[GIMP] Colourful Dream Signature Tutorial

So here's what we are aiming for today.



Step 1

File > New. Choose your canvas size and OK it. Bucket fill with background layer with b196a6 colour. Now bring in your chosen render (here is mine). Resize, reposition and rotate as needed.



Step 2

Create a new transparent layer. Go into the gradients dialogue and set Full Saturation Spectrum CCW as the gradient style. Now select the brush tool. Make sure you have a normal hard brush chosen. In the tool options select the fade out option and set the amount to something like 150. Select the Use Colour from Gradient option too and set the length to 125. Now paint some random squiggles over the canvas more or less near where your render is.



Step 3

Go to Filters > Distorts > Waves. Set the wave length to 50 and OK it. Now go to Filters > Edge Detect > Edge. Use the default settings and OK it. Drag the layer in the stack to below the render layer. Move the layer if needed and set the layer mode to Overlay.





Step 4

Create a new transparent layer. Again we use the same brush settings as before and brush new random squiggles around the render. Now go to Filters > Artistic > Cubism. Use the default settings and OK it. Set the layer mode to Grain Merge and move the layer to below the render layer.





Step 5

Duplicate the render layer. Now carefully move the bottom of the two to the left or right a small amount. On the Layers Dialogue there is a checkbox labelled "Lock". Select this. Now bring in the gradient tool. You should still have the Full Saturation Spectrum one selected so just make sure the mode is "normal". Drag one across the layer, which should only fill in the render and nothing else. Unselect the "Lock" checkbox now. Go to Layers > Transparency > Alpha to selection. Now Select > Shrink and use an amount like 3 (untick the "from edges" checkbox though). Now delete selection.




Step 6

Create a new transparent layer. Back to the brush tool with the earlier settings. Now through we just want to add 1-2 straight lines coming from the bottom that overlap the render a bit. Now go to Filters > Distorts > Waves again. Keep the wave length at 50 and OK it. Move this layer as needed but make sure at least a little of it overlaps the render still. If you want you can now use an eraser to delete parts of the render extending past these if it will look good.





Step 7

Create a new layer and bucket fill it with the Pastel Stuff pattern. Hide this layer but remember it as we'll need it soon. Copy visible and paste as new layer. On the new layer go to Filters > Map > Displace. Use whatever settings work for you (mine are x 30 and y -20 with on edges to smear). Set the layer mode to lighten only and erase anything bad with a soft brush.




Step 8

Copy visible and paste as new layer. Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur and use an amount like 15. Set this to Lighten Only and erase anything bad.




Step 9

New transparent layer. Circle select around the render. Feather this by about 100, then invert and bucket fill with black. Alter layer mode and opacity as needed (mine is Normal at 60% opacity).




Step 10

New transparent layer. Make a circle selection partly over the render and bucket fill with white. Gaussian blur by about 100 and then change layer mode and opacity as needed. Mine is Grain Merge at 50% opacity.





Step 11

Copy visible and paste as new layer. Colours > Brightness-Contrast. Adjust settings as needed. Mine is -10 brightness and +20 contrast. OK it.



Step 12

Copy visible and paste as new layer. Change the gradient type to a blue to pink one (I used b0b0ff to ffbeff). Go to Colours > Map > Gradient Map. Set this to Lighten Only at a fairly high opacity (I used 80%).




Step 13

Copy visible and paste as new layer. Go to Colours > Brightness-Contrast. Now we need to use larger numbers then before. Here I did -90 Brightness and +80 Contrast. OK it.



Step 14

Copy visible and paste as new layer. Go to Filters > Enhance > Sharpen and use a good amount like 30. Now free select around the render, feather by about 50, invert and delete selection.



Now add anything else like a border and you're done.

Still looks like a cool result. The major difference seems to lie in the gradient map steps, but the darker theme mixed with the vibrancy seems to work well anyway imo.

Thanks for giving my tutorial a whirl.