Installing GIMP, and making basic signatures. Advanced ones on request.

I'm mostly posting this for those who want to give it a go, but cannot get their hands on Photoshop. GIMP is a suitable free alternative that is more than capable of doing this kind of work! Even if you think you have zero artistic talent, you can do this kind of thing if you're dedicated. I am one of those people who has zero natural artistic talent, entirely self taught

I spent around 4-5 years using GIMP, and I also made my most popular piece on my dA with GIMP. Some people knock on it for "not being Photoshop" or "not being as good", but its fine!


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Ok, let's get the installation sorted. For some people, this'll be easy, but for others not so. I could do this in five minutes or less, but I know others who could spend hours slaving over it.

I'm assuming we're all on Windows here, if you're not, shout out now and I'll do my best to help you out shortly.

To download GIMP, click here: http://www.gimp.org/downloads/ It is likely that you'll be aiming for the top link about Windows.

Save the file to your desktop, and once it's downloaded install it to wherever you wish to. I put mine in my H:// drive, but I doubt you have that. Keep in mind where you installed it!!!!

Right... now, you -should- have a GIMP icon on your desktop or, if you chose not to have a shortcut, somewhere on your start menu. Don't open it yet!

We have a few other things to get first. The first being an add-on called "GreyCStoration". Its an extremely powerful add-on that can transform an image's quality completely. Allow me to show you an example.

http://cimg.sourcefo...g/res_fire.html

http://cimg.sourcefo...ingerprint.html

To download this plug-in, follow these steps:

Click here: http://sourceforge.n....9.zip

Save the file to your desktop, and then once it has done double click on it. If you know how to, extract the file. If not, then do as follows: Look for a button on the top left called "Extract all", or similar. Click that then follow the onscreen instructions. Open your extracted file, then copy the file called "GREYCstoration_gimp_pc_win32" and paste it to this directory: "...\GIMP-2.0\lib\gimp\2.0\plug-ins". You'll need to remember where you installed GIMP, just like I said above.

The other thing we'll need from the internet is an assortment of brushes. From Paint, you'll know that you have a Square and a Circle Brush, of differing sizes. However, on more advanced programs such as GIMP or Photoshop, these brushes can be any size, colour or shape. You can save a picture of yourself and use that as a brush if you so wish. These brushes are used in the same way as on paint, by painting colours or erasing to name a few functions, GIMP and Photoshop use them for much more.

The brushes we'll need are easily found on deviantART. (http://www.deviantart.com)

I'll pick out some that you probably will need, be it in beginning signatures or the later ones.

http://project-gimpb...rushes-70037228
http://abikk.deviant...r-Set-106297193
http://harryginnymus...ushes-105515131
http://project-gimpb...rushes-62762572
http://insaneisenoug...-Set-1-27870855

If you want any more, bookmark/favourite this link for future reference:

http://browse.devian...rushes/?order=9

These brushes will come in a .zip folder, which you extract in the same way as you did the GreyCStoration. Copy these brushes to the folder: "...\GIMP-2.0\share\gimp\2.0\brushes"

Finally, let's open GIMP and rearrange it to show you the functions that you'll need. The default GIMP will, or should, be a bunch of icons at the top dictating the different functions, with a nice empty space under the primary and secondary (black and white by default) colours. We can, however, allow GIMP to display many other things, such as what brush you're using, in this blank space.

Opening GIMP should bring you to a window like this:

http://i180.photobuc...ossus/gimp1.png

To start with, click the Eraser, the red/pink square shaped thingy highlighted in the screenshot above. A new window should open with the options that the Eraser has. However, you want to click between the "Eraser <", and drag it to the dockable dialogs area. It should merge the windows together.

http://i180.photobuc...ossus/gimp2.png

Then click File, Dialogs, Layers. Then do the same, but click Brushes instead of Layers. Next, drag the same area on the new window (between the text and the arrow at the top) to the line indicated by the red arrow on the screenshot.

http://i180.photobuc...ossus/gimp3.png

Do this with both windows, and you should end up with a GIMP program that looks like this:

http://i180.photobuc...ossus/gimp4.png

This concludes the lesson on GIMP setup.

Well then. Let's cut to the chase and make your first signature. I'll be using my first signature (Made in 2008!) as a guide, so we'll see how this works out

For starters, you'll need to find an image that's called a render. Renders are images that have a transparent background, such as this one:



Yes, I did have to use Solrock <3

Once you have your render, open GIMP.

