of the new image, multiply the stars height by 1.2. 479 x 1.2 = 575. The width of the new image is
4 to 6 times the width of the shape to allow plenty of room to work. If you multiply the stars width (455)
by 6, youll get 2730, or about 2800 pixels.

[8]
3) Now return to the star image. Use the Select by Color tool to select the black star shape.
103

[9]

4) Then shrink the selection by 3 pixels, Select > Shrink... .

104

[10]

5) From the stars image menu select Edit > Copy.

105

[11]

6) Now switch to your new image and paste the star as a new layer, Edit > Paste as > New Layer.

[12]

You should now see the pasted layer in the upper left corner of the new image.
106

[13]

If, as in the screenshot above, you arent seeing all of the new image in the window, the key combo CtrlShift-E will fit the entire image into the window.
8) Use the Move tool to slide the star to the right edge of the image and position it roughly vertically centered.

[14]

At this point you should rename this layer in the Layers Palette to make things easier to keep sorted out.
Double-click on the name Clipboard in the layer list and rename it as blue.
107

[15]

9) drag a Guide down from the top ruler to help you align the rest of the stars.

[16]

Now you can begin creating the neon eects using the Layer Eects plugin.
10) First youll give the star a bright blue outer glow. Script-Fu > Layer Eects > Outer Glow...
108

[17]
11) Click the color swatch in the Outer Glow dialog and choose a bright blue. I chose 142b for the example.

[18]
Set the Size: to 8 and use the other defaults.
12) Next comes the inner shadow using a darker shade of blue, Script-Fu > Layer Eects > Inner Shadow...
. Click on the color swatch in the Inner Shadow dialog, choose a darker shade of blue. I used 00008a. Set
the Size: to 8 and use the other defaults.
13) The next step is to merge the three layers of the blue star into a single layer. Make the Background layer
invisible by clicking on the eye next to it in the Layers Palette. Right-click on any of the visible blue layers
and select Merge Visible Layers... . Use the default settings.
109

[19]
There should now be just a single blue layer. Make the Background layer visible again by clicking where the
eye should be.

[20]

This is what you should have right now, the black star with a blue glow around it.
110

[21]

Your next task will be to add a second star with a green glow.
14) Repeat step 6 to get another star and position it with the Move tool. Judge the amount of overlap youd
like to your taste. (You should not need to copy the star from the original image again. It should remain on
your clipboard throughout this exercise.)
15) Rename this layer green as shown previously in step 8.
16) Repeat step 10 to open the Outer Glow dialog.
17) Click the color swatch and choose a bright green. In the example I used 0bf805. The Size: should again
be 8, other settings are defaults.
18) Do the inner shadow as in step 12 using a darker shade of green (144716).
19) Hide the non-green layers and merge the three green layers into a single layer (See step 13).

[22]

You should now see two completed stars in the new image when you make all the layers visible again.
111

[23]
Continue this process until youve added as many shapes as you like to your new image.
To finish up, you need to paint the Background layer black with the Bucket Fill tool. You may be wondering
why I didnt simply create a black background in the first place. I could have done, but manipulating the
black stars on a black background ..., well, you see the point :-).
20) Be sure the Background is the active layer in the Layers Palette, the default color swatches are shown in
the Toolbox, and the selected Fill Type is FG Color Fill. Now paint the Background layer.

[24]
22) Finally, in the View menu, uncheck Show Guides.

[25]
112

[26]

You likely have a bit of unused canvas so youll probably want to crop the image to suit your needs. In the
immortal words of Porky Pig,Thats all, f-f-f-folks!
Hopefully, youve learned something new in this tutorial. If you found it useful, please share it with others.
Any constructive comments are appreciated as well as donations through PayPal.

1. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1227f9wtsrht_b
2. http://registry.gimp.org/node/186
3. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1228r42zsfvk_b
4. http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/6510/starksd.png
5. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1229dg3tdtgw_b
6. http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/4096/heartc.png
7. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1230hc3qjkc8_b
8. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1231gv7frkgn_b
9. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1233dtvnw3q8_b
10. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1232gx8w2zcq_b
11. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1234486crkp5_b
12. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1235ngtnjpcq_b
13. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1236dxm2j6cw_b
14. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1237gcd8sbc7_b
15. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1239p9wv9gv4_b
16. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1238fpscczdp_b
17. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1240cvzctccp_b
18. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1242fjdrccfb_b
19. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1244dn6jjtcx_b
20. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1245gcvxwnfp_b
21. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1243gfpk9gdb_b
22. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1246chcgdkd6_b
23. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1247cs88qwc3_b
24. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1248hntkn4g9_b
25. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1249cf47kfg9_b
26. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1250d77k33dv_b

113

3.4

December

Create an Attractive Star Field (2009-12-29 10:10)

In this tutorial, as in most of my lessons, the emphasis is not on the product you will end up with, but on
the tools, techniques, and skills you will use in completing the activity. You should feel free to experiment.
Deviate from the recipe and see what happens if you make some changes.
Among the things you will do in this tutorial:

Use the Blend, Bucket Fill and Elliptical Selection Tools

Feather and Move a selection

Manipulate the Layer Mode and Opacity

Use special brushes and modify Brush Dynamics

Create new layer and a Layer Mask
Use the Blur Filter

Some or all of these techniques may already be familiar to you, but hopefully, youll learn something new.
So, here we go ...
The Background Layer
1) Create a new image using the default settings (640 x 400, white fill).
2) Set the FG color swatch to a rich shade of medium dark blue. I used 1f4d64 (the HTML color code).
3) Use the Bucket Fill Tool to paint this as the background color of the image.
114

4) Reset the FG and BG color swatches to the default black and white.
The Gradient Layer

1) Create a new layer named Gradient.

2)
Select
the
Blend
Tool
and
set
the
Gradient to FG to Transparent. Drag down from the top of the image about 3/4 of the distance to the
115

bottom.
The
Bottom
Glow
Layer
1)
Create a new layer named Bottom glow. 2) Use the Elliptical Selection Tool to create a short oval the

entire width of the image.

3) Select the Move Tool and apply it to the selection. Drag the oval to the bottom of the image so that only
half of it is within the image boundary.
[File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1684cx7wdffj_b]
[File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1685frcbp5dw_b]
4) Feather the selection by 25 pixels. (Selection -> Feather...) 5) Set the FG color to a light medium blue.
My choice is adc3dc. Fill the selection. 6) Set the Layer Mode to Burn, Opacity to 50 %.
116

[File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1686dkk5h6f3_b]
[File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1687dp9hdmhr_b]

The Stars Layer 1) Create a new layer named Stars. 2) Reset the color swatches to the defaults and swap
them so the FG is white, the BG is black. 3) Select the Brush Tool: Shape Star 06, Spacing 180, Scale:
0.4 4) Expand the Brush Dynamics settings: Pressure: Opacity, Random: Opacity and Size 5) Check Apply
Jitter, set the Amount to 5.00.

[File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1688n296kcc2_b]
[File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1689phgxn8g2_b]

6)
Paint
stars
on
the
upper
3/4
of the image. 7) Apply a Motion Blur to the layer: Filters -> Blur -> Motion Blur..., set the Angle to

90 and the Length to 2.

8) Highlight the Stars layer in the Layers palette and select Layers - Mask - Add Layer Mask..., set to
White (Full Opacity).

9) Swap the color swatches back to the defaults.

10) Use the Blend Tool (FG to Transparent) to apply a gradient to the layer mask from just below the lowest
star to the top.
117

The Blue Stars Layer

1) Create a new layer called Stars Blue.
2) Select the Brush Tool (which should still be showing the settings used earlier) and choose a light blue for
the FG color. Something like c0d9f4.
3) Paint some blue stars in the upper third of the image.
4) Apply the same Motion Blur to this layer.

118

If you followed the directions fairly closely, your image should look something like this:

If you want to look for more interesting star brushes go to [1]BlendFu.com

1. http://www.blendfu.com/brush/show/752/Stars

119

120

Chapter 4

2010
4.1

March

Just Too Big! (2010-03-01 16:41)

Some things, like the Eiel Tower, are just too big to fit in the borders of
a single picture! In this fairly easy exercise, youll learn how to make it appear as though the tower was
photographed in three separate images which have then been laid out on a table.
Among the skills used in this lesson

Using guides
Pasting as a new layer
Stroking a selection
Rotating and moving layers
[1]Download this picture of the Eiel Tower by Tom Leadbeetter which I got at [2]Stock.Xchng, or use a
picture of your own.
121

[3]

Use Image > Image Properties to find the dimensions of your picture.
122

Create a new image 10 % larger than the the original picture with a black (FG color) background.

