Tutorials

This is a Gimp adaptation of a technique described for Paint Shop on the site of Design Spice.

To create a nice image effect using GIMP I did the following. 1. To start I had an image of a playing card. Here it's displayed half the original size:

For this effect to be succesfull, it's best to start with a large picture; you can always scale it down. Furthermore the picture shouldn't be too detailed. You'll see why if you grasp the idea of this effect. 2. First this picture is blurred through: <Image> -> Filters -> Blur -> Pixelize.

I took 15x15 px as a measurement. In the next step we are going to make a pattern, with a circle in it. In Gimp some circles are predefined as pencil stroke: 1x1 through 19x19 (odd numbers only). Actually, we are making a dot with these predefined sizes. In that step you want a 1px white border, so take your Pixelize setting odd also. If possible, take the original measurement of the picture in account as well. This is how the picture looks after Pixelization (picture half size):

3. Now we want to make a custom pattern. I addressed the issue of size earlier, but these are the steps.

• create a new image size 15 x 15 px. This 15 x 15 px is specific for this image because that is my setting for the pixelization. In your picture you would want this canvas setting to be the same size as the pixelization.
• Add an alphachannel <Image> -> Layers -> Transparency -> add Alphalayer.

Draw a circle (dot) in black that is 2px smaller as the canvas size:

• Set <Main> Pencil -> Circle (13x13)
• Set the size (view) of your canvas to 800% and draw the dot
• Now <Image> Select -> Select colour and select the inner circle (black)
• <Image> Edit -> Remove (<ctrl>+K)

This leaves a white border with a transparent circle, like this one (blown to 800%):

4. Now save this thing in the map patterns (GIMP_2.0 -> Share -> GIMP -> 2.0 -> Patterns) as 'circle.pat'. It will ask for a pattern name. Choose 'circle 15x15' (don't leave the default 'Gimp pattern').
Nearly done. 5. Go to the image of the playing card. Add an invisilble layer (<Image> Layer -> New layer -> Invisible)

• In <Main> choose the Bucket Fill icon. Choose Pattern Fill Coose pattern (your 'circle 15x15').
• In <Image> Activate -> Layers. Choose the new transparent layer.
• Do <Image> Edit -> Fill with Pattern (<ctrl>+;) and now you you are ready (picture size reduced to half):

6. Well done. You might play around with these effects. Make changes in the pattern, like a new white 7 x 7 dot in the alpha circle like so:

This way the fllowing effect is created:

Have fun and let me know if you liked it and if you have any suggestions.

Thanks to all those wonderful sites out there that give me inspiration.  

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