Artist's Guide to GIMP Effects
Creative Techniques for Photographers, Artists, and Designers
by Michael J. Hammel

August 2007, 348 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-59327-153-4

This book is currently out of stock, but the ebook is still available
Contents | Reviews | Updates

Click here to download the sample tutorials

The GIMP, an image editor whose power and ease-of-use rivals that of Adobe Photoshop, is one of the world's most popular free software projects. Artists and designers have relied on the GIMP since 1995 to retouch photographs, composite multiple images, and create new artwork from scratch.

The Artist's Guide to GIMP Effects shows you how to harness the GIMP's powerful features to produce professional-looking advertisements, impressive photographic effects, as well as logos and text effects. And author Michael J. Hammel, who has used the GIMP since its first public release, won't mince words or waste your time. His extensively illustrated, step-by-step tutorials are perfect for hands-on learning and experimentation.

After a crash course in using the GIMP's interface and core tools (such as brushes, patterns, selections, layers, modes, and masks), you'll learn:

  • Photographic techniques to simulate ripped edges, create sepia-toned antique images, swap colors, produce motion blurs, alter depth of field, and even fix rips in an old photo
  • Web design techniques to create tiled patterns, navigation tabs, rollovers, and fancy buttons and borders
  • Type effects to create depth, perspective shadows, metallic and distressed text, and neon and graffiti lettering
  • Advertising effects to produce movie posters and package designs; simulate clouds, cracks, cloth, and underwater effects; and create specialized lighting
  • Interface design tips for creating textures, navigation bars, and buttons

Whether you're new to the GIMP or you've been playing with this powerful software for years, The Artist's Guide to GIMP Effects is sure to teach you some new tricks.

Visit the book's companion site for additional tutorials and resources.

About the Author

Michael J. Hammel is an embedded software engineer living in Colorado Springs. He's been involved with the GIMP since version 0.54 and was a contributor to the early development of the program. Hammel wrote a column on the GIMP for Linux Format magazine for three years and is the author of The Artist's Guide to GIMP (Frank Kasper & Associates, 1998) and Essential GIMP for Web Professionals (Prentice Hall PTR, 2001).

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Fundamental Techniques
Chapter 2: Photographic Effects
Chapter 3: Web Design
Chapter 4: Advertising and Special Effects
Chapter 5: Type Effects
Chapter 6: User Interface Design

To view the expanded Table of Contents (PDF) click here.

To view the Index (PDF), click here.

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Reviews

"The content covers a wide range of situations, is well designed, and well presented in clear language."
—Major Keary, Book News, 2007 No. 9

"From trick photography to building graphics for web sites, Hammel leads the reader expertly through nicely illustrated tutorials. The end result is more than simply a better understanding of the program, but a richer appreciation of what the program can be used to do."
—MyMac.com(Read More)

"This is a must have book for anyone using the Gimp for image editing. It will inspire your imagination and push you to levels you didn't know you possessed."
—W. Dwain Alford, The Crossroads Reporter (Read More)

"...this is a beautiful book, copiously illustrated in color, with easy reading text. I became enthralled with it at first glance and am anxious to make use of many of its step-by-step tutorials."
—The Frugal Computerist Column, Monterey Bay PC User Group Newsletter

"If you use GIMP, you really should take a look at this book. If I was handing out stars, I'd have to give it 5, because you really do learn how to do a lot of very cool stuff."
—Chris Marshall Blog (Read More)

"Michael J. Hammel has written a clear and thorough guide to artist techniques using the GIMP. GIMP is an open source alternative to Adobe Photoshop. I had used the GIMP minimally before I received this book and I'd never used Photoshop, but I found the instructions articulate and easy to follow. Artists, graphic designers, and photographers will all find useful information in this sumptuously illustrated text."
—Blogcritics Magazine (Read More)

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