Computer Workshop Tutorials

The instructions for the tutorials are listed below. For instructions and screenshots of many steps download the PDFs.

Some of the tutorials require that you download pictures for use in the tutorial. When saving the pictures make sure you know the location they are stored. "My Pictures" or a newly created folder on the "Desktop" would be good locations.

Lady Ada Augusta Lovelace

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Flaming Text

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Create a new File of any size. I chose 420 x 200px. As BG-Color choose black. Write some white text to a new layer (bold text, white color, size: 50).
Right click the text-layer in the layers dialog and choose "merge down". You should only have one single layer now..
Now, that we have all one single layer, we create our flames. Use the Smear tool and choose the "Brush: Circle Fuzzy (07)".
Zoom in to 200% or more. Now start at the first letter of your text: Hold down your left mouse button and smear around the border of this single letter to make it gray as seen in the picture. It should look real so it must not be perfect. It is important to change the super white into gray tones.
After that make some flame like movements to the top.
Let your creativity come out and do this with all the letters now.

Now we simply have to add the correct colors of fire. Choose Layer ' Colors ' Color Balance:

Shadows	Mid-tones	Highlights
+100 +30 -30	+100 +30 -30	+100 0 -100

Your text might look something like the following:

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Bloody Text

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Make a new file: 600x400 px or whatever size you want. White background or other colour to match your needs (white or black work best). Write one or two words with a round looking font.
Size: 140px.
Colour of text: #870000 (a dark red)
Layer / Layer to Image size. After this the text cannot be changed because it is rendered.
If you need to move the text position use the Move tool and while you mouse is over the text, drag to the position you desire.
Create a new layer and choose the Pencil-tool. Make sure the colour is the same as before #870000.
After being satisfied with the lines click "Merge down" by clicking right in the layers dialog. The Text and the lines should then be on a single layer.
To make the lines look like a part of the text use Filters / Distorts / IWarp. Choose "grow".
Deform radius: 9
Deform amount: 0.26
All work is done in the preview window of this filter. Now first work on the area where the 'blood' is coming out of the text and running down.
Click and hold your mouse down at the exit point of the blood of the text and make small circular movements. The hard edges look more as they would have been a part of the text. Repeat this for every line.
The next step is work with the endings of the lines. They should look like drops in the end. Do this with the same technique as with the exit points.
After that use "shrink". Now shrink the middle parts of the lines so that they become much thinner. To do this, move the mouse (while holding down the mouse button) from top to bottom until you find it thin enough. It should be uneven to look real!
You are done.

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Draw a BUG

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Create a new image: 400 x 400 px.
Set the background to black.
Set your gradient to "default".
In your tool options, adjust the settings to reverse, and shape to radial.
Now add a new transparent layer, set its mode to lighten only.
Do a gradient fill any where on the transparent layer
Add a new transparent layer, change its mode to lighten only also.
Do a gradient fill just like before, onto the layer you just created. You can place it anywhere. The new gradient fills into the previous layer without covering it up.
If you don't like how the fill came out, just undo and try again, or if the size is right just get the move tool and move the new layer around.
Since its set to "lighten only" you can move it just about any where. It is starting to look like a bug. Let's go with that and make it look more like one.
You can only add one fill per layer, so add new layers as needed, or duplicate one, and move it around.
You can merge 2 layers together by setting the lower layer to normal, then merge the one above down. Then change the merged layers setting back to lighten only. You can also move the merged layer where you like.
Grouping layers like this give you the ability to add some detail, like color to the different layers. An easy way to add color is with the colorize tool, be careful not to change the background too much.
When you have your basic shape done just merge the visible layers. You can separate it from the background using the Fuzzy Select Tool.
From here you can add your effects and spice it up a little. This bug has black circles added on one side of the body on a new layer, then the layer was duplicated and flipped horizontally.
A black line on a new layer was added down the middle (which then could be IWarped to give a slight curve).
Finally ovals, using a gradient from white to transparent, were added on a new layer to give the impression that light was reflecting off the bug.
With some extra work you result could look like the image below.

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Desert Polar Bear

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Download the bear and the desert pictures. Save them in your pictures folder.
While viewing the pictures folder, right click on the desert and bear pictures and choose "Edit with the GIMP" for each.
Using the "Fuzzy Select Tool" click on the white area surrounding the bear. This selects only the white area.
Reverse the selection since we want the bear selected. (Select->Invert)
Now copy the bear. (Edit->Copy)
Bring the desert picture/window to the foreground.
Now paste the bear into the desert. (Edit->Paste)
Now convert the floating selection (bear) to a proper layer by first making sure the layers window is visible. (Dialogues->Layers)
On the Layers dialogue right click on the floating selection and select "New Layer…".
Rename the layer. Double click on Pasted Layer and type "Polar Bear" and then press Enter.
Move the bear to the desired location by selecting the Move Tool and drag the bear making sure to position your mouse over the bear's body while dragging.
Save the new picture as a GIMP image (XCF). (File->Save As…) Change the name to "Polar bear in the desert" and click plus sign beside "Select File Type (by extension). Then click "GIMP XCF image".