Return to the original picture and drag guides down from the top to divide the image roughly into thirds.
123

See how to do this in a short [4]video.

Use the Rectangle Select Tool to select and copy most of the bottom third of the original picture. Switch to
the new image and paste this into it as new layer named bottom, Edit > Paste as > New Layer.
Select the Move Tool and drag this to the bottom of the new image.
124

IMPORTANT: Swap the default color swatches.

Select the bottom layer, Select > All. Now stroke the selection to paint a white border around the bottom
layer, Edit > Stroke Selection Set the line width to 40 pixels.

Deselect everything, Select > None

Next choose the Rotation Tool, click anywhere on the bottom layer, move the center of rotation to the
bottom left corner and rotate a bit counterclockwise, click the Rotate button to accept the change.
125

See how to do this in a short [5]video.

Return to the original picture and select the middle portion of the tower (but not the full width of the
picture). Copy this and paste it into your new image as a new layer named middle, drag it to the middle
of the new image.
Create a white border for the middle layer in the same way as you did for the bottom layer.
Use the Rotation Tool to spin this layer slightly clockwise (place the center of rotation in the bottom right
corner).
With the Move Tool position the middle layer slightly overlapping the bottom layer.

From the original picture select the top portion of the tower, copy it, paste it into the new image as a new
layer, top.
Once again, paint a border around this layer, tilt it a little counterclockwise, and move it to overlap the
middle layer.
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To complete the project, with the Crop Tool cut away some of the excess black background, then flatten the
image, Image > Flatten image.
Now you can save it as a .png, .jpg, or whatever format you like, File > Save as

[6]
Note: I exaggerated the rotations and overlapping a bit to accentuate the eect. You may not want to
apply as much change in your own project.
A new feature has been added to this lesson, very short video clips to demonstrate some of the steps in the
tutorial. Hope you like them.
I hope you find this, as well as my other tutorials, instructive and useful. I try very hard to create lessons
that will be beneficial to both GIMP beginners and more advanced users. My aim is to make my tutorials
complete, correct, and easy to follow.
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If you have found these lessons to be helpful and worthwhile, a small donation via PayPal (Please use the
button on the left) would be very much appreciated.
1. http://yfrog.com/euetowerj
2. http://www.sxc.hu/
3. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1929gwpv9fdv_b
4. http://screencast.com/t/OTYyY2VmZTkt
5. http://screencast.com/t/YWM4MzhhOW
6. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_1940dj2pmggb_b

Responding to Comments (2010-03-01 17:09)

[1]
Some of you have posted comments in which you have asked questions about
the tutorials. I have not responded to these because I had not been aware of them. Though I have very little
time to devote to this blog, I plan to try to do a better job with this.
I have made some changes to the commenting and comment notification procedures that I hope will help in
this. Please bear with me.
I appreciate those of you who visit here whether regularly or just occasionally. Id love to do more tutorials.
Good tutorials take a lot of time, and I just cant fit them in very often. I have many notes on tutorials for
the future. Ahh, maybe someday.
1. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cL2Mo6y31lw/S4xCfyEaL_I/AAAAAAAAFX8/q-rYPFBhVeE/s1600-h/hourglass

Moon Shadow (2010-03-16 15:34)

Im being followed by a moon shadow
moon shadow-moon shadow
leaping and hopping on a moon shadow
moon shadow-moon shadow
- Cat Stevens
I had a request to show how an extracted image can be placed on a plain background with a realistic shadow.
As always, there are dierent ways to accomplish this. This, I think, is a relatively simple and straightforward method.
128

[1]
Skills used in this lesson

Paste as new layer

Using the Move tool
Scale the layer to the image size
Using Guides
Feathering a selection
Using the Blend tool
Rearranging layers

Download the source image [2]here or use one of your own.