To get the render in GIMP, you have several options. One being, find the image in your desktop or files and right click, then click open with GIMP. This is how I do it (If GIMP isn't already open, it'll open with your image in a new window, hence why I do it. It's easy). You can also go File->Open and find it that way.

Next, you want a new image (You don't want to make your signature over the top of your render after all). The way to do this is File->New. Pick the size of your signature you wish, the one I'm using here is 420 width by 90 height (420x90). Signatures usually range from about 450x150 to as small as you want. I'm now using 395x125. (For those making lots of the same size, you can change the default image size and settings in "Edit->Preferences->Default Image"). Make sure that under advanced options, you picked to fill it with what you wish to use. Any can work, I've used all 4 options.

Pick out some of those brushes you downloaded, and brush around with black or white (If you had a white BG, or transparent use Black. If Black, use White.). Then brush with the other colour until you have a nice background coming along.

After this, go to Colors->Colorize. Adjust the Hue, Saturation and Lightness until you have a colour that matches a colour from the render you're planning on using (at least a little, mine isn't the exact blue but it doesn't matter that much.)

Mine came out like so:



Next, you want to paste your render in lots and lots of times, so it fills the page. Do this like so. Make a new layer on your signature window. Select your render window, and then go Select->All. You should see a moving black/white line going round your selection. Next, Edit->Copy. Then swap over to your signature, and go Edit->Paste, then click New Layer. This will post the entire render as a new layer on your signature image. You might need to scale the render down, if so, go to Layer->Scale Layer. Enter the size you want (Note, the little chain link means that if you change one number, GIMP will change the other number so that the image does not become distorted. If you want to change both numbers yourself, click on the link so that it becomes broken. This disables this action.) and then click scale. Now, you will need to move your render around. (You might not want to scale the render, its up to you.) Now, you'll need to blur this render. The best way to blur an image is to go to Filters->Blur->Gaussian Blur. This is by far and away the best way to blur an image. Blur it by about 8-14, then set this layer as overlay. This'll change the colours on your first image using the blurred render image.

I got this before overlaying:



And this after overlaying:



Next, paste in your render and scale it down. Stick it where you want it with the move tool (Looks like 4 arrows, make sure that "Move active layer is checked in the tool options dock.) and click on the anchor in the layers dock.

I'm at this now:



Next, duplicate your render layer. You can do this by clicking the double picture frame button on the layers dialog, between the down arrow and the anchor button. After that, gaussian blur it by about 9, and set this layer to overlay. What this does its emphasise the render's dark and light areas, and make the colours more obvious.

I'm at this stage now:



Next, you want to add text. Click on the big A at the top to open the text tool. Click where you want, and write what you wish. I just used my name, and you probably will only use a name for a long time. I coloured mine a blue colour to go with the signature, and then I added an outline to it. The way to add an outline to your text is to, right click on the text layer in the layers dialog and click "Alpha to Selection" (You'll notice the black/white line around the text, just like when you selected the render.). Next, go to Edit->Stroke Selection. I'd recommend using a couple of pixels border.

I got this:



Finally, you want to add a border. If you want to know why, compare these two images and decide which is better:





To add a border, open a new layer and use the rectangle select tool (A rectangle icon believe it or not) to select your entire outline of your signature (You get used to this after a while) and then add a 1 px Border just like you did with the text. Edit->Stroke Selection with a 1px line in black. Make sure its black!

And you're done, hopefully!

Post your outcomes, try and best my first!

If there is enough interest, I will post more tutorials. I also have similarly laid out tutorials for the following (In order of difficulty):







These are all with GIMP. Lets get some competition for our current signature wizards here

 

Of course, Toxic Its awesome.

You should give this a go!

 

There are plenty of Photoshop tutorials out there. As I said in the -first sentence-, Snivy, this is for people who cannot get their hands on Photoshop ><

 

Photomanipulation techniques in signatures

Preface:
If you are taking on a style such as this, I already assume you have some basic knowledge surrounding how to work GIMP and how to make basic/intermediate signatures. These techniques are covered in the signature examples previously, but seeing as Vaporeon is asking for this specifically, I assume you have those techniques down!


Here's the finished product:

This style of signature focuses on using images that already exist to make the effects. In here I used images of clouds for the background, and a couple of fire stocks to emphasize the flow behind the render, Jumpluff. That was pretty much it, its deceptively simple.

