FOLDER ICON
a GIMP tutorial by dietmar
Please notice:
Blue arrows/lines/etc. are not part of the image and are only intended to
clarify some technical issues!
I also recommend activating "View -> Snap to grid" for better selection
management.
I used GIMP 2.8.14 on Win7 64Bit for this, so I am not sure whether it will
work on older versions of GIMP.
And remember: Save often, perhaps with different filenames for the different
steps, to make reproducing or changing afterwards easier!
Here we go...
* Create a new image, 800x800px, with a white background.
* New layer "shape".
* Rectangle selection in the bottom half of your image. Remember to leave
some space left, right and down for the perspective view (see later) and
eventually some drop shadow.
* Add a rectangular selection on the top left of your rectangle.
* Use the free select tool to subtract the two triangles from the top left
part (see below).
* To path "shape".
* Drag a vertical linear gradient from FG #ffbd12 to BG #ffd37a.
* Script-Fu: Inner Glow, white (#ffffff), opacity 100%, choke 0, size 5.
* Stroke selection with FG #c07f33, 3px.
* Select -> None.
* This is what it should look like:
* Merge inner glow layer down to "shape" layer.
* Duplicate "shape" layer -> "shape perspective".
* Use the perspective to perspectively distort the perspective layer as
shown below:
* This is what it should look like:
Now we want to add an object which stays between the two layers. You can
create anything you want here, I add a "letter" with a nice folding
effect as example...
* New layer "letter" on top of all layers.
* Rectangular selection for the letter.
* Subtract a small triangle on the upper right of your letter.
* To path "letter".
* Fill it with FG white (#ffffff).
* This is what it should look like:
* Filters -> Light & shadow> Drop shadow, x:0, y:0, radius 10, color
#8f8f8f, opacity 80%.
* Drag a horizontal linear gradient from FG black (#000000) to BG white
(#ffffff) with opacity 20%.
* Stroke selection with FG #aaaaaa, 2px.
* Select -> None.
* This is what it should look like:
* Subtract two rectangles from the "letter" selection to create the
opposite of the triangle (see below).
* Drag a diagonal linear gradient (this time with opacity 100%
again!) from the upper left to the lower right of your selection
with FG white (#ffffff) and BG light grey (#eaeaea), like this:
* Filters -> Light & shadow> Drop shadow, x:-8, y:4, radius 8, color
#8f8f8f, opacity 40%.
* Move the drop shadow layer 4px right and up for enhancement.
* Since this looks a little wierd, select the "letter" layer again,
path "letter" to selection, drag a diagonal linear gradient from
FG black (#000000) to BG white (#ffffff) with opacity 10% from the
lower left to the upper right of your letter.
* Select -> None.
* This is what it should look like:
* Finally, merge down the drop shadows to the "letter" layer and move this
layer between the "shape" and the "shape perspective" layer.
* "Layer to image size" all layers.
* Set the opacity of the "shape perspective" layer to about 60%.
* Rotate and move the layer as you want, to make the letter "stick out" of
the folders.
* It may be that you have to use the perspective tool again to match the
bottom edges of the the perspective folder the bottom edges of the
"shape" folder (you will have to temporarilty move the "shape" layer on
top of all layers, deactivate "View -> Snap to grid" and increase the
view zoom to do that properly).
* This is what it should look like:
DONE!
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the tutorial! Now it would
be a wise decision to save your work under a new name for later changes or
whatever.
If you find any errors or something I could improve, feel free to comment!
dietmar