Tutorial: Selective Coloring in GIMP
This was asked recently in the 
gimp_users community, and while it was sorted out in that specific post, I figured it wouldn't hurt to have an actual tutorial set up for future reference.
So today we'll be learning how to do selective coloring in GIMP, starting with either a colored image or a black and white one.
Tutorials on making this:
and this: 
We'll be using this image of the lovely Catherine Zeta-Jones.
1) This wasn't a very high quality image, so after I cropped it, but before re-sizing I went over Catherine's face with the blur tool (looks like a water drop on the main GIMP bar). Then I resized down to 100x100
2) On the layers palette, duplicate the layer (the duplicate button had two pieces of paper on it)
3) With your duplicated layer active, go to Layer->Colors->Desaturate to make it black and white.
4) Now for Fun With Layer Masks!
Seriously, layer masks are your friend. They give you the same effect as erasing, but without messing with the actual image so if you change your mind later, all you have to do is get rid of the mask and your image is restored to normal. It's a brilliant tool and really should be used more often.
To use a layer mask:
Right click on your layer (in our case, the desaturated layer) and choose "Add Layer Mask." Initialize Layer Mask to White (Full Opacity) (should be the default setting).
Choose a circle brush (I'm using the regular 5x5), and make sure your brush color is set to black.
Now use your brush as you would the eraser!
I want to "erase" the grayscale areas of Catherine's dress and lips. I end up with this
If you mess up/change your mind on a layer mask, you can, of course, hit ctrl+z to undo it, or paint over your mistake in white. This is why layer masks > erasers.
That's it for the coloring. If you want to know what I did for the rest of the icon, keep reading :-)
5) Create a new layer on top of your original background layer and fill this with white.
6) Apply another layer mask and go over Catherine in black. You don't have to worry about being too precise. Lowering the opacity of your white layer, or just making it invisible, will make it easier to see your subject.
7) New layer on top of the white layer. Use this brush
by 
drave in #cf1100 (a red I took from her dress)
8) Now go back to that masked, desaturated layer and use your black brush to "erase" the dingy background around Catherine.
9) I think this border
by __fizzy_tea (because OMG, it's from a GIMP brush pack. I was so happy) in black finishes everything up. And there ya' go!
Now we're working with the wonderful Keira Knightly. Mmm.
1) This image I cropped down to 48x100. I'll go through the coloring process first, and then I'll go back and show you how to create the entire icon.
2) Go to Image->Mode->RGB to make sure our colors will show up.
3) Create a new layer on top of your background, and set it to Overlay (on your layers palette, there's a drop down box next to the word "Mode:" the default setting is Normal, click the box and you'll reveal all the other options)
4) Since my image is kind of small, after choosing my 9x9 brush and the color #506ed2 I zoom in to 200%. Now paint over her jeans.
And voila. Coloring is done!
Now for the rest of the icon.
5) Go to File->Save As to save the picture you've just been working on.
6)Open up the original image and crop out Keira's face. Scale down to 100x100.
7) My image is really fuzzy, so I sharpened it (Filters->Enhance->Sharpen) using a sharpness of 25.
8) Okay, still have your colored image open? Good. Flatten your image (right click a layer on the layers palette, down at the very bottom is the Flatten Image option), then select all (ctrl+a) and copy. Paste it onto the image of Keira's face. Once it's there, make sure to go to the layers palette and, with the 'Floating Selection' layer highlighted, click the 'Create new Layer' button.
9) Still with me? Great. Now, if you looked through the previous tutorial, you know that I'm a fan of layer masks. And guess what? We're using another one :-D Step 4 in that tutorial covers masks, so go up if you need a refresher. We're "erasing" the background from the pasted layer this time.
10) Duplicate your pasted (and now masked) layer and set the duplicate to "screen"
11) Now create a new layer on top of your background layer. Fill it with a dark blue (#0e1424 for me) and set the layer to "Difference"
12) Another new layer on top of my blue layer was used for the border (
by absolutetrouble), color the same as her jeans and set to "burn"
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions. I love making tutorials, so let me know if there are any other effects you want to learn.
