GIMP Version: 2.6.11
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: windows 7
GIMP Experience: Basic Level

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Hello, I was told to ask my questions here. I am not new to Gimp but I am new to plugins and textures, new brushes.
I just recently figured out I can download or Plugin new things.
HOW? I want new brushes and to learn how to add textures to skin without cloning!
Can anyone help me with this. All those fancy terms used is way over my head.
I just need it explained in simple terms please.
I am so darn LOST!
Thanks, Amadora

First and foremost, welcome to GIMP Chat, Amadora!

For plug-ins and scripts there are many tutorials out on that.

Oregonian recently posted a great read on add-ons (brushes, patterns, gradients, etc), found here:

http://www.gimpchat.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1548

Hope this helps!

Welcome to Gimp Chat.

To add texture to an area without cloning just
1) Select an area of your image you want changed, While you have the selection create a new layer.Click on the new layer go to your patterns dialog and select a pattern or texture you want - go to Edit fill with pattern.
The selection will be filled with your pattern on a new layer.Now just change the layer mode to either overlay or multiply.You can try all the layer modes though some can look pretty cool.

OR

2) Select a pattern - create a new layer - go to edit/fill with pattern/
Place that layer over other layers in a different layer mode.

It's all about layer modes and selections.

Welcome to Gimp!

Adding brushes - just place the GBR or GIH file in your brushes foldfer.
Then you can either restart Gimp or click the refresh button on the brushes dialog.(at the bottom)

Thank you both very much, I am still however very confused because I don't know how to use the transperancy layers. Or layers realy for that matter. I always cut and past what I want into the picture. Thats the only way I know how to do it. Also when I downloaded the brushes you gave me it came in a zipped folder and I can't seem to unzip it now. YIKES!
I guess I have been doing this the hard HARD way the whole time now.
I am self taught and believe me it hasn't been easy for me at all.
I will keep plugging away, LOL!

I think that picture is beautiful. the colors are very good and I love the sky

Hy Amadora
Alas there is no way to make advanced editing without understanding how layers and layer modes works

This is true also to add pattern to a image ...it is all about working with at least 2 layer and find the right layer mode for the layer mode the right opacity setting

we may point out on some tutorial explaing in the more simple way possible but i will not know how to solve without learn some basic about layer

Just consider a layer a sheet of plastic or glass over an image or another layer. You can have as many layers as you wish, but opaque objects on a layer will not allow layers above it or below it to blend through unless you change the layer's mode (also called blending modes) or the level of opacity. You can paste a portion or part of an image into a transparent layer, and move it around without affecting the other layers or images. You can also use layer masks to block parts of an image or allow gradient blending, using black and white colors (black= transparent blends, white= opaque) mixtures of black and white result in what we artists call fades.

Thanks,
I will work with layers as much as I can in the next few days.
I am always up to learning new things in GIMP.

You can start with the newest tutorial by tstandiford here
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2571

I was actually asking myself if any of those new videos that Alex was making covered layers, thanks Rod.

Working with layers you will find you it's a lot easier that just working with one or canvas. every layer you make is a transparency. I work with layers all thime

So explain, This is why I am having a problem.
Say I have a picture of an ocean, I want to add a picture with a moon. If i open the picture with the ocean do I open another layer and layer it over the ocean picture? When I do that it makes it look like a picture on a picture. What do you mean by transperancy?
If I cut the moon out and past it onto the ocean picture then it creats exactly what I want. If I layer it then what good is that to me, I have to blend, erase, cover the things I don't want in the picture.
Please explain to me how a layer even works and why its better?

Here are a few more pictures that I have done this way. How would layers make it better for me?

Wow, that is beautiful. Did you make those clouds? I love it. That looks like more than one layer to me.

No I didn't do the clouds at all. Thats what I am trying to explain. I found a picture of clouds.
Then I found pictures of arabain horses. each horse I cut out of their picture then pasted it onto the cloud picture. merged it down then blended it. I did this with each horse. I also used bucket fill to make the black in the clouds.
Is this what you consider layers? That is the only way I know how to do digital art. Is there another way to layer?

Hi Amadora,
Here 2 links about layers from the official Gimp manual.

http://docs.gimp.org/2.6/en/gimp-image-combining.html
http://docs.gimp.org/2.6/en/gimp-dialog ... yer-dialog
Gerard.

First off I have to say welcome. Amadora is a beautiful name. Now to layers. Ther are several tutorials around on using layers and If you surf this site a bit you will find one that is geared towards beginners that explains much more than I am about to attempt.

The transparent layer or transparancy as it is sometimes called is basically a layer that you can see thru. You can right click in the layers area and click on New Layer or you can go to the menu at the top of the interface and click on Layers>New Layer. Either way you will bring up a dialog box with several choices. The one on the bottom is of course Transparrent Layer. One advantage is keeping different parts of your work separated on different layers until a later time. That way if you make a mistake you can fix it without affecting the other work you've done. If you mess up really bad you can just delete the whole layer and start over with that portion. You can also place the layers in any order after you've completedyour work effectively putting them behind or in front of the other image. If you watch most of the tutorials you will see very quickly how layers ae used for different purposes. Hope this helps.

Thank you, also for the compliment Dragonian!
I will later today give it a try with layers. If I have trouble I will post again.
talk very soon.
Thanks everyone thus far.

@Amadora

Wow you do miracles when pasting, stunning results to work without using layers....compliment

Back to your example of the moon

Say

you find a perfect example:
Call ocean BG layer and the moon Image 2
case 1)
If the moon of image 2 has a not too dark sky
and "Bg" layer has a darker sky around the moon
then you just have to crop (just crop the a square )image 2 close to the moon
Paste on BG layer as new layer, move in place

Set layer mode on LIGHTEN ONLY and the miracle is done


Advantages...many, you may still edit, as move the moon in a better position, scale up or down the moon,
change moon color without risk to change color around

Case 2
We are not so lucky as example because the Sky around the moon is lighter of that in BG layer
so you have to select the moon (i say this to simplify in this video a much better method
(viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2495 ) but even select and copy would work

Then if instead then paste on your image you paste over a new transparent layer on top you still have all the advanges of case 1
And more because often defect of cutting are noticed only too late...but if the moon is on a different layer that may be corrected (as example correcting the cut or slighly blurring the moon edges or both...)

I hope now you get the point

Moon was a perfect example allowed me to explain one of the miracles of layer modes
And lighten only has a oppsite DARKEN ONLY that allow the same miracle when you wish to add something more dark to a image :
No more need to make accurate selection copy paste...just move that new layer on layer on top, change mode in DARKEN ONLY and miracle is done

Holy Crap, I CAN'T get layers. Let me explain why.
First do I go to File in my upper left hand corner and open new layer there or do I go to Layer and open transperency there. When I try to open it in Layer then transperency it won't work. It says Add Alpha Channel and color alph and so on. Thats what confuses me 100%.

I just can't for some reason figure out how to make layers work. I don't even know what Alpha channels are nor do I understand the terms used to describe how to make it work in the tutorials. YIKES again.
What is wrong with me? I am not stupid I just don't get it.