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[3]

Selecting and copying the moon from the source image are not a part of this tutorial. Assume you are ready
to paste the copied selection into a new image.
So, youll need to create a new image larger than the object youre going to paste. In this example, the new
image is 900 by 900 pixels with a default white background.
Paste the moon into your new image as a new layer named moon, Edit > Paste as > New layer
Use the Move Tool to position the object so that it is about horizontally centered and a bit above the vertical
center.
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Scale the size of this layer to match the overall size of the image, Layer > Layer to image size
Drag in vertical guides to mark the left and right edges of the moon. Place horizontal guides to mark the
bottom and middle of the moon.
The guides form a rectangular box containing the bottom half of the moon. Use the Ellipse Select Tool to
make a selection bounded by that rectangle.
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See how to do this in a [4]short video

Feather the selection by about 50 pixels, Select > Feather
Create a new transparent layer named shadow.
Set the Background color to a dark gray. I used 626262.
Be sure the shadow layer is active, highlighted in the Layers palette.

Choose the Blend Tool, settings FG to BG, linear gradient. Drag the Blend Tool from the top left corner
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to the bottom right corner of the rectangle formed by the guides.

See how to do this in a [5]short video

You can remove the selection and the guides now.
With the Move Tool, drag the shadow layer down and to the right a bit.

Right now the shadow layer should be the top layer in the Layers palette. Drag it down so that it is under
the moon layer (but above the background layer).

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To finish, I cropped the image, then filled the background layer with a light blue color (95c0f1). Flatten the
image if you want to save it as a .jpg or .png file.

The basic techniques of this procedure are presented here without regard for the finer aesthetic points. Refining
the image for its best, most realistic appearance is left to you.
If you have found these lessons to be helpful and worthwhile, a small donation via PayPal (Please use the
button on the left) would be very much appreciated.
1. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_2003hn7sbnct_b
2. http://yfrog.com/27moonqj
3. http://docs.google.com/File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_2004cnf3s4hd_b
4. http://screencast.com/t/M2FjZTQx
5. http://screencast.com/t/NzVlYzQ0YjYt

4.2

June

Old Blue Eyes (2010-06-07 13:37)

Using GIMPs Filter Pack its easy to change someones eye color to almost anything you like. In this
exercise youll change the girls green eyes to a bright blue.
[File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_2189cwj29cdv_b]
[File?id=ajdvptpwtc6m_2190frdbtrg8_b]

In this lesson ...

Use the Free Select Tool

Subtract from/add to the current selection
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Use the Filter Pack

Download the [1]original image I used from stock.xchng

Zoom in to the girls right eye. Using the Free Select Tool (Lasso) select the outer perimeter of the iris.

IMPORTANT: In the Toolbox, click on the Subtract from the current selection icon.

Again, using the Free Select Tool, draw a selection around the pupil. This cuts that region out of the selection. Feather the selection by 1 or 2 pixels, Select > Feather...

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The selected region should only be the colored iris.

Now use the Filter Pack to modify the color of the iris, Colors > Filter Pack Youll see the original selection
and the modified selection which, at this time, are the same. Check Hue under Windows.

The Hue Variations window opens showing six possible changes to the iris. Click on Blue.
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The Hue Variations window now shows six new possible hues for the iris. Choose the Cyan variation.
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This is the color youre looking for, so click OK in the Filter Pack Simulation window to see the new eye
color applied in the image.

Ive only modified one eye for illustration purposes. You would obviously want to apply this method to both
eyes. Use the Add to/Subtract from the current selection options to select the irises of both eyes.
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The Filter Pack can be a fun tool with which to play and experiment. You can use it to alter the color of
anything without aecting the light and shadows.
1. http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1192481

4.3

August

The Catch (2010-08-15 14:45)

In this lesson, youll use a number of GIMPs tools to create an eect in which a football player leaps out
of a picture frame to catch the ball.
Before
After
Some of the things youll do in this project ...
Use a guide
Adjust shapes with the Perspective tool

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 Clear the contents of a selection

