Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
When you create a new file (see Figure 2-2),
GIMP asks you what dimensions you want it to have in
pixels and then creates a new, single-layer image with
a white background that you can begin painting on.
Dialogs
Most of the information about your current
tool and currently open images is available from
GIMP's dialogs. Some dialogs are visible by default
when you start GIMP, with others found under
Windows
4
Dockable Dialogs.
Two of GIMP's most important dialogs are the
Tool Options and Layers dialogs. You can see both
in Figure 2-1, Tool Options on the left below the
toolbox, and the Layers dialog on the top right with
the Channels, Paths, and Undo dialogs. The Tool
Options dialog contains the options for the cur-
rently selected tool that define how it works. For
example, in the case of the Paint Brush tool, the
Tool Options dialog lets you adjust the brush opac-
ity, shape, size, and aspect ratio, as well as allowing
you to choose from GIMP's brush dynamics options.
The Layers dialog displays the layers that make up
the current image and lets you toggle their visibility,
lock them to prevent further editing, or edit their
blend modes to change how they combine with
other layers. The icons at the bottom of the Layers
dialog let you add, delete, and duplicate layers, as
well as create groups to organize layers. (We'll cover
working with and organizing layers in further detail
when we discuss painting textures in Chapter 11.)
GIMP allows you to rearrange and reorganize
dialogs as you wish. The default dialogs are already
grouped and organized into tabs and columns down
the sides of the main canvas when in Single-Window
mode. To rearrange tabs, click and drag the icon at
the top of the dialog either into another group of
tabs or to the border between two areas of the UI to
place the tab in its own row or column.
Figure 2-2: Creating a new image in GIMP
Painting and Drawing
Painting and drawing are accomplished in GIMP
simply by clicking and dragging strokes on the can-
vas, using one of the available drawing tools. Your
stroke will be drawn using the current foreground
color and the brush shape selected in the Tool
Options dialog or the Brushes dialog.
Brushes and Brush Dynamics
GIMP has a sophisticated brush engine that uses
various inputs to determine the appearance of your
strokes. In addition to any settings you apply in the
Tool Options dialog, such as opacity or size, you can
also choose from a variety of brush shapes in the
Brushes dialog (see Figure 2-3). Your strokes will be
drawn using the shape you select.
GIMP can also use information such as the
speed at which you draw a stroke or the pressure
input from a graphics tablet to affect the look
of your stroke. These options are called Paint
Dynamics in GIMP. You can choose different
dynamics from the Tool Options dialog or create
and edit your own in the Paint Dynamics Editor
dialog. (We will examine this feature in more detail
when creating our own brushes in Chapter 11.)
using GIMP
Now we'll explore how to actually use GIMP to create,
paint, and edit images. In later chapters, we'll look at
much of this in more detail; for now, we'll just look at
the basics. As we go along, I'll point to later chapters
that go into each feature in more detail.
Creating an Image
Unlike Blender, GIMP does not open any default
file at start-up. When you first start the program,
you can either open an existing image (File
4
Open)
or create a new one (File
4
New). When opening
images, GIMP normally opens each image as a new
file, but you can use File
4
Open as Layers instead to
open images as new layers within the current file.
Filters
GIMP's filters act as a procedural way to modify
your images by applying an algorithm to the pixels
of the current layer to create a new result. There
are several filters, including ones for blurring and
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