CRAZY PHOTOS

WITH GIMP
WHAT IS GIMP?

GNU
Image
Manipulation
Program

GIMP 2.8 is an open source (free) image editing program,

similar to Photoshop.
THE MAIN PARTS OF GIMP
 Work Area and
Menus

The most important

part of GIMP where
you actually draw and
paint.

There are many menus

and options.
 Layers and Brushes

Layers let you organize

how you color and
edit.

Brushes are one way to

color. You can have
many shapes for a
brush.
 The Toolbox

There are many different

tools that you can use to
edit your image.

Each tool has its own

options.
 LESSON TOOLS

Paths Eraser Fuzzy Smudge

Select

Rotate Scale Blur Heal

BASIC PHOTO EFFECTS
FILTERS
THE FILTERS

Filters are special effects that you

can add to you images.

“Predator” Filter

Each filter category has its own

effects and each effect has its
own options.
ARTISTIC FILTERS

Canvas Cartoon Clothify Cubism Impressionism

(Dots)

Glass Tile Photocopy Predator Glow Weave

TO APPLY A FILTER
1. Open an image

2. Click on Filters

3. Pick a Filter

4. Choose the options

you want (try different
things)

5. Press [Ctrl] + [z] to

undo anything you
don’t like
 BASIC EDITING:
CROPPING YOUR IMAGE
(GETTING A PART ALONE)
WHY CROP AN IMAGE?
Sometimes you want just a part of your image. This is
needed when you want to change backgrounds or
combine images.

Getting parts of your image alone, also lets you edit

them on their own layer.
CROPPING: METHOD 1 (FUZZY SELECT)

1. Open an image
CROPPING: METHOD 1 (FUZZY SELECT)

2. Click on the
Fuzzy Select tool

3. Click around the part of You’ll see an

the image you want. outline appear

4a. Hold [Shift] when click to 4b. Hold [Ctrl] when click to
add from selection subtract from selection
WHEN TO USE FUZZY SELECT
The Fuzzy Select Tool works best when there’s a clear
difference between the background and the subject of
an image.

When an image has a busy background it can be

tough to use Fuzzy Select to pick out the part you
want.
CROPPING: METHOD 2 (PATHS)

1. Open an image
CROPPING: METHOD 2 (PATHS)

2. Click on the
Paths tool

3. Click around the part of You’ll see an

the image you want. outline with little
dots appear
CROPPING: METHOD 2 (PATHS)

4. Click on [Selection from Path]

A blinking line (the

selection) will
appear
CROPPING: METHOD 2 (PATHS)

5. Right-Click on
inside the selection

6. Hover over Select

7. Click on Feather
Feather by 10.0 px
CROPPING: METHOD 2 (PATHS)

8. Press [Ctrl]+[C] to copy

9. Press [Ctrl]+[V] to paste

10. Select the Floating

Selection

TIP: Remember, you can

also copy and paste
using the Right-Click
Menu.
CROPPING: METHOD 2 (PATHS)

6. Click the white page to turn

the Floating Selection into a
fixed layer.

You’ve now got a part of the image all on its own.

Congratulations!
CLEANING UP IMAGES: ERASER TIME

When you crop images, you might still have some of

the background near the edges.

You can test to see how well you did by placing a

contrasting background – white or black – behind the
cropped layer.
TO ADD A CONTRASTING BACKGROUND

1. Click on the White Page to make a new layer

2. Click on Foreground
color

These two square are foreground

& background
TO ADD A CONTRASTING BACKGROUND

3. Click and drag the new color layer BELOW the

cropped layer  this makes it the background.
CLEAN UP THE EDGES

1. Click on the Eraser Tool

2. Click on the Cropped

Layer

3. Use the eraser to

clean up the edges.
 SPECIAL EFFECTS:
BLACK & WHITE
SELECTIVE COLORING
GOING BLACK AND WHITE

1. Open an image
GOING BLACK AND WHITE

2. Click on Colors  Select Desaturate

2. Select Luminosity
3. Click [OK]
GOOD BLACK & WHITE IMAGES

Using Desaturate gives a very flat look to the

image. You’ll need to adjust the colors by using
the Curves Option.
GOOD BLACK & WHITE IMAGES

1. Click on Colors

2. Click on Curves
3. Move the line to change
the colors  [OK]
SELECTIVE COLORING: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

1. Open a color image

2. Select the Layer

3. Click to copy the layer

4. Select the COPY layer

5. Desaturate the COPY

SELECTIVE COLORING: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Your Copy layer should

now be in b/w (really it’s
called greyscale)

6. Click the eraser

7. Very carefully erase the

parts that you want to be in
color

TIP: You can also use select

tools and press [delete] to
erase these parts.
OTHER EXAMPLES: BLACK & WHITE COLORIZING
 GO CRAZY
COMBING IMAGES
START WITH ONE IMAGE

1. Open an image

2. Use a selection
tool if needed

3a. Delete the background

3b. Right-Click 
Select  Invert
4b. Copy and Paste the new layer
GET YOUR SECOND IMAGE

5. Repeat Steps 1-3

6. Copy your
second image and
paste into the first.

7. Click on to fix the layer

You now have two images – as different layers – that

you can work with. Remember, Filters and changes
apply to the SELECTED LAYER.
USE SELECTION TO COMBINE

8. Use Selection tools 9. Move the Layers so

to cut out where you you can see them
want to combine the together.
images.

I wanted
the baby’s
face to go
here.
FIX THE SCALE (SIZE)

Sometimes the sizes don’t match.

10. Select the smaller layer

11. Click on the

Scale tool

Make sure
scale’s linked
ROTATE TO MATCH

12. Click and drag the

edge of the scale box to
stretch the image.
You can also type in a new size

13. Click the Rotate Tool

14. Click and drag to

rotate the image.
FINAL TOUCHES (OPTIONAL): EFFECTS

Rotating is a
Transformation, so
have to fix it as a new
layer.

15. Apply the 16. Apply the 17. Adjust

Canvas Filter Cartoon Filter colors
FINAL TOUCHES (OPTIONAL): MERGING LAYERS

When your layers look how you want them, it’s

time to MERGE (put them together)

18. Right-Click
on a layer.

19. Click on
Merge Visible
Layers

20. Click Merge when asked

FINAL TOUCHES (OPTIONAL): BLENDING

Sometimes edges aren’t neat. Use the

Smudge Tool to blend them together
so they look similar.

20. Click on the 21. Adjust the size and

Smudge Tool opacity of the tool.

22. Click and

drag along the
edges to blend
them.
FINAL TOUCHES (OPTIONAL): BACKGROUND

Find a background and place it as a lower layer.

Edit it with stretch and filters as needed.
For Files and Guide:
bit.ly/gimpcrazy

PRODUCED FOR THE TEXCELLENCE PROGRAM,

EDUCATION FOUNDATION OF SARASOTA
ORIGINAL CLASS DESIGN & GUIDE BY
RINO A. LANDA | JULY 4, 2014

Note: all images are property of their

copyright holders; herein they are used for
educational purposes under Fair Use
guidelines.