Feather, shrink, and invert selections
Hide a layer
Use the Eraser tool
Download the original image [1]here or use one of your own.
1. First, drag a guide down from the top ruler to define the location of the top of the frame.
2. Now, the tedious part. Select the portion of the football player above the guide (which will be outside of
the frame) and a small portion below the guide. I used the Extraction tool and refined the selection using
a Quick Mask. The details of making this selection are not within the scope of this lesson.
3. Choose the Rectangle Select tool and click on the Add to selection mode icon.
Select the entire region between the guide and the bottom of the image, invert the selection, and feather it
3 pixels.
4. Create a new layer named black and fill the whole selection with default black using the Bucket tool.
Deselect everything, Select > None.
In the next step, youll define the picture frame.
5. With the Rectangle Select tool in Normal mode, select the entire region below the guide again. Use the
Perspective tool (be certain to choose the modify selection icon), to reshape the selection into a trapezoid.
See how to do this in a [2]short video
6. Invert this selection. Use the Pencil tool to paint the areas to the left of, right of, and below the frame
default black.
7. Create a new layer, white. Fill the trapezoidal selection with default white.
8. Shrink the selection by 35 pixels. Using the Perspective tool again, adjust this trapezoid to give the
appearance that the the top border of the frame is farther from you than the bottom edge.
9. Clear the white fill from the inner selection, Edit > Clear.
All that remains is to delete the part of the white frame that covers the leaping player.
10. Hide the white layer (click the eye in the Layers palette). Use the Lasso tool to select the portion of
the football player which is under the border (be generous). Be sure to accurately select the left and right
edges of the player. Feather the selection by 3 pixels. I chose to do this in pieces, but you could do it all at
once.
11. Make the white layer visible again (be sure its the active layer). Use the Eraser tool to remove the
selected area of the white border from over the player.
Thats it!
Dolphins and whales are great subjects for this eect. I think you could do some nice things with basketball
players and soccer goalies, too. Have fun!
1. http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/xmath_photos/Uncategorized/leapingint00.jpg
2. http://img06/

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4.4

September

Attack of the Clones! (2010-09-05 12:54)

In this easy lesson, you will learn how to create an image which appears to show the same person appearing
in multiple locations in a scene.

Ideally you would begin with a photo of the scene without the person in it to use as the background image.

141

You will need at least two pictures of the same scene with the person you plan to clone appearing in a
dierent location in each photo.

Tip: For best results, set up the camera using a tripod and keep its position and settings fixed for all the
photos.

Download source images here:

[1]empty background | [2]girl left | [3]girl right | [4]girl back

Step 1. Using the Free Select Tool (Lasso) roughly select the person you plan to clone in one of the photos
in which she appears. Feather the selection by a few pixels, Select > Feather...

The selection neednt be precise. In fact, having some of the surrounding content makes it easier to properly
position the pasted layer.

Step 2. Copy the selection,Edit > Copy, then paste it into the background image as a new layer, Edit >
Paste as > New Layer.
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Step 3. Use the Move Tool (in Layer mode) ...

... to properly position the clone over the background. Zoom in and use some key points to accurately align
the clone layer.
143

Repeat Steps 1-3 to copy, paste, and position the person you are cloning from an image in which she appears
in a dierent place.

Step 1
144

Step 2

Step 3
145

You now have a picture in which the same person appears in two dierent places!

If you have more photos of your person, try placing her in various locations in the scene to get the most
interesting results.
146

The challenge comes when one of your clones is to appear in front of another. In this case, your selection
must be precise in the areas where the forward clone layer overlays the rear one. But, you can create a really
interesting eect this way.

Imagine and Create!!!

1. http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/xmath_photos/kailee%20clones/kaileeprojbaseX.jpg
2. http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/xmath_photos/kailee%20clones/2008mar143.jpg
3. http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/xmath_photos/kailee%20clones/2008mar142.jpg
4. http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/xmath_photos/kailee%20clones/2008mar141.jpg

147

148

Chapter 5

2011
5.1

January

Quick and Easy Zoom Eect (2011-01-11 12:43)

In this tutorial youll create the eect of having zoomed in on a portion of a screenshot to emphasize something in that area.

