GIMP Stuff

The instructions below assume you’re using GIMP 2.4.

Curved photo

With a layer containing only the photo:

Select “Filters => Distorts => Curve Bend”. Select “Smooth” and click “Reset”. In the “Modify Curves” grid, click in the centre, just a few pixels below the centre line, to create a slight curve. Click “Copy”, and then click OK.
Select “Filters => Lighting and Shadows => Drop Shadow”. Set “Offset X” to 8, “Offset Y” to 8, “Blur radius” to 15 and “Opacity” to 80, and click OK.
Select the drop shadow layer. Select “Layer => Transform => Flip Vertically”. You may need to move the drop shadow layer slightly to get the desired effect.

Defocus

Gaussian blur does not always give a satisfactory out-of-focus look. This technique can sometimes produce a better effect.

Select “Filters => Generic => Dilate”.
Select “Filters => Repeat Dilate”. Repeat if desired.
Select “Layer => Transform => Arbitrary Rotation”. Set “Angle” to 45, and click OK.
Select “Filters => Repeat Dilate”, repeatedly - apply the filter the same number of times as in the first two steps.
Select “Layer => Transform => Arbitrary Rotation”. Set “Angle” to –45, and click OK.
Select “Layer => Layer to Image Size”.

For a less pronounced effect, overlay the result on a blurred copy of the original image.

Droplets

With the desired colour/gradient/pattern/image in the background layer:

Create a new layer, and select it.
Select “Filters => Render => Clouds => Difference Clouds”. Set “X size” to 16 and “Y size” to 16, and click OK.
Select “Colours => Levels”. Move both the black input level and the white input levels to around 60%, and click OK.
Select “Filters => Blur => Gaussian Blur” and blur by about 30 pixels.
Select “Colours => Levels”. Move the black input level to about 50%, and click OK.
Duplicate the layer, and select the new layer.
Select “Layer => Mask => Add Layer Mask”. Select “Grayscale copy of layer” and click OK.
Select the layer mask, and select “Colours => Levels”. Move the white input level to about 10%, and click OK.
Select the background layer, and select “Edit => Copy”. Select the layer with the layer mask, and select “Edit => Paste”, then “Layer => Anchor Layer”.
Select “Filters => Light and Shadow => Lighting Effects”. On the “Lights” page, select “Light 2”, set “Type” to “Point”, and in the preview drag the small blue dot to the bottom right of the image. On the “Material” page, set “Glowing” to 0.5, “Bright” to 0.5, “Shiny” to 2 and “Polished” to 200. On the “Bump Map” page, select “Enable bump mapping”, and set “Bumpmap image” to the blurry droplets layer. Set “Curve” to “Spherical”, and set “Maximum height” to 0.01. Click OK.
Delete the bumpmap layer.

Electricity

Fill half the image with black, the other half with white. The interface between the two halves will become the path for the electricity effect.
Select “Filters => Blur => Gaussian Blur” and blur by about 60 pixels.
Select “Filters => Render => Clouds => Difference Clouds”. Set “X size” to 16 and “Y size” to 16, and click OK.
Select “Colours => Invert”.
Select “Colours => Levels”. Increase the black input level until the image consists of just a single, thin line, and click OK.
Select “Filters => Blur => Gaussian Blur” and blur by about 15 pixels.
Select “Colours => Levels”. Decrease the white input level until the line appears to be glowing, and click OK.
Duplicate the layer, select the new layer, and change its mode to “Addition”.
Select “Filters => Blur => Gaussian Blur” and blur by about 60 pixels.
Select “Colours => Colourise”, adjust the hue to get the desired effect, and click OK.

Fire effect

Select “Filters => Blur => Gaussian Blur” and blur by about 50 pixels.
Duplicate the layer. Select the top layer, and set its mode to “Addition”.
Select “Filters => Distorts => Shift”. Select “Shift vertically”, set “Shift amount” to 100, and click OK.
Select “Filters => Distorts => Waves”. Set “Wavelength” to 50, and click OK.
Select “Filters => Blur => Gaussian Blur” and blur by 10 pixels.
Select “Layer => Merge Down”.
From the “Gradients” dialog, select “German flag smooth”. Select “Colours => Map => Gradient Map”.

Grunge texture

Select “Filters => Render => Clouds => Solid Noise”, and click OK.
Select “Colours => Levels”. Increase the black input level to about 25%, decrease the white input level to about 40%, and click OK. The image should now consist of separate, fuzzy black blobs on a white background.
Select “Filters => Artistic => Gimpressionist”. Select the “Patchwork” preset, and click “Apply”. On the “Size” page, set “Sizes” to 10, “Minimum size” to 50 and “Maximum size” to 150, and select “Random”. On the “Colour” page, select “Centre of brush”. On the “General” page, select “Paint edges”. Click OK.
Select “Colours => Levels”. Decrease the white input level to about 80%, and click OK.

Place the grunge texture layer in front of a pattern or solid colour. Change its layer mode to “Darken only”, and decrease its opacity to get the desired effect.

Increase contrast and saturation

Gives a hazy summery look.

Duplicate the layer to be enhanced. Select the new layer.
Select “Filters => Blur => Gaussian Blur”, and blur by about 15 pixels.
Change the layer’s mode to “Overlay” (or try “Hard Light” or “Grain Merge” to increase the effect).

Increase dynamic range

Brings out details in dark areas.

Duplicate the layer to be enhanced. Select the new layer.
Select “Filters => Blur => Gaussian Blur”, and blur by about 15 pixels.
Select “Colours => Desaturate”, and click OK.
Select “Colours => Invert”.
Change the layer’s mode to “Overlay”.

