Help with Gimp

[Lincoln]

This post is targeted at x99x, but I couldn't send a PM because his box was full.

Here's the deal. I'm creating an avatar in Gimp. I have most of it down, but have a few tweaks I'd like to make. I'm using to Photoshop, so I'm still figuring out a few things in Gimp.

The avatar is square at the moment, and I don't want it to be circular, but I would like to round the edges. How should I go about doing that?

I'd also like to give it that glassy look. Is there a filter that does this, or what?

Any help is appreciated.

[x999x]

Rounded Corners:

In your Toolbar, Click on the Rectangle Select Tool
At the bottom of the Toolbar are your Tool Options. Click the "Rounded Corners" check box
Set your Rounded Corner Diameter to your preferred size
Select the Paint Bucket and fill in your selection
Done


Edit -

I just realized you want to round the corners of your image layer, not create a box with rounded corners. Well, it works the same way, use your rounded corners on your selection tool and select your entire image layer so that just the corners are not inside the selection boundaries. Once you've got a nice selection going, right click the image's layer and select: Add Layer Mask.

At the prompt, click the option for "Selection" (not layer selection), then click OK. You should now have the corners knocked out of your image. If this is satisfactory, right click the image's layer again and select "Apply Layer Mask" and that will finalize the process.

As for the Glassy look, this is what I'd have to demonstrate, because the way I do it is actually by hand since filters have a tendency to look just like "filters" to other designers if you know what I mean. Kinda like when you realized what Fonts were and couldn't stop seeing Arial or Helvetica each time you opened a news paper. Thats why I don't use filters.

Anyway, the Glass is basically a few layers of gradients going different directions with a "Glare" layer at the very top to drive home the illusion of a glassy surface.

Just have a go with my SMS icon PSD file and I think you'll get the idea of how I'm faking it.

PS - Could those of you that use this PSD to publish your own SMS icons please give me credit for this template? You're looking at an hour's worth of work in recreating that icon from scratch :P

[Lincoln]

Thank ya much.

I'll try it out when I get home.

[Lincoln]

Alright, I got the Gradients in. Now I have another question.

How do I create that glare layer? I looked in the guide on the GIMP website, but didn't find anything.

[x999x]

I used the circular selection tool to make the roundish glare layer. Positioned it so it so that only half was showing, then right clicked the layer and selected "add layer mask."

From the next window that pops up, choose "white/all" and click OK.

This will add a white box next to your layer's icon, click it and select the gradient tool. Click Dialogs in the top menu and choose Gradients. From the gradient menu, select foreground to transparent.

Now click that white box next to your layer's icon again and start click dragging in the workspace to create gradients. This should mask out your glare layer to appear to fade transparent. Right click your layer and select "apply layer mask" when satisfied.

Adjust your layer opacity as preferred.

Done.

On iPhone @ dennys for breakfast. Sorry so sloppy

[x999x]

forgot to mention that you need the color Black selected when doing your gradients.

[Lincoln]

Okay... I got as for "Add layer mask".

When I select I get the window, but I don't see "White/All", just "White(full opacity).


http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/29997/2274427940102559397S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2274427940102559397lHnyup)