This lesson was inspired by Jessica Cam Wongs very good [1]tutorial on this eect. In this exercise your
product may be be less elegant, but youll achieve what I believe is a satisfactory and pleasing result a bit
more easily and quickly.
A portion of this procedure includes using the GIMP Layer Eects plugin. If you dont have the Layer
Eects plugin installed, you can get it [2]here at the GIMP Plugin Registry.
Some of the skills you will use in this exercise:
Create a new layer from a pasted selection
Expand a new layer to the size of the image
Resize (scale) a layer
Create a selection using Alpha to Selection
Grow a selection
Apply the Drop Shadow filter
Hide, merge, and reveal layers
You will, of course, need a screenshot on which to work. You can capture a screenshot in GIMP using File >
Create > Screenshot . Capture an approximately 700-800 pixel square screenshot using whatever method
you prefer.
Begin by using the Ellipse Select tool to define the zoomed in area.
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Then copy and immediately paste this selection (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V). It looks as though nothing has happened,
but in the Layers pallet you should notice a Floating Selection.
Create a new layer (Layer > New Layer) which will turn this floating selection into a new layer, name it
Zoom. Expand this layer to the full image size, Layer > Layer to Image Size.
In the Layers pallet, select the Background layer. Scale this layer down to the desired size, Layer > Scale
Layer . I made the Background layer 400 pixels wide.
Position the Zoom layer over the Background layer as desired.
Right-click the Zoom layer in the Layer pallet and select Alpha to Selection. This creates a selection from
the zoomed in area.

Grow the selection by 2 pixels, Select > Grow .

Create a new layer, Border, and use the Bucket Fill tool to fill the selection on the Border layer with black,
the foreground color.

In the Layers pallet drag the Border layer below the Zoom layer.

Apply the Inner Shadow script from the Layer Eects plugin, Script-Fu > Layer Eects > Inner Shadow
with the default settings. You can skip this step and still get a fairly nice eect if you dont want to install
the plugin.

Remove the current selection, Ctrl+Shft+A. Now apply a Drop Shadow to the Zoom layer, Filters > Light
and Shadow > Drop Shadow . Use the default settings.
The next step is to merge the Drop Shadow, Border, and Zoom layers. In the Layers pallet, click the eye
icon for the Background layer to hide it temporarily. Right-click any of the visible layers and select Merge
Visible Layers, then click the Merge button.
Make the Background layer visible again (click where the eye should be) and select that layer.
From here, Im going to present two dierent ways to finish this eect. Background Blur
Blur the Background layer just a bit, Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur , set the Blur Radius at 2 for both
Horizontal and Vertical.
150

Background Dim
Create a new layer, named Dim, in the Foreground Color (black). Set the Dim layers opacity to about 25
%.
Finally, crop out the transparent region around the perimeter, flatten the image, and save it as a JPG or
PNG for web use.
Experiment with dierent settings, filters, and colors to get an eect you like. As always, Ive tried to use
one or two less familiar tools or techniques. Hope you learned something and are inspired to try something
new.
1. http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/create-simple-zoomed-effect-screenshots-gimp/
2. http://registry.gimp.org/node/186

Make GIMP the Default External Editor in iPhoto (2011-01-18 13:17)

Apples iPhoto has some really good editing tools, but sometimes you need the far more powerful tools
available in GIMP. You can easily make GIMP the default editor for iPhoto images.
Open the iPhoto Preferences window and youll see an option Edit photo:.

The current selection is probably In main window.

Click the arrow button and choose In application.

Choose GIMP in the Open dialog.

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Now GIMP is the default editor for your iPhoto images. When you select a photo and click the Edit icon in
the iPhoto tool bar, the image will be opened in GIMP.

If, like me, you dont want to launch GIMP for minor editing and adjustments, you can reset iPhoto to
default to its internal editor when you click the Edit icon. Simply go back to the Preferences window and
reset the Edit photo: option to In main window.

However, if you Cmd-click or right-click on the photo to display its contextual menu, choosing Edit in
external editor will still open the image in GIMP, giving you the best of both worlds!
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DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

5.2

February

Create a Watermark and Place it in a Photo (2011-02-05 19:37)

In this two-part exercise, you will learn how to make a simple watermark image and place it in a photo.

Among the skills used in this lesson:

Setting and switching the default colors
Using Guides
Using the Text tool
Merging layers
Using the Select by Color tool
Resizing a selection
I. Creating a watermark image
Set the color swatches to the default colors (Click on the small black and white icon next to the swatches.).
Create a new image, 600 x 600 pixels. In Advanced Options choose Fill with: Foreground color.
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You should now have a black square. Drag guides out from the rulers to both the horizontal and vertical
centers.

Select the Text tool (Settings: Sans Bold, 48 pt, white).

154

Click in the image and type the text for your watermark in the pop-up text box, click Close. With the Move
tool, center the text layer.