First off, you'll want several images to start off with. A background that fits your render would be a start, and some more effect-y images as well. Decide on the subject first, and then you'll have to think about the images you want to use.

For example, if you had say... a Squirtle. ( ) You'd probably want an ocean stock or something similar, and maybe some more faster-flowing water for the effects. You'll have to experiment for yourself; it's not something that is cookie-cutter so to speak.

I don't actually have the images I used for this one any more, so sorry about that guys Otherwise I'd post them for you.

Open up a new canvas, I'm using 355x135. Copy your background stock you're planning on using in, and resize/scale for your needs.



I next pasted in my render. This was originally from a TCG scan, so I had to cut the Jumpluff out myself. The edges of the card actually cut off some of the cotton spores, so I also had to reconstruct those using the circle tool and some gradients. I'll go through that if you guys need it with your specific image, but I doubt you will.



From here, the render doesn't really look like it suits the background. It looks a little out of place. To fix this, I duplicated the render layer and ran a gradient map on it. I used a dark and light colour that I picked from the background layer using the colour picker tool, which can be found in between the path tool and the zoom tool. It looks something like an eyedropper or a pipette.

I set this new layer to colour on 40%.





Next I decided to give the image a sense of depth, to make the Jumpluff look like it belonged there even more. I duplicated the original clouds stock to a new layer in front of the render layers and moved it around to where I liked, before erasing most of it.



I then started to add the fire stocks I mentioned earlier, to add some effect and flow to the image. The first one is just behind the background duplicate layer (so in front of the renders), set to Screen on 30%. Obviously erase what doesn't work and whatnot.



The second stock I added behind the render layers, but in front of the background layer. This was set to Screen on 100%; and again erase what doesn't work with your flow and image.



Next, I added the text. This was all lower case, as you can see below. I used a colour from the signature (if necessary use a Layer->New from Visible to get a relevant colour from your signature).

I positioned the text layer underneath the first fire stock and the duplicated cloud stock, to add to the depth effect.

There isn't a real way I can tell you to do text, however It's an awful lot of practice. I used a font here called Chaparral Pro, which I think I found at http://www.dafont.com. I quite like using Serif style fonts, though I've also found that some chunkier ones work nicely as well. Even Arial on a small size can be a great effect. You just have to experiment with the colours and word positioning and size.

It can help an awful lot if you split the text up onto separate layers, so then you can move them around and duplicate. Just generally experiment. I had the words "drifting", "on the", and "winds" all on separate layers in this example.



After I added the text, the next thing I did was lighting. The lighting hit the clouds and the Jumpluff in a way such a way that you can tell the lighting comes from the top left. I added a radial gradient on a new layer above everything else, from the same creamy colour I used for the font, at Screen on 60%.



Next I added another gradient in the same place, smaller this time. I used white instead of the cream colour as well. This was set to Screen at 40%.



Finally, I added two gradient maps to draw the signature's colours together more. The first was Purple -> Cream, set to Soft Light at 40%.





The second was just a Black -> White one, set to Soft Light at 30%.





To finish everything off, I added a white 1px border.



And that's it! I said it was simple.

Obviously you can change things to your own liking as you follow this through. Sharpen and blur as necessary or change the gradient maps... things that work for your own creation.

Whether this was a one-off, or whether this will work being repeated by you guys I'm not sure. But I wrote the tutorial anyway, so you can at least give it a shot

Enjoy ^^

 

Quite possibly, this tutorial was based around Windows, so Apple may have differences. I have a few questions for you.

1) Could you confirm you found the folder I mentioned? (Where you installed it/GIMP-2.0/share/gimp/2.0/brushes, or the equivalent for a mac. I wouldn't know what the equivalent is as I have never used one)

2) Did you extract the brushes using a suitable program? You want to be moving files like ".abr" or ".gbr" instead of a ".zip" or ".rar", for example.

 

So you installed GIMP perfectly fine, and also extracted your brushes totally fine. That's good! You need to find out why you can't move the file around, now.

A quick google indicates that its likely an issue with you, your user permissions, your folder permissions or your mac. I can't help you with that, sorry! I recommend talking to someone who knows about Macs, or trying an apple support group, or google!

 

The brushes you can download are one of many different tools you can use - You actually don't need any fancy brushes to produce successful signatures, for an example see the Jumpluff signature above.