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CN Tower Airplane

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Download the airplane and CN tower pictures and save them on your hard drive.
Edit CNtower.jpg with the GIMP.
Insert airplane.png as a layer. (File->Open as Layers…)
Since this airplane has already been separated from its background (see checkerboard above) and is a PNG we do not need to cut it out or add a layer mask.
We should move it up. Use the Move Tool and drag the airplane up. Make sure your mouse is pointing on top of the airplane.
This does not look real. The plane should not be in front of the pillars. We will need to create a third layer by copying the pillars that are currently behind the wings. Make sure the background is the selected layer.
Using the Rectangle Select Tool select the first area where the left pillar intersects the wing. Then hold the Shift key and select the next pillar where the wing intersects the pillar.
Copy the selection and then paste. (Edit->Copy, Edit->Paste)
We now need to make the pasted layer a proper layer. (Layer->New Layer…)
The pillars should now be in front of the wings.
If you selection of the pillars was not accurate. You can delete the "Pasted Layer" and redo the steps from step 7.
The plane looks too clear compared with the rest of the picture, it is behind glass and still some distance away. We need to blur it to make it look more realistic.
Make sure the airplane layer is selected.
In the menu Filters->Blur->Gaussian Blur…
Set the Blur Radius to 2.0 or 3.0 (notice the horizontal and vertical radii are linked) and click OK. You may want to try different setting to see which is best or most realistic. Use Edit->Undo Gaussian Blur between tries.
Your final result might look similar to the image below:

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Bride Portrait

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Download the bride picture and save it on your computer.
Open "bride.jpg" with the GIMP.
Make sure the layers dialogue is open and the active window. (Dialogues->layers)
Right click on the background layer and choose "Duplicate Layer".
Rename the duplicate to "Bride B/W" and the background to "Bride Colour". Do this by double clicking one at a time on each layer, typing the name and pressing Enter.
Make sure the Bride B/W layer is selected and remove all colours from this layer. (Colours->Desaturate…) Click Desaturate.
Select the Bride B/W layer, right click and choose "Add Layer Mask…".
On the Add layer mask dialogue select the first option "White (full opacity)" and then Add.
We will now make the colour of the flowers (on the layer behind) show through. Select the Paintbrush Tool and make sure black is the foreground colour. Change the size of the brush to approximately 4.
Using the Paintbrush drag the mouse in the area where the flowers are to make the area transparent and show the colour through.
Continue colouring in the flowers. To nicely edge the flowers and not colour in the bride, zoom in closer and resize the Paintbrush smaller.
If you go over the edge and colour in part of the bride (this is inevitable) change the foreground colour to white and make the area opaque by dragging the Paintbrush over the coloured areas.

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Grass Blade through Ring

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Download ring.jpg and grass.jpg and save to a folder on your computer.
Edit grass.jpg with the GIMP.
Insert ring.jpg as a layer. (File->Open as Layers…)
Flip the ring layer horizontally. (Layer->Transform->Flip Horizontally)
Move the ring using the Move Tool so that it is positioned as if the blade were to pass through it.
We now need to make the white area transparent. To do this we will use a layer mask.
Using the Fuzzy Select Tool click on the white area surrounding the ring.
We also need to select the inside of the ring. Hold the Shift key and click inside the ring.
The selection is not quite large enough. That is, there is a white area between the selection and the ring. We will grow the selection by 2 pixels. (Select->Grow)
Now we need to remove the white by adding a layer mask. (Layer->Mask->Add Layer Mask…) Choose selection and Invert mask as seen below.
Click the Add button and you will see:
Remove the current selection as it is no longer needed. (Select->None)
Now the blade of grass needs to go through the ring. We do this with another layer mask. But first a few preliminary steps.
Select the Background layer in the layer dialogue.
Duplicate the layer by right clicking on the Background and choosing Duplicate layer.
Move the Background copy layer above the ring layer. By clicking on the button.
The ring disappears behind the grass or Background copy. We now need to make most of the top grass layer transparent.
With the Background copy selected in the layers dialogue, right click on the Background copy and select "Add Layer Mask…".
On the dialogue box choose "Black (full transparency)" and make sure "Invert mask" is not selected (below). Then click the Add button.
You will now see the ring again.
With the "Paintbrush Tool" selected change the foreground colour to white.
Colour in the area where the ring intersects the blade of grass and the ring will slowly disappear.
With some more finessing of both of the layer masks the image will look more realistic. For example, the edges of the ring need some work. Your final result might look like picture below.