Cross posted toicon_tutorial, gimp_users, and literaricons, my icon journal.
gimp_users community, and while it was sorted out in that specific post, I figured it wouldn't hurt to have an actual tutorial set up for future reference.So today we'll be learning how to do selective coloring in GIMP, starting with either a colored image or a black and white one.
Tutorials on making this:
and this: We'll be using this image of the lovely Catherine Zeta-Jones.
1) This wasn't a very high quality image, so after I cropped it, but before re-sizing I went over Catherine's face with the blur tool (looks like a water drop on the main GIMP bar). Then I resized down to 100x100
2) On the layers palette, duplicate the layer (the duplicate button had two pieces of paper on it)
3) With your duplicated layer active, go to Layer->Colors->Desaturate to make it black and white.
4) Now for Fun With Layer Masks!
Seriously, layer masks are your friend. They give you the same effect as erasing, but without messing with the actual image so if you change your mind later, all you have to do is get rid of the mask and your image is restored to normal. It's a brilliant tool and really should be used more often.
To use a layer mask:
Right click on your layer (in our case, the desaturated layer) and choose "Add Layer Mask." Initialize Layer Mask to White (Full Opacity) (should be the default setting).
Choose a circle brush (I'm using the regular 5x5), and make sure your brush color is set to black.
Now use your brush as you would the eraser!
I want to "erase" the grayscale areas of Catherine's dress and lips. I end up with this
If you mess up/change your mind on a layer mask, you can, of course, hit ctrl+z to undo it, or paint over your mistake in white. This is why layer masks > erasers.
That's it for the coloring. If you want to know what I did for the rest of the icon, keep reading :-)
5) Create a new layer on top of your original background layer and fill this with white.
6) Apply another layer mask and go over Catherine in black. You don't have to worry about being too precise. Lowering the opacity of your white layer, or just making it invisible, will make it easier to see your subject.
7) New layer on top of the white layer. Use this brush
by drave in #cf1100 (a red I took from her dress)8) Now go back to that masked, desaturated layer and use your black brush to "erase" the dingy background around Catherine.
9) I think this border
by __fizzy_tea (because OMG, it's from a GIMP brush pack. I was so happy) in black finishes everything up. And there ya' go! Now we're working with the wonderful Keira Knightly. Mmm.
1) This image I cropped down to 48x100. I'll go through the coloring process first, and then I'll go back and show you how to create the entire icon.
2) Go to Image->Mode->RGB to make sure our colors will show up.
3) Create a new layer on top of your background, and set it to Overlay (on your layers palette, there's a drop down box next to the word "Mode:" the default setting is Normal, click the box and you'll reveal all the other options)
4) Since my image is kind of small, after choosing my 9x9 brush and the color #506ed2 I zoom in to 200%. Now paint over her jeans.
And voila. Coloring is done!
Now for the rest of the icon.
5) Go to File->Save As to save the picture you've just been working on.
6)Open up the original image and crop out Keira's face. Scale down to 100x100.
7) My image is really fuzzy, so I sharpened it (Filters->Enhance->Sharpen) using a sharpness of 25.
8) Okay, still have your colored image open? Good. Flatten your image (right click a layer on the layers palette, down at the very bottom is the Flatten Image option), then select all (ctrl+a) and copy. Paste it onto the image of Keira's face. Once it's there, make sure to go to the layers palette and, with the 'Floating Selection' layer highlighted, click the 'Create new Layer' button.
9) Still with me? Great. Now, if you looked through the previous tutorial, you know that I'm a fan of layer masks. And guess what? We're using another one :-D Step 4 in that tutorial covers masks, so go up if you need a refresher. We're "erasing" the background from the pasted layer this time.
10) Duplicate your pasted (and now masked) layer and set the duplicate to "screen"
11) Now create a new layer on top of your background layer. Fill it with a dark blue (#0e1424 for me) and set the layer to "Difference"
12) Another new layer on top of my blue layer was used for the border (
by absolutetrouble), color the same as her jeans and set to "burn" Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions. I love making tutorials, so let me know if there are any other effects you want to learn.
Cross posted to
icon_tutorial, gimp_users, and literaricons, my icon journal.