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GIMP Functionality #2 - Image Creation

Continuing with the GIMP Functionality Series, today I'm going to tell you how to create an image from scratch and not die trying. Assuming you've already installed GIMP in your system, (if not download and install by clicking on the "Download" button above, it's free!!) you have to go to the menu File → New to create a new empty image. You can also enter Ctrl + N in your keyboard.

Doing so will open the ''Create a New Image'' dialog where you can also adjust the properties of the new image. The template you'll use, the size which you can manually adjust and there are two buttons to select whether it is portrait or landscape orientation.

By default the Template option is empty but you can scroll it down and you'll find interesting options. Yes you are right, there is a ''Toilet Paper'' option...

As you can see there are advanced options to tweak, but i do not recommend to touch them if you are not an advanced GIMP user, anyway let's take a look at them.

For this example I'll pick 800 x 600 size which is a good size, not too small, not too large. Remember that in GIMP size does matter as a very large image will result into a large amount of data on your HDD and in memory to be handled, so any modification in larger images takes longer time for GIMP to process.

When you are done with the adjustments for your new image, click on the ''OK'' button and the ''Untitled'' image will be created so you can get started.

So, there you are, a new, empty image. What are you going to do with it? possibilities are countless. But let me tell you that a good way of starting a new image is by creating a nice background, for that you can use a gradient.

First of all select the Blend Tool from the Toolbox and select the type and color of gradient by clicking on the Gradient button, this will unfold the list of pre-made gradients where you can find interesting options, of course you can make a gradient of your own but this matter goes beyond the scope of this article, we will be reviewing that in short.

Now that you have selected a gradient all you have to do is to go to the image window and indicate a path by clicking on a certain point an dragging towards another.

The Blend Tool applies a gradient perpendicularly to this path, so just play around with it and you'll see that there is not just one way to do it right.

As you can see in the example, I dragged the pointer horizontally and I got this gradient as a result.

Dragging vertically goes like this:

Final Words

And as you can imagine there are infinite possibilities for this. In the next reviews I'm going to show you how to add text and other objects to your drawing so, stay tuned!

GIMP is an excellent and professional free image editor which you can download absolutely for free by clicking on the ''Download Now'' button bellow, no registration is required.