army3700

Hi all … today I will tell you how to create a flame by using “Gimp 2” program, but first what is this program?! Okay this program is like “Adobe Photo shop” program, but “Gimp” is for free to use –freeware- (as I told you before I’m using freeware programs). Before I start talking about the program let me give you some details and where to download “Gimp 2”.

Program Name: Gimp 2
Screenshot: click on image to enlarge
OS : Win, Linux
File Size: 16MB
Type: freeware, free
Download Page: Click here

Learned from:

Now let us start the tutorial...

-----------Step1-----------

click on image to enlarge

open the program then click on Files --> new; choose the template size. I used 1024x768 

*now fill the background with black as shown:
1- click on fill
2- choose the black color; now click on the background to fill it with black rather than leave it white
*now before we start any thing frothier. We will need to use the layer tab, so this is how to appear it :
3- click on Dialogues
4- choose Layers
*now it will appear :) now you can see:
5- the picture named "background" is the default of our picture
6- the -eye- icon mean it's visible, which we can see it in the main page.
*now we will add a new layer to draw in :
7- click on -paper- icon to start new layer

---------Step2-----------

this is window will appear after clicking on new layer:
1- the layer name let leave it as it is
click on

-------step3-----------

*now before we start to draw make sure that you are in "new layer":
1- click once in the name to make sure you are in "new layer" because we don't want to draw in the "background" layer yet.
*now we will start drawing:
2- choose brush
3- click on the brush -dot- icon
4- specify the brush size. I used before the last one size
5- start drawing ( it doesn't mater how to draw, just put some random lines or dotes as you like)
6- just make sure we are drawing in the "new layer" layer not on background

-------Step4------

*now let us put some effect on the drawing:

1- just to make sure you are still here
2- go to Filters
3- blur 
4- Gaussian blur

 ------step5-----

now a new window will pup-up :
1+2- move the scrolls to your drawing place (it will show a part of it not all)
3- here where you can let the Gaussian be more efficient by increasing the numbers. i used on X+Y; 10
4- click on after you finish

---------step6-------

*now we will start to play with the drawing:
1- make sure you are still here
2- go to Filters
3- Distorts
4- click on Iwarp

-------step7------

*new pop-up window will appear so you can play with the drawing:
1- choose on -Swirl ACW-
2- choose the size of it
3- choose the efficient of it
4- now pres the right click of your mouse and start changing
5- after your done you can now choose -Move- to move your drawing that you changed it
6- after you done from effecting your drawing click on to see it in the main page

-------step8--------

*now i want to select my drawing to copy it:
1- you can see i clicked on -eye icon- to make "background" invisible 
2- click on -fuzzy icon- or -magic icon- to select my drawing
3-  here click on the second one {add the current selection} so i can select more then 1 drawing as (4&5) let say 2 drawings, but in reality its one
4- select on the first drawing
5- select to the second drawing
now click on Ctrl+c to copy the selected drawing

-------step9-------

okay now we will past the selected drawings:
1- click on -layers- window (just to make sure) then pres ctrl+p to paste it.
2- this is how it will look like. dabble click on the pasted icon to open new window (3)
3- this window will appear - attributes layer-
4- here write the name of the pasted drawing. i write "new copy"
5- click ok

------step10----

okay now you can see the pasted layer "new copy" is in the layers window

-------step11-------

*now we will flip one of the drawings:
1- click on -eye icon- to make "new layer" invisible and make sure you are in "new copy" layer
2- click on -flip icon-
3- choose to flip it horizontal (flip sideways) or vertical (flip down ways). i used horizontal
4- now click inside the Dots (on the drawing)

----------tep12------

* again create a new layer, this will be cool it's like the background effect of the drawings:
click on -layers- window
1- click on -paper icon-
2- layer name i named it box
3- click on
-----------step13--------

*hear we will select the area we want to put cool stuff in it:
1-you can see in -layers- window i clicked on all the -eye icon- to make them visible
2- make sure you are here on "box" layer, because we want to add the cool stuff to "box" layer, ok? ;)
3- click on -free select tool-
4- make it in the first -mode- because we want to select just one area not more
5- start to draw near the drawings in the main page, as you can see the dots drawing is what i draw with -free select tool- 

---------step14--------

*now we will add the cool thing and its similar to cloud :
1- haaah :| don't forget where to be when you start editing "box" layer
2- now go to Filters
3- Render
4- Clouds
5- Solid noise

------------step15-------

*here will add the could on where we drew -free select tool- near to our drawing (the background effect of the drawing):
1- here to change how the cloud look like
2- X: to shrink and stretch sideways, and Y: to shrink and stretch down ways.
3- after finishing click ok

------------step16---------

1- >:( what the..., hey!! where is my drawings and all stuff?!!! <-- this is what you may say :) <-- this is my reaction just smiling :P
okay don't worry we will fix it.
2- remember to make all the layers visible (we need them)

