How to Composite Images in GIMP
Open your images in GIMP., Move what you are going to be adding to the scene, a bear in this instance, up so that it is the top layer. , Right click on that layer and select Add Alpha Channel., Look at your image (the bear) and decide what exactly...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Open your images in GIMP.
If they are not the same size, be sure that the primary image is larger than the one that will be composited. -
Step 2: Move what you are going to be adding to the scene
, You are doing this because you need this layer to have transparency capabilities. , Here, you will see a bear come out of the highway. ,,,, You will be tracing out an area close to the top of his head and back. ,,, You no longer need the selection, so go to Select >> None or (Ctrl + Shift + A). ,, Change it to a pretty large size.
Keep it in proportion to your image.
Here, the Eraser is 400 pixels large.
Choose the Hardness 100 brush.
You are deleting the parts of the image you don't want. , Position your bear about where you think you might want him by using the Move tool. , You want the brush to be smaller and to use a softer one (hardness of 75). ,, Do they look like they could actually be together? In this image, the water is a little green.
Adjust the saturation in it, to make it blend more with the road.
Since the bear is a dark object, it won't affect its look and it will help the image look more realistic. , Try different locations and see how you like it. -
Step 3: a bear in this instance
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Step 4: up so that it is the top layer.
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Step 5: Right click on that layer and select Add Alpha Channel.
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Step 6: Look at your image (the bear) and decide what exactly you want to do with it
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Step 7: in relation to the other image.
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Step 8: Select the Free Select tool and choose Feather Edges with a brush radius of 1.0
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Step 9: To keep it from distracting you
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Step 10: make the road layer invisible (click on the eye).
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Step 11: Zoom in closer to the bear.
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Step 12: Start using the Free Select tool on the shape of the bear.
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Step 13: Trace around the top of the bear until you got the area that you want to be close to the bear done
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Step 14: as in this image.
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Step 15: Continue making the selection
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Step 16: but go back to the original spot
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Step 17: without going through the bear
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Step 18: as in this screenshot.
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Step 19: Press delete.
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Step 20: Zoom back out.
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Step 21: Select the Eraser tool.
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Step 22: Click on the layer that you hid before to unhide it.
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Step 23: Be sure you have the Eraser tool selected
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Step 24: then change the brush parameters.
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Step 25: Keep doing this until you have the selection down as far as you think it should be and achieve your objective.
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Step 26: Zoom back out and look at the two layers.
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Step 27: Move the bear to its final position.
Detailed Guide
If they are not the same size, be sure that the primary image is larger than the one that will be composited.
, You are doing this because you need this layer to have transparency capabilities. , Here, you will see a bear come out of the highway. ,,,, You will be tracing out an area close to the top of his head and back. ,,, You no longer need the selection, so go to Select >> None or (Ctrl + Shift + A). ,, Change it to a pretty large size.
Keep it in proportion to your image.
Here, the Eraser is 400 pixels large.
Choose the Hardness 100 brush.
You are deleting the parts of the image you don't want. , Position your bear about where you think you might want him by using the Move tool. , You want the brush to be smaller and to use a softer one (hardness of 75). ,, Do they look like they could actually be together? In this image, the water is a little green.
Adjust the saturation in it, to make it blend more with the road.
Since the bear is a dark object, it won't affect its look and it will help the image look more realistic. , Try different locations and see how you like it.
About the Author
Janice Gray
Creates helpful guides on practical skills to inspire and educate readers.
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