Taijitu

[lunoob]

I want to tame the beast that is the Gimp - but one step at a time.   

I'd like to use the Gimp to make an image of the Taijitu (yin/yang symbol) and modify it in my own artistic sense/nonsense.   

How to start . . .

If I can get a grip on how to make a circle, how to change its size, how to make a half-circle, what a "layer" is, how to fill a shape with a colour of my choosing, well, you get the idea.

I had this concept decades ago for acrylic on canvass.  But it seems like a good, simple starting place.  And frankly, if I can get anyone who knows what they're doing to help me obtain even one clue at a time, I don't care if this little project takes me a year - or even two.  I'd just like to learn.

Any help much appreciated!

[Dadster]

I think we can get you going.  If you want I can pm you with my aim name and I can talk you thru in real time to get you started.

I will PM the first couple steps to circles in Gimp that I think will help.

  Let me know

Dadster

[Dadster]

       Pedantic Huh??     That is probably one of the only words I remember when I studied for my SAT's .   One of the others was "retalence"     They're the only two.


Fixed the "your-you're"   keep after me cause I aint two good at grammars.     

Seriously, sometimes I type faster than I think.  So  proof read away.  Then I'll come off looking pedantic too.

Thanks Dadster

[lunoob]

   Pedantic Huh??     That is probably one of the only words I remember when I studied for my SAT's .   One of the others was "retalence"     They're the only two. Grin

I graduated from the Harvard Roofing Academy. 

[lunoob]

I'm gonna like it here.   

Dadster, I almost can't believe what I'm reading.  Seems too good to be true.  Specific coaching? 

Seriously, I called my wife in to look at this and pinch me in case I was dreaming or hallucinating or something.  I was half expecting a more or less useful link to a tutorial . . .  I got your PM.  Looks like something I'll be able to follow well enough. 

Okay, just tried to follow your kind instructions. 

"Make a square" (?)

I'll try my other machine later.  Gimp presents itself a little differently over there.  But so far I'm stumped at "square one."  (? !)

Please do PM me your aim name. 

Also, please, is there any way to see PM's I've sent?  I see inbox and outbox, but no 'sent' box/folder/item.  That'd be a nice feature if it's not already available.

Is there a size limit on attachments?

So many questions, so little time . . .

All the best to you,

-lunoob

[Jaws]

Also, please, is there any way to see PM's I've sent?  I see inbox and outbox, but no 'sent' box/folder/item.  That'd be a nice feature if it's not already available.

Check the box to 'Save a copy in my outbox', before you click Send Message.

Cheers

[Dadster]

  Hey lunoob

  Check your pm's   let me know if that's better

Dadster

[lunoob]

Great!  That cleared things right up, Dadster.  Seems to me that PM's may not be the best way to give instructions in a forum like this (for people to be able to search for topics or instructions.)  You could always go back and edit  (modify) your post if it wasn't clear.  (And send a PM that the post was edited.)  I'd suggest posting those instructions right after this post, or before it if you can.  That way everyone can benefit.    

Might be less typing too!  (That's how I think - I'm a bit lazy.)

[ruel24]

I like your desire to jump into the graphics world. I, too, did this some years ago and slowly learned my way around. I just wanted to comment that you'll have to learn one graphic tool at a time, but Inkscape is much better for this type of work, then put final touches on it in Gimp. With Inkscape, everything can be resized, reshaped, rotated and all sorts of stuff very easily since you're basically working with complex shapes, which is exactly what the Yin & Yang symbol is.

One thing I did was basically get a book on basic Photoshop and realize you're not using Photoshop, but much of it can be done in Gimp. There are some things that can't be so easily done in Gimp, but in time... Anyway, the same methods often work such as masks, layer blending, etc.. Just always keep in mind that Gimp hasn't quite made it to being on par with Photoshop, and therefore some things simply can't be done, yet, in Gimp and some tools just work differently. Any struggles you might have, you can always ask here.