----------step17--------

* now we will change the order of the layers:
1- play with the -opacity- number. it's the solidity and gauzily of the picture.
2- move the "box" layer down make it before the last layer "background" as in the figure. to make our drawings be above the "box" layer
( now you know from this step when the layer be the last one it's the background or the first flat plain and after that it will be above the last one and so on)

---------step18------
 

* now we finished from adding and before start to editing we have to save our work so we can get it back when need it:
1- click on Files
2- Save as
*now it will pop-up new window for -save Image-
3- here to add the name of your image. i write it "conflict" as you can see
4- save in folder: the location of the saving file in your pc
then click on -select file type- to extract the extinctions list that you can save the file on  
5- click on -GIMP XCF- so we can save all our work inside one file that when you dabble click on it it will open the program with the layers we added
6- click save

---------------------  we finished from adding, and now we will start to merge and edit  --------------

--------step19---------

*now we will merge the first group. remember when you merge start from the last layer to the first (from down to up) and when you merge don't merge all together merge them in groups:
* ok remember which layer i'm in "box" layer and the dots still showing the selected area of my "box" layer if you remove it or can't see the dots go to step8 to know how to select the "box" area layer.
1-  you can see i closed the -eye icon- in the first two layers "new copy"&"new layer" because i dont want to merge them now
2- i make the -eye icon- open here to merge them .
* now click your right mouse on one of the layers you will merge:
3-clcik on -merge visible layers-
(3)*a new pop-up window will show as the merge layers
    3)A- please dont as or anything because i'm merely a beginner of this program  but if you know what is this please write a comment so we can all know what to do with it
    3)B- click on merge

------step20-------

*now we will play with the selected area ("box" layer that disappeared when we merged it with the "background" layer) with its color curve :
1- i make all my layers visible open all the -eye icon- by click on their box
2- you can see i'm still in the "background" layer where we will edit.
3- go to colors
4- curves
(4)- a new pop-up window will open -curves-
4)A- we will use the -value- -channel- just to make sure it's in _value- channel
4)B- this is the line to play with it, and when you playing it you can see in the main page the selected area will change its appearance.
4)C- now after finish editing the   curve click ok

-------------step21----

*now we will start to edit the color of the selected area :
1- go to Colors
2- Color Balance
(2)- it will pop-up a new window -Color Balance-
2)A- where we will edit the colors to -shadows-, -Midtones-, -Highlights-
2)B- this is the adjusting colors that you can play with ;) i used:
        2)B,I- -shadows- := red= 100, Magenta= -100, yellow= -100
        2)b,II- -Midtones- :=  red= 100, Magenta= -100, yellow= -100
        2)b,III- -Highlights- := red= 100, green= 100, yellow= -100
and here a sample picture of it see the - color balance- (click on the picture to enlarge it)

2)C- after you done from editing the color balance click ok

-------step22---------

*after i merged my first two layers "box" & "new layer". remember when margining between layers close the -eye icon- of the layers you dont want to merge yet and make the layers you want to merge visible  (repeated in step19)
*Now i will select the area of my drawing of the new merged layers "box" & "new layer" (repeated in step20+step21):
1- remember the background is invisible and i'm in "new layer"
2- click on -free select tool- the -magic icon-
3- put the -mode- on the second one -add to the current selection-
4- start to select my drawings.
*after that i opened the -eye icon- of "background" layer them merged them as step19
*then i changed the curve as step20
* after that i adjusted the color like step21

-------------------------------------

after finishing from all the 22 crazy steps this is my final picture

*okay this is the final but i edited things as
*after doing the step22 and editing the colors
* after that go to colors ---> curve as shown in step20
* from step20 | on the picture:
4)A- the -channel- i played with them all as the -channel- := Value, Red, Green, Blue
*and about the name you can do it by click on -A- tool then writ it then on the layers window dabble click on the icon for the word you entered ( the icon picture will have the letter T on it) then rename it to change it as a normal layer, after that use the steps from step13 to step17 after that merge it to the background then edit the colors from step20 to step21, then merge the letter to the background after selecting the word drawing and do step22.

-----------------------------------------we finished from the adding editing and everything now we will save the image-----------

----------step23------------

* now the saving part after done of all these things :
1-make sure you end up with one layer after the merging and alot of merging you will end up with one layer.
2- go to Files
3- Save as
*it will pop-up a new window for -Save image-
4- name of the image
5- where to save it (the locating of the saving file)
*extend the -file type-  (by clicking in the + mark before the -file type-)
6- click on -JPEG Image- then click save

----------step24------

*now this window will pop-up (dam i use alot of pop-up i think i'm in love with pop-ups :( <--- i really hate it)
1- click on -export- ( i don't really try to click other then it)

--------step25------ the last step with last pop-up

*this will appear when you click on export to help you manage the image:
1- is the -quality- percentage (%) of the image. i usually use 95%
2- chick this box if you want to manage it more advance from -Advanced option-
3- click on save

enjoy :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------done----------------------------------

i just want to thank the one who wrote similar tutorial in the internet
Name: devvv
Tutorial Name: Smoke and Flames