As requested, this is my first tutorial ever

It will create a symmetric diamond flower as seen in my "Technogardener" picture here:
http://www.gimpchat.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5442



Start with a document of any size you like best, i chose 600x600 and set the dpi to 300 in case i might want to print it in the future.

Create guides at 50%, both vertically and horizontically and make sure they are magnetic.

Now we need to create a shape that we can rotate.
You can make one with the path tool or use the shape-path script.

For this example i'll use the shape-paths script and create a Polygon with eight sides.
Type in your center coordinates (300 in my case),
choose a radius (that is half the size of the shape you want to make) (115 in my case)
and the number of sides (8).



Press okay – apparently nothing will happen, but if you have a look in your paths tab, you will find a polygon.



Next you use the move tool and choose the path option so that you can move your path around.
Move the polygon, so that the right point is aligned with the centre of your canvas, which should be easy because of your magnetic guides.



Now you have two possibilites:

You can rotate the path by duplicating it and then rotating it with your rotate tool set on paths until you have rotated enough polygons so that you get your flower shape.

Or,
and this is what we will do in this tutorial, stroke the path on a new transparent layer.
I used the color black with a line size of 2.
Turn off the path visibility, when you are done.

Go to Layers → CloneLayer Tool and choose Rotate.
For Angle use 30° and Clone 12 times, make sure you chose under Additional Options 'Grouping Cloned Layers' (which should be the default).
This creates your flower shape.



Next create a new transparent layer, choose the path tool, zoom in to 400% and draw a path in between the black lines for one facetted shape.
You can do this by hand and a good eye or with the help of some magnetic guides.



Click selection from path and then on your new transparent layer, fill the selection with a black to white gradient on linear.
You might want to play around with your start and ending point so that you get a nice looking gradient.

On your gradient layer, apply the CloneLayer Tool with the same settings as before and then put your LayerGroup you just created under the stroked flower shape.



Repeat that process for another facet, till everything is filled.
If you like you can reverse the gradient for a nice effect.




If you want a less cleaner look you could create a new layer from visible (just the gradient flower, no background) → alpha to selection → Difference Clouds (Details: 3; X/Y: 16) on 'Overlay' with Opacity 27%.



To colorize your flower, click alpha to selection, then go to your gradient tool, choose a gradient you like and choose Colors → Map → from Gradient on a new transparent layer.

For my final picture i used the gradient 'Blue Green', inverted the colors and then set the layermode to 'Addition'

Another great job Esper, both the design flow and the tutorial. Love the results. I do however, have one question. What in the world are you talking about with regards to the guides when you say "magnetic"? Are you referring to the 'snap to' settings?

Thank you Esper! Thank you!

I will follow your tutorial to the letter.
This is your first tutorial? Shame on you!
Keep them coming, bro!

Nice tutorial Esper will definately have a look at this one.

thanks everybody, that was a bit more work than i expected
yes, thats whats its called in german 'magnetic guides'
i was under the impression its the same in english
the doc uses the word magnetic as well


and thanks for the appreciation, Drac, it means a lot coming from you

Wow. This looks awesome!

thanks Erisian !
hope it inspires you
i miss seeing your work

That was a lot of fun, couldn't work out how to install the Clonetool on ubuntu so had to do the rotations by hand, small price to pay when the results are this pleasing.

awesome he4rty !!

i cant even figure out how many sides your rotated shape has
your result looks almost like a ball

making the lines a bit thicker is a good idea, you get an even better result when you alpha to select -> transform into a path and then reselect the path (and then fill)

Thanks Esper and thanks for the tutorial, My shape has 12 sides.

my pleasure !

if you are all looking for new gradients (like i did), i can recommend these by Frost on Deviantart
http://frostbo.deviantart.com/art/10-GI ... -242957937
http://frostbo.deviantart.com/art/25-Gr ... -251353188
http://frostbo.deviantart.com/art/30-GI ... -244975649

Thank you very much for this tutorial!
I love that final design on tutorial and the other made by he4rty.


The 32 bit binaries are in the Gimp Plugin Registry site, and for 64 bit I had shared here:
http://www.gimpchat.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4984

esper: - a well made and so, so, so inspiring tutorial! i've already had lots of fun with it, and i'm definitely working on it some more. first i just made a flat flower shape, then i thought the shape reminded me of a cut glass bead i once bought, so i tried to turn it into a cut glass bead - worked pretty well, i think.

wow, im speechless, that is so cool

he4rty improved my technique but you really killed it with these two

the black to red gradient is awesome and the glass effect too !!!

The clone layer tool goes into /home/.gimp-2.8/plug-ins.

Really anmal.

bump, because Wallace`s gradient star reminded me of this tutorial

you can get even crazier results when you treat your flower with some chromecurves
(maybe blur a bit before the curves)

revisited this effect in Inkscape
again with a six cornered shape
not quite there, yet but you can do amazing things with tiled clones

you just have to edit one segment and all the others will follow automatically

Bookmarked!
I hope not to have problems with the scripts needed.
I got a good handles and I was intimidated. Seems to be complicated, but promises to be a good learning.
But once you have a good time available, I will try.