|
Post by hackbarth on Feb 18, 2013 5:16:19 GMT -9
So here is my tutorial, for the complete beginner, for coloring figures in the GIMP. First thing, you need the GIMP, available for Windows, Linux, OSX at www.gimp.org. Second thing, you need the figure to color in black & white lineart (later I'll put my tutorial on discoloring colored figures, so that any figure will do). And now the tutorial:
|
|
|
Post by hackbarth on Feb 18, 2013 5:19:38 GMT -9
Open the figure in the GIMP at 300 dpi resolution: Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by hackbarth on Feb 18, 2013 5:20:56 GMT -9
Now create a duplicate of the layer. Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by hackbarth on Feb 18, 2013 5:22:55 GMT -9
In the uppermost layer, go to Layer > Transparency > Add Alpha Channel and choose to turn white (FFFFFF) into alpha. Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by hackbarth on Feb 18, 2013 5:26:20 GMT -9
And here is the trick: in the bottom layer, select the areas that you want to paint with the Area Select Tool. Adjust the area to be painted with Select > Grow so that the selection becomes a little larger than the white area to be painted. Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by hackbarth on Feb 18, 2013 5:28:21 GMT -9
Now paint the selected area on the bottom layer, the upper layer will retain the lineart and the bottom layer will have the colors. Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by hackbarth on Feb 18, 2013 5:30:43 GMT -9
The process in not unlike painting an animation acetate cell. the colors go behind the lines, and may bleed a little, if they don't trespass the areas of the other colors. See how the bottom layer ends up, when we turn off the upper layer: Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by hackbarth on Feb 18, 2013 5:33:16 GMT -9
You can correct any errors and slips on the bottom layer with the upper layer visualization on. Remember to always put colors on the bottom, keeping the lines in the upper layer: Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by hackbarth on Feb 18, 2013 5:34:08 GMT -9
And now repeat the process in the back of the figure and it's done! Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by bravesirkevin on Feb 18, 2013 7:52:30 GMT -9
Great tut Hackbarth! I use Photoshop rather than GIMP, but most of it looked like it would be true for both, except for this step: In the uppermost layer, go to Layer > Transparency > Add Alpha Channel and choose to turn white (FFFFFF) into alpha. Most Photoshop users would just set the lines layer to "Multiply" or "Darken" and I'd always assumed it was the same in GIMP. Are you planning to add more complicated tuts for the more experienced users later on down the line?
|
|
|
Post by hackbarth on Feb 18, 2013 8:49:05 GMT -9
Many things work the same in Photoshop and the GIMP, albeit with different names. So maybe it's the same thing, or at least other way to get the same results.
I have some more tutorials, even some unusual things I do with the GIMP to recolor figures. Nothing that I would call "for experienced users", since I'm only a dabbler in using it, far from experienced.
|
|
|
Post by dungeonmistress on May 1, 2014 19:20:03 GMT -9
Thank you hackbarth! I just got GIMP myself last week and I am totally in your debt for this tutorial. Please tell us more!
|
|
|
Post by alloydog on Mar 28, 2022 9:50:19 GMT -9
Great tutorial hackbarth! I have been using GIMP for along time now, but to my shame, very rarely use many of the editting features. I will be playing around with some figures and image, following your guide just for fun and to learn something new
|
|
|
Post by factoria tabletop on Oct 3, 2022 2:58:15 GMT -9
Thanks for sharing this, very useful! May i ask one more tutorial about how to scale an image... I have several issues trying to avoid pixels on my final minis.... 😩
My best regards!
|
|
|
Post by Vermin King on Oct 3, 2022 5:34:11 GMT -9
|
|