An introductory walkthrough/class, originally designed for tweens (ages 9-12), on using the open-source photo editing program GIMP. The lesson provides an overview of GIMP and walks you through the steps for creating a simple composite image.

1. CRAZY PHOTOS
WITH GIMP

2. WHAT IS GIMP?
GNU
Image
Manipulation
Program
GIMP 2.8 is an open source (free) image editing program,
similar to Photoshop.

3. THE MAIN PARTS OF GIMP

4. Work Area and
Menus
The most important
part of GIMP where
you actually draw and
paint.
There are many menus
and options.

5. Layers and Brushes
Layers let you organize
how you color and
edit.
Brushes are one way to
color. You can have
many shapes for a
brush.

6. The Toolbox
There are many different
tools that you can use to
edit your image.
Each tool has its own
options.

7. Paths Eraser Fuzzy
Select
Rotate Scale
Smudge
LESSON TOOLS
Blur Heal

8. BASIC PHOTO EFFECTS
FILTERS

9. THE FILTERS
Filters are special effects that you
can add to you images.
Each filter category has its own
effects and each effect has its
own options.
“Predator” Filter

10. ARTISTIC FILTERS
Canvas Cartoon Clothify Cubism Impressionism
(Dots)
Glass Tile Photocopy Predator Glow Weave

11. TO APPLY A FILTER
1. Open an image
2. Click on Filters
3. Pick a Filter
4. Choose the options
you want (try different
things)
5. Press [Ctrl] + [z] to
undo anything you
don’t like

12. BASIC EDITING:
CROPPING YOUR IMAGE
(GETTING A PART ALONE)

13. WHY CROP AN IMAGE?
Sometimes you want just a part of your image. This is
needed when you want to change backgrounds or
combine images.
Getting parts of your image alone, also lets you edit
them on their own layer.

14. CROPPING: METHOD 1 (FUZZY SELECT)
1. Open an image

15. CROPPING: METHOD 1 (FUZZY SELECT)
2. Click on the
Fuzzy Select tool
3. Click around the part of
the image you want.
4a. Hold [Shift] when click to
add from selection
4b. Hold [Ctrl] when click to
subtract from selection
You’ll see an
outline appear

16. WHEN TO USE FUZZY SELECT
The Fuzzy Select Tool works best when there’s a clear
difference between the background and the subject of
an image.
When an image has a busy background it can be
tough to use Fuzzy Select to pick out the part you
want.

17. CROPPING: METHOD 2 (PATHS)
1. Open an image

18. CROPPING: METHOD 2 (PATHS)
2. Click on the
Paths tool
3. Click around the part of
the image you want.
You’ll see an
outline with little
dots appear

19. CROPPING: METHOD 2 (PATHS)
4. Click on [Selection from Path]
A blinking line (the
selection) will
appear

20. CROPPING: METHOD 2 (PATHS)
Feather by 10.0 px
5. Right-Click on
inside the selection
6. Hover over Select
7. Click on Feather

21. CROPPING: METHOD 2 (PATHS)
8. Press [Ctrl]+[C] to copy
9. Press [Ctrl]+[V] to paste
10. Select the Floating
Selection
TIP: Remember, you can
also copy and paste
using the Right-Click
Menu.

22. CROPPING: METHOD 2 (PATHS)
6. Click the white page to turn
the Floating Selection into a
fixed layer.
You’ve now got a part of the image all on its own.
Congratulations!

23. CLEANING UP IMAGES: ERASER TIME
When you crop images, you might still have some of
the background near the edges.
You can test to see how well you did by placing a
contrasting background – white or black – behind the
cropped layer.

24. TO ADD A CONTRASTING BACKGROUND
1. Click on the White Page to make a new layer
2. Click on Foreground
color
These two square are foreground
& background

25. TO ADD A CONTRASTING BACKGROUND
3. Click and drag the new color layer BELOW the
cropped layer  this makes it the background.

26. CLEAN UP THE EDGES
1. Click on the Eraser Tool
2. Click on the Cropped
Layer
3. Use the eraser to
clean up the edges.

27. SPECIAL EFFECTS:
BLACK & WHITE
SELECTIVE COLORING

28. GOING BLACK AND WHITE
1. Open an image

29. GOING BLACK AND WHITE
2. Click on Colors  Select Desaturate
2. Select Luminosity
3. Click [OK]

30. GOOD BLACK & WHITE IMAGES
Using Desaturate gives a very flat look to the
image. You’ll need to adjust the colors by using
the Curves Option.

31. GOOD BLACK & WHITE IMAGES
1. Click on Colors
2. Click on Curves
3. Move the line to change
the colors  [OK]

32. SELECTIVE COLORING: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
1. Open a color image
2. Select the Layer
3. Click to copy the layer
3
4. Select the COPY layer
5. Desaturate the COPY

33. SELECTIVE COLORING: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Your Copy layer should
now be in b/w (really it’s
called greyscale)
6. Click the eraser
7. Very carefully erase the
parts that you want to be in
color
TIP: You can also use select
tools and press [delete] to
erase these parts.

34. OTHER EXAMPLES: BLACK & WHITE COLORIZING

35. GO CRAZY
COMBING IMAGES

36. START WITH ONE IMAGE
1. Open an image
2. Use a selection
tool if needed
3a. Delete the background
3b. Right-Click 
Select  Invert
4b. Copy and Paste the new layer

37. GET YOUR SECOND IMAGE
5. Repeat Steps 1-3
6. Copy your
second image and
paste into the first.
7. Click on to fix the layer
You now have two images – as different layers – that
you can work with. Remember, Filters and changes
apply to the SELECTED LAYER.

38. USE SELECTION TO COMBINE
8. Use Selection tools
to cut out where you
want to combine the
images.
I wanted
the baby’s
face to go
here.
9. Move the Layers so
you can see them
together.

39. FIX THE SCALE (SIZE)
10. Select the smaller layer
11. Click on the
Scale tool
Make sure
scale’s linked
Sometimes the sizes don’t match.

40. ROTATE TO MATCH
12. Click and drag the
edge of the scale box to
stretch the image.
You can also type in a new size
13. Click the Rotate Tool
14. Click and drag to
rotate the image.

41. FINAL TOUCHES (OPTIONAL): EFFECTS
Rotating is a
Transformation, so
have to fix it as a new
layer.
15. Apply the
Canvas Filter
16. Apply the
Cartoon Filter
17. Adjust
colors

42. FINAL TOUCHES (OPTIONAL): MERGING LAYERS
When your layers look how you want them, it’s
time to MERGE (put them together)
18. Right-Click
on a layer.
19. Click on
Merge Visible
Layers
20. Click Merge when asked

43. FINAL TOUCHES (OPTIONAL): BLENDING
Sometimes edges aren’t neat. Use the
Smudge Tool to blend them together
so they look similar.
20. Click on the
Smudge Tool
21. Adjust the size and
opacity of the tool.
22. Click and
drag along the
edges to blend
them.

44. FINAL TOUCHES (OPTIONAL): BACKGROUND
Find a background and place it as a lower layer.
Edit it with stretch and filters as needed.

45. ORIGINAL CLASS DESIGN & GUIDE BY
RINO A. LANDA | JULY 4, 2014
Note: all images are property of their
copyright holders; herein they are used for
educational purposes under Fair Use
guidelines.
For Files and Guide:
bit.ly/gimpcrazy
PRODUCED FOR THE TEXCELLENCE PROGRAM,
EDUCATION FOUNDATION OF SARASOTA