Introduction to PS's Cousin > Tutorial #2 > GIMP

Hey again people! I am back with a new tutorial and as I have said before this one is as well going to be a basic introductory tutorial. In my last (& the first tutorial) I introduced you Photoscape, your Hogwarts letter and I hope you are experimenting its features as I told you to. 

Today I am going to introduce you to Photoshop aka PS’s cousin, GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). But let me first tell you as to how I got to know about GIMP. You see Photoscape is a very effective image editor but it has its limits. It can help you blend two images but you can’t merge them using Photoscape. While “blending” deals with mixing two or more images using opacity tool, “merging” on the other hand deals with combing two or more images in one frame.

Years ago I used to post my fan fictions at another forum, a blog that was specifically made for Star One show Dill Mill Gayee. There I met Punam Di, she’s a write and a graphic designer as well and she used to do what I wanted to do the most. You see I wasn’t aware of how to merge two or more images together so I tried many things to achieve the desired result (which are so embarrassing that I ain’t gonna tell you. Sssshhhhh...)

So people at IF are advanced and used PS which I looked for online and you had to buy it which I couldn’t that time and I wasn’t aware that someone had put a link at A&S forum from where you can download it for free. So I was just looking for alternatives and everybody I asked at IF, searched youtube vids and did other stuff and found nothing except PS, PS and PS. So when I saw Punam Di making those merged siggies and talking about GIMP and how does she do that and stuff, I remember she said, “VK (that’s my name) GIMP is very difficult to work with and I am telling you that you won’t be able to make stuff using it.” And what I did was narrowed my eyes at my PS screen as I typed the message, “No worries, I’ll manage. Just tell me about it.”

Hence I got to know about GIMP. I downloaded it and as I did with Photoscape I did a number of experiments with GIMP as well. Following is my first ever (the first that looked nice and presentable) merged siggy/banner that I created for my SS ::

And this is the what I can do with GIMP now ::

What I am trying to tell you is that more than tutorials, knowledge about image designing and a good image editor, what you need is experience, desire to experiment and the determined attitude of “to hell with the complexities! I can do it!” Ending my Ram Katha (the Diwali fever I tell you), I present you brief details about GIMP, your Hogwarts – A History book.

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Download link :: GIMP :: Your Hogwarts – A History Book

It might (I think it will) take few minutes to set up because there’s a lot happening as you open GIMP for the first time. The installation, setting up data files, plug-ins, downloading the preset tools, brushes, patterns and other stuff. So it will take time when you first open GIMP. At first it is gonna look like this >> (the coloring is my work, I had to highlight the areas so you will be able to understand it better)

Of-course you can customize is as you prefer. Like I have done with mine :: 

So I am gonna help you take the baby steps with this ::

Step 1 :: At the top of your image work area there are some options. Click on “File” >> Click here to open the image, the said “file” option is rounded in a red circle

Step 2 :: A drop down menu will open, select the option “open” from it. More details are in this image >> Click here to open the image

Step 3 :: I selected the image I wanted to work and it will appear like this. Here I have selected and opened one image only, you can select multiple images and they will open in separate windows. That and how you can merge two or more images together and do other edits with it, I will tell you all that in another tutorial but for now I want you to concentrate on just one image.

Here’s how it looks like >> Click here to open the image

Step 4 :: Experiment with all the tools and filters. Do anything you want to with the image and of-course as mentioned in my previous tutorial >> CREATE A MESS

Step 5 :: In order to save your “mess” you have to click on File >> “Export As”

IMPORTANT >> Do not click on “Save” or “Save as” that will just save your edit like a PSD, an XCF file in GIMP’s case. Which will open in GIMP and is saved so that you can do some more editing on it later. But for saving the final image that you wanna share and do other things that you want, you have to follow Step 5.

But before that I think I should tell you what the tools in the toolbox do, just a brief summary. But then I thought why should I write the whole thing when it’s available here >> Click Here

The above mentioned link will take you to a wiki page where the tools that GIMP offers to work on graphic designing are given with a description about what they do and the short-cuts.

The next tutorial, as mentioned in my index will be on the easiest siggy that you can create that is “Typography”, we will be dealing with the most basic and most easiest ones in that and with every passing tutorial as the complexity will grow I will tell you about how you can create the gorgeous yet a little complex typography siggies as well. In that tutorial I will also tell you from where you can download fonts and in which folder you have to save them, how to load them in your GIMP etc. etc.

But for now I suggest you play with GIMP tools and filters and create something whatever it is gonna be, just make it. Just do it. And I hope you are working on the Photoscape mess as well and I really really hope that by now you must have learnt a few things about how Photoscape works.

And yeah, if you have some questions regarding anything about Photoscape, GIMP, or in general graphic designing, then please post your query in the comments.

Till then good bye and best of luck for this new task. And please comment if you liked the tutorial or not, whether it was helpful or not and any other suggestion you have.