Rain

Darkening the image, and reducing its saturation, will improve the effect.

Create a new black layer, and select it. Set its mode to “Screen”, and set its opacity to about 15%.
Select “Filters => Noise => HSV Noise”. Set “Holdness” to 1, “Hue” to 0, “Saturation” to 1 and “Value” to 255, and click OK.
Select “Filters => Blur => Motion Blur”. Select “Linear”, set “Length” to 50 and “Angle” to 120, and click OK.
Select “Colours => Brightness-Contrast”. Set both “Brightness” and “Contrast” to 127, and click OK.
Select “Filters => Repeat Motion Blur”.
Select “Filters => Blur => Gaussian Blur”, and blur by about 4 pixels.
Repeat all the above steps, using different values for “Length” in the “Motion Blur” filter, several times.

To give the impression of water on the lens:

Select “Image => Flatten Image”. Duplicate the layer, and select the new layer.
Select “Blur => Gaussian Blur”, and blur by about 60 pixels.
Select “Layer => Mask => Add Layer Mask”, and click OK. Select the layer mask.
Select “Filters => Render => Clouds => Solid Noise”. Set “X size” to 8 and “Y size” to 8, and click OK.
Select “Colours => Levels”, and increase the black input level to about 50%, and click OK.

Ripples

Select “Filters => Render => Clouds => Solid Noise”. Set “X size” to 16 and “Y size” to 16, and click OK.
Select “Filters => Blur => Motion Blur”. Select “Radial”, set “Angle” to 45, and click OK.
Create a new layer. Select the new layer, and select “Layer => Transparency => Remove Alpha Channel”.
From the “Gradients” dialog, select “Horizon 1”. Select the “Gradient” tool, and select “Radial” for “Shape”. Draw a gradient on the image so that the centre is blue and the edges are brown.
Create a new layer.
Select “Filters => Lighting and Shadows => Lighting Effects”. On the “Bump Map” page, select “Enable bump mapping”, select the solid noise layer for the bump map, and set “Maximum height” to 0.05. On the “Environment Map” page, select “Enable environment mapping”, and select the gradient layer for the environment map. Click OK.
Select “Filters => Blur => Motion Blur”. Select “Radial”, set “Angle” to 5, and click OK.

Scratch distressing

Create a new transparent layer.
Select “Filters => Render => Nature => Flame”. Click “Edit”. Select “Linear” from the “Variation” control, and click “Randomise” a few times until a suitably scratchy image appears. Select it, and click OK.
On the “Camera” page, adjust the controls until the scratches fill the page. Click OK.
Select “Layer => Transparency => Alpha to Selection”. Delete the layer.
Select the layer containing the object to be distressed. Select “Edit => Clear”.

Slime

Draw the shape of the slime in white on a black background. Draw drips using a circular brush about 20 pixels wide - draw droplets as rough circles at the end of the drips.
Select “Filters => Blur => Gaussian Blur” and blur by about 60 pixels.
Select “Colours => Levels”. Move the black input level to about 40%, increasing or decreasing to make the drips thicker or thinner, and click OK.
Duplicate the layer, and select the new layer.
Select “Layer => Mask => Add Layer Mask”. Select “Grayscale copy of layer” and click OK.
Select the layer mask, and select “Colours => Levels”. Move the white input level to about 5%, and click OK.
Select the layer itself (not the layer mask), and fill with the desired colour.
Select “Filters => Light and Shadow => Lighting Effects”. On the “Bump Map” page, select “Enable bump mapping”, set “Bumpmap image” to the blurry slime layer, set “Curve” to “Spherical”, and set “Maximum height” to 0.02. Click OK.
Delete the bumpmap layer.

Lockstitch effect

Stitching brush (first draft) - save to GIMP brushes folder.

Torn paper

On a new transparent layer, with an area selected the size and shape of the paper required:

Select “Select => Distort”. Set “Spread” to 8 and “Granularity” to 8, and click OK.
Fill the selection with the “Marble #1” pattern.
Select “Filters => Light and Shadow => Drop Shadow”. Set “Offset X” to 2, “Offset Y” to 2, “Blur radius” to 4 and “Opacity” to 80, and click OK.
Without clearing the selection, create a new transparent layer.
Select “Select => Shrink”, and shrink the selection by 4 pixels.
Select “Select => Distort”, set “Granularity” to 2, and click OK.
Fill the selection with the desired paper colour or pattern.
Select “Filters => Light and Shadow => Drop Shadow”. Set “Offset X” to 2, “Offset Y” to 2, “Blur radius” to 4 and “Opacity” to 50, and click OK.

Spider web

In black on a white background, draw radial lines from the centre of the page to the edges, using a brush about 10 pixels wide.
Using the Paths tool, draw a spiral, from the outside to the centre, connecting the radial lines.
Select “Edit => Stroke Path”, and stroke using the Paintbrush tool with the same brush used for the radial lines.
Select “Filters => Blur => Gaussian Blur”, and blur by about 15 pixels.
Select “Colours => Levels”. Increase the black input level until the lines are thin but still clear, decrease the white input level to sharpen the image, and click OK.

Zebraprint texture

Select “Filters => Render => Clouds => Solid Noise”. Set “X size” to 16 and “Y size” to 1, and click OK.
Select “Colours => Levels”. Move the white and black input levels to just above and below 50%, and click OK.
Select “Filters => Artistic => GIMPressionist”. Select the “Furry” preset and click “Apply”. On the “Placement” page, set “Stroke density” to 50, and click OK.
Blur slightly, to create a softer look, if desired.

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