[lunoob]

I like your desire to jump into the graphics world. I, too, did this some years ago and slowly learned my way around. I just wanted to comment that you'll have to learn one graphic tool at a time, but Inkscape is much better for this type of work, then put final touches on it in Gimp. With Inkscape, everything can be resized, reshaped, rotated and all sorts of stuff very easily since you're basically working with complex shapes, which is exactly what the Yin & Yang symbol is.   . . .

. . .  Any struggles you might have, you can always ask here.

Thanks, good perspective and helpful insight.   

The thing is, I wanted to get a bit of a handle on Gimp - what I can do with it, and what I cant.  But I understand what you mean about learning one graphics program at a time.  But I have also noticed that I pay hell trying to do any project with just one graphics program.     . . . I guess that's what you were getting at with putting 'the final touches on it with Gimp.'

Thanks, you've given me something to ponder.  Much appreciated!

Cheers!!

[ruel24]

Well, there are some things you simply can't do well in Inkscape. One of those things, for me, is doing brushed metal looks. Any attempt I make at trying to create a resizable pattern has never worked out well. I could create a PNG of brushed metal and use it within the file, but I think Gimping it on works much better because I can vary the process to achieve different results. What I do, is create the basic shapes in Inkscape, and use Gimp to overlay a brushed metal layer onto the shapes I want that look on. This sometimes requires that I save the Inkscape original in separate files for each layer of the final output. For instance, I've made a medallion with a brushed center, but chrome-like edge. I don't want the edge to get the brushed look. So, I put the parts in layers in Inkscape and turn on and off the layers to create a series of png files - one for each. Then, I can load up the brushed section in Gimp, create a new layer on top of it and create the brushed metal look by simply filling the layer a shade or a gradient of gray(s), use the filter Filter->Noise->RGB Noise and blur that with Filter->Blur->Motion Blur and changing the mode of the graphic to greyscale and back to RGB. I then permenantly set the overlayed brushed metal with the Layers palette so that it doesn't effect any layers below it. Finally, I add all the other PNG's as layers and rearrange them so that I get the original graphic back together. That gives me something like this:

[ruel24]

Now this is why the combination of the two work hand in hand. The results are much better than what you can achieve with one single application.

It'll be some work just getting the grasp of the concepts of one application. I started with Gimp and only moved to Inkscape last year at the suggestion of Gemini and Didouph. I'm glad I did. It just makes working with certain aspects of a project much simpler. Once you get the grasp of some of the concepts of masking, selecting, and such in Gimp, you'll understand what's going on in Inkscape a little bit, but working with shapes, strokes, and nodes is a whole new ballgame. You'll need to have some patience...

[Jaws]

That image goods great. I wish Gimp was as easy as Inkscape. I don't know what it is with me but whenever I open Gimp, I sit and stare at the screen with a glazed look in my eyes. Maybe it's the UI.

+1 for the image and info and you'll get +1 for helping me out with the package suggestion in a little bit on that other forum.

Cheers

[ruel24]

That image goods great. I wish Gimp was as easy as Inkscape. I don't know what it is with me but whenever I open Gimp, I sit and stare at the screen with a glazed look in my eyes. Maybe it's the UI.

Thanks! Yeah, the UI in Gimp isn't the best. You get used to it... Now, Photoshop seems like a foreign place to me. LOL

BTW, I'm learning all the time in both of those apps. I made the shape of the medallion for that image with two circles and a rectangle, aligning them up perfectly and combining the shapes with Path->Union. The other day I discovered that I could achieve the same pill shape by just creating a rectangle and using the rounded corners nodes and taking them to the extreme. Who would have known? It would have saved me some time.

[Jaws]

That image goods great.

Huh, how the heck did I do that. At least I got the two - oo - right. That image looks great.

Who would have known?

I did, I did. 

Agreed though, I'm learning new stuff all the time. And now that 0.46 is out it seems like I'm learning all over again.