Hi everyone. This is a pretty basic tutorial, but I've been enjoying working with the other tutorials and figured this one out based on the one to make a wood bowl (link added below). I wanted to contribute something in return for all the help I've been given. I hope this proves useful/enjoyable. I'm loving GIMP. A total convert . I use it for both my blog post images and for my book covers. You can check them out at Tales to Tide You Over if you're curious. I will say that Graechan gets a mention in my cover art sources this time for the Antique Metal script .

Anyway, on to the tutorial for making rings. Mine are gold because they're wedding bands, but any texture should work:

Here's the one I made this morning using the below steps (figuring it out as I went along, but I double-checked what I listed below and even improved on what I'd done).

1) Create a large image with the background set to transparent
2) Make a horizontal strip of texture that matches the ring texture you want. You need to play with the length. This is your base ring layer. (Check below for more detailed instructions if necessary.)
* 541 px x 537 px makes a small, thick ring with a texture strip of 160 px height.
* 785 px x 539 px makes a larger, skinnier ring with a texture strip of 160 px height.
3) Use Crop with growing to size your base ring layer so there is a horizontal transparent strip above and below your texture strip. Each transparent strip should be at least the same height as the texture strip. (See example sizes above.)
4) Use the Map to Object filter (Filters->Map->Map Object)
5) Select "Sphere" and turn on Update Preview Live.
* Check Transparent background for the most flexibility
* I like to do the "create new layer" option.
6) Click the "Light" tab and adjust the lighting to where you want it to appear.
* I use Directional light.
7) Click the "Orientation" tab and use the rotation variables to position your ring.
Note: There is a slight gap in the ring using this method. Rotation can be used to hide the gap, or you can use the clone tool to fill it in when you're done.
8) Click OK and enjoy your ring.

P.S. For my image, I used layer masks which I learned about on gimpchat to put the one ring inside the other and used scaling to modify their shapes a bit more.

P.P.S. The bowl script was my most active topic (I liked it so much) so here it is: viewtopic.php?t=7039

Expanded directions for Step 2:
1) Create a transparent layer of 541px width by 537px height.
2) Use the rectangular select tool to select a section of your new layer that is 160 px high and as wide as the layer (look on the bottom of the screen. When you draw the select, it will tell you your height. It doesn't have to be exact. Those are just sizes that worked for me).
3) Switch to the bucket tool and set it to pattern fill. Select the pattern you want for your ring.
4) Click inside the rectangular select box and it should fill with your pattern. (If it doesn't, make sure you have your transparent layer selected.)

Thank you for the tut, MarFisk.

Thank you very much for your tut MarFisk.

Yr both welcome. I'm looking forward to seeing how people make use of it.

Congratulations on making your first tutorial, here is my ring.



Also thought you might find this thread of some interest.

Ooh, pretty. You chose a shinier gold texture and the light on it is beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

I just noticed the link you gave. Thanks. Interesting variation on the approach. I'll have to give it a try .

MarFisk, thanks again for you idea. I did the one of the thread.

Nicely done, Isabella, though he4rty is the one to point to that tutorial .

Thanks for the tutorial!

Very nice kakol20

Yr welcome. And that's a beautiful blue with lovely contrasts.

The Map to Object filter (Filters->Map->Map Object) is missing in Gimp 2.9.1 development version.

???

Very strange for that to happen.

Mar,
I like this tutorial, if I could get it to work. I do not understand step 3. Could you make another. Or explain with pictures.
Sorry,
I can not figure out what is going wrong here.

Thanks,
FB66

Sorry for the late reply. Got behind with the holidays .

Step three is this one:

3) Use Crop with growing to size your base ring layer so there is a horizontal transparent strip above and below your texture strip. Each transparent strip should be at least the same height as the texture strip. (See example sizes above.)

So you have a solid strip with your ring texture that you made in step 2.
1) Resize your viewing window/your zoom level so you can see above and below your horizontal strip (only necessary if it fills the whole screen).
2) Select the "Crop" tool in the tool side bar.
3) In the options for Crop, there is a setting "Allow growing". Check both that and "Crop selected layer only."
4) Use the tool to draw a rectangle/square (your choice) around your solid strip but the same width as it (otherwise you'll get a large gap in your ring).
5) When you've added at least triple the height with your strip centered in the middle, click enter to commit your crop. While a traditional crop reduces your picture, allow growing resizes the layer to match the crop shape. Use undo to try again if you didn't get it the way you wanted to.
Note: The height to length ratio determines the thickness of your ring, as with the examples in step 2.

Does that help? If it does, I'll move it to the main page. I'm afraid I didn't realize how much I was doing automatically .

Oops. I'm thinking I won't be upgrading for a while. I use that filter all the time .