Right-click the text layer in the Layers pallet and choose Layer to Image Size.
Set guides at 75 pixels from the left and right edges, 150 pixels from the top and bottom.
155

With the Ellipse Select tool select an oval inside the rectangle (Tip: Use a corner of the box as the starting
point.).
156

Add a new layer, Oval. Switch the foreground and background colors by clicking the two-headed arrow next
to the swatches (foreground color is white). Fill the selection with white using the Bucket Fill tool.
157

Shrink the selection by 10-15 pixels, Select > Shrink Then delete the selected area, use the Delete key or
Edit > Clear and deselect, Select > None, or Ctrl+Shft+A.
158

Merge the Oval layer down onto the Text layer. Right-click the Oval layer, choose Merge Down. You can
drag o the guides now with the Move tool.

With the Select by Color tool, click anywhere in the black color.
159

In the Layers pallet, select and delete the original layer, Background, with the Trash Can icon. Deselect and
you now have a white watermark image on a transparent background.
160

Save the image as a PNG file to retain the transparent background, File - Save as....
II. Watermarking an image
Open the image you want to watermark. Open the watermark image you created as a new layer, File >
Open as Layers....

161

Adjust the opacity of the watermark layer to about 30-40 %.

You may want to reposition or resize the watermark layer to suit your needs. Merge the watermark layer
down into the Background layer and you have successfully placed a watermark in your photo.

Back in the Day (2011-02-08 11:32)

Make an image look like its 70 years old with a vintage eect in this lesson.
162

Some of the skills used in this exercise:

Use the Blur and Noise filters

Add a texture layer

Change layer modes and opacity

Add a vignette eect

Resources to download:[1]Original image, [2]Paper Texture image, [3]Scratches image

Start by reducing the quality of the original image.
Download and open the [4]original image, a picture of two women (or use an image of your own). Start by
making the picture a little blurry, Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur, set the radius at about 2 or 3.
Now, add a little noise to the picture, Filters > Noise > RGB Noise..., select Correlated noise, uncheck
Independent RGB, move the sliders left to 0.10.
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Convert the picture to grayscale, Colors > Desaturate... with defaults.

Next youll yellow the picture.

Add a new transparent layer, Layer > New Layer..., named Gradient. Select the Blend tool and find the
preset gradient Yellow Orange in the Gradients pallet. Apply the gradient to the Gradient layer from upper
left to lower right then adjust the opacity to about 33 %.
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Give the picture a paper-like texture.

Download and open the [5]Paper Texture image. Scale the texture image to match the dimensions of the
original picture (1000 x 755, if youre using my picture), Image > Scale Image....
Copy the scaled image then paste it into the original picture, Edit, Paste as > New layer. Name that layer
Paper. Change the layer Mode to Grain Extract with an opacity of 40 %.

You can now add a few simulated scratches to the picture.

Download and open the [6]Scratches image, scale to match your picture, and copy. The Scratches image may
appear to be an empty transparent image.
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Paste it into the original picture as a new layer named Scratches. Set the layer Mode to Overlay with a 50
% opacity.

Select the Background layer and reduce the contrast to -15, Colors > Brightness and Contrast.

Add a vignette eect around the outside of the picture.

Use the Rectangle Select tool to make a selection with rounded corners (corner radius of 50) about 50 pixels
inside the edges of the image.
Feather the selection about 100 pixels, Select > Feather... , and invert the selection, Select > Invert.
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Add a new transparent layer named Vignette. With the Bucket Fill tool, fill the selection with black. Adjust
the opacity to 50 %.

You should now have a fairly authentic looking vintage picture. Theres a lot of room to play with dierent
settings in layer modes and opacity. Have fun!
1. http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/xmath_photos/GIMP%20Blog/Vintage%20Effect/OBV_WW2_14.jpg
2.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/xmath_photos/GIMP%20Blog/Vintage%20Effect/PaperTexture1600x1200.

jpg
3. http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/xmath_photos/GIMP%20Blog/Vintage%20Effect/Sctratches1600x1200.png
4. http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/xmath_photos/GIMP%20Blog/Vintage%20Effect/OBV_WW2_14.jpg
5.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/xmath_photos/GIMP%20Blog/Vintage%20Effect/PaperTexture1600x1200.

jpg

167

6. http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/xmath_photos/GIMP%20Blog/Vintage%20Effect/Sctratches1600x1200.png

168

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Edited: February 11, 2011