GIMP

Drawing
Drawing shapes with GIMP

1. Open GIMP, and make sure that the Paths Dock is showing on the side. If it’s not, click
Windows>Dock able Dialogues and select Paths.
2. Create a new document (File>New) 640pxx400px
3. Use the square selection tool to select a square on the document. (Size is unimportant)
4. On the Path Dialogue, select the little icon in the middle that says “Selection to Path”

a. This converts your selection box to a “Path” which is something you can fill with color or
draw a line into (to make a line out of the path, you can “Stroke” the path)
5. Select the “Paint along path” tool from the Path Dialogue.

6. You can select either “Stroke Line” which will allow you to draw a simple line along the path, or
you can select “Stroke with a paint tool” which gives you a LOT more options.
7. Choose “Stroke with a paint tool”, choose a large, fuzzy paintbrush, red color, and any other
options you want to use. Click Stroke.
a. Your shape has been stroked!
b. Now switch to the Paint Bucket (Fill) tool and fill the box w/ a color of your choice.
8. Using the pen tool to create paths:
a. Switch to the Pen tool. Use it to click some points somewhere else on your document.
This creates points in a path.
9. Once you have created points, you can drag them where you wish, and you can also edit or
curve the connecting lines. This is the very best way to create curved shapes in GIMP.
10. Create a series of path points to make a heart-shape. Drag their connecting lines into
appropriate curves to make the heart heart-shaped.
11. Click the “Path to Selection” tool on the Paths Dialogue. Then click “Paint along path”
a. Choose the paintbrush and color you want, click “Stroke”
12. Fill the selection with a color or pattern using the Fill Bucket.
13. Undo the fill bucket
14. We are going to fill the heart with a gradient (it is the tool next to the paint bucket).
a. In the tool options: Set Opacity to 100%, Set Offset to 10%
b. Select the gradient from the dropdown list that is named “FG to BG (RGB)”
this will create a blend from the foreground color to the background color.
c. Set the Foreground color to Red, and the Background color to Black.
d. Using the gradient tool, draw a line across your heart.
e. Cool Huh? Try different gradients. Try changing the Shape to radial or something else.
15. Your Turn:
a. Create a road sign: Use the pen to draw points, stroke them as a line, then fill the
selection with a color or gradient. Place text on the sign with the text tool.