GIMP lightsaber tutorial (its a good one!)

Disclaimer: This tutorial is an updated and revamped version of different tutorials I found online. The majority of what I have done was taken from a great lightsaber tutorial by Saint BeelzePaul Productions (http://www.freewebs.com/stbeelzepaulproductions/tutorialsyay.htm) However, his tutorial was for a very early version of GIMP, and some things didn't apply anymore. I adapted his ideas to the newer version, along with some things I figured out on my own. I did this without his permission, and he feels I overstepped my boundaries by calling this my own work ( which I believe it is) I will immediately take it down, no problem. Thanks a lot for checking this out.

GIMP Lightsaber tutorial (Using one of the newest forms of GIMP, 2.2.14)

Make sure you read the entire tutorial first, it may be confusing (sorry..)

Step 1: Start by opening the image you want to edit in GIMP. Make sure your "Layers" dialogue is active, this is the most important tool we will be using to edit our sabers.

Step 2: In your layers dialogue, make sure your picture is the only one there, click on it to select the layer. Then go down to the icon that looks like a blank piece of paper, this will create a new layer. Alternately, in the image window, go to Layers-Make new layer. When your options come up, name the layer "lightsaber" and make sure it is a transparent layer.

Step 3: In your layers dialogue, click on your new transparent layer. Make sure it is selected before you proceed. Then, find your lightsaber blade on your frame. You can either paint a white core on it with the paintbrush tool(its faster that way) or you can create a path using the Paths tool (it takes longer, but you have more control) To use the paths method, click the paths tool icon in your main GIMP window. It should say "create and edit paths" if you hover your mouse over it. And click every corner of your blade until you have selected the whole thing. Then in the Paths dialogue box, click " Create selection from path". Then you can easily fill in the selection with white. Afterwards, in your image window, go to Select-None.

Now you should have two layers: your background layer and the transparent layer on top with the lightsaber blade.

Step 4: Now for the easy part. Select the lightsaber layer and then go down to the icon that looks like two sheets of paper. This is your "duplicate layers" option. Alternately in your image window, go to Layer-Duplicate Layer. Duplicate your lightsaber layer 4 times. So now you should have 6 layers, Background, Lightsaber and four lightsaber copies.

Step 5: Make sure the topmost lightsaber layer (lightsaber copy #4) is selected. In your main image window, go to Filters-Blur-Gaussian blur. Make sure that RLE mode is selected and set the blur radius to 80 in both windows (horiz. and vert.) Click ok.

Step 6: Now go to the lightsaber layer under "lightsaber copy #4" (ls copy #3) and repeat the Gaussian blur, only set the blur radius to 60 instead.

You should start seeing a faint glow around the core of your saber.

Step 7: Select "lightsaber layer #2" and repeat Gaussian blur, using 40 instead of 60 for your blur radius

Step 8: Select "lightsaber copy #1" and repeat Guassian blur, using (you guessed it) 20 instead of 40 for the blur radius

Step 9: Select the bottommost Lightsaber layer ("Lightsaber") and Gaussian blur it, giving a blur radius of 2.

Your lightsaber should now look like a white, glowing rod. We now need color! But first...

Step 10: Make sure that your "Background" layer is selected and now make a new layer, but this time, make sure the layer is black, not transparent. Your image window should appear to be nothing more than a black screen. This is very important. Now your layers should be stacked like this (from bottom to top): Background-Black Layer-Lightsaber-Lightsaber copy #1...etc. Now we need to set the Black layer layer mode to screen. In your layers dialogue, select the black layer, now near the top of the dialogue is a dropdown box that say

 

If you could post a picture or two using this method, that would be good. I am one of the few here who mainly use GIMP for everything I do, and I *think* I might have created a more efficient method (but with a similar concept) so I can help you out with that.
But go ahead and post a picture or two so others can see what they can get with this tutorial.

 

i would post a pic... but I don't know how...

 

When you're posting, next to the "Format" row, click "image", and type in/paste the url of the picture

 

Oooh...I gotcha, so it has to be a pic online? So for instance if I put it on photobucket or something like that I could use it? I just figured you could go straight from your hard drive. Okay, so will photobucket things work then? Cuz I can easily get an account real quick..

 

That, or imageshack.us, which you don't need to sign up for.

 

Okay, i put it on imageshack, and heres the link: http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/5355/lukevader2ls3.jpg

 

long over due.

 

Okay, that really oversteps the boundaries. How could you.

I'm yanking your chain, dude. It's cool. All I want is my credit due, which you've already done.
Yeah, my tutorial is pretty outdated, but I kind of want it that way(dont mean to go off topic), I, personally, want people to see my tutorial, see something that wont work aswell, and experiment with it even more if I just told them EXACTLY what to do.

And what you said: "his tutorial was for a very early version of GIMP, and some things didn't apply anymore. I adapted his ideas to the newer version, along with some things I figured out on my own", I feel I've done my work.



--------------------He Who Sees Voices


P.S.: Here's a couple of pics I did. There on my site, but whatever.

[image=http://www.freewebs.com/stbeelzepaulproductions/sid-ani.jpg]

[image=http://www.freewebs.com/stbeelzepaulproductions/unique-sabers.jpg]

 

That effect is also possible in AE (after effects) using Ryan's method and the Noise tool. A mild example taken from Jediz and Jinxes Episode II can be seen here. In this case, the effect is used for Harry Potter's wand, but there's no reason it can't be used for a saber:

[image=http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t166/Beaversarecoolalways/screenshotjaj_00037.jpg]

Intresting tutorial. The blades look very 'anime' style.

 

Yeah, I was more of just playing around with some random filters at the time. I was going far a "looks intereting" as apposed to "realistic".
If that even sense makes.

 

Yeah, I think they could always be improved of course, and as far as I know with GIMP, its like a fleeting thing, like they look close to realistic...but something isn't quite right. Hey BeezlePaul, when I first read your tutorial, I was like, whoa this guy knows what hes doin! You inspired me to delve deeper into the possibilities of this, and for that I thank you, and thanx for letting me update your methods!

 

Eh, no problem. It's really thanKS enough that you were inspired, I guess, to take it to the "next level".

And now for a bit of confusing wisdom: no one really knows what they are doing with all this. Just know that the only limits are the ones you acknowledge.

So Sayeth, Me.



P.S. I'm really tired, right now, so I'm borderline delusional.

 

So, Darth-Aroman ( i hope i spelled that right) What is your method, you said you might be able to help me out a bit, any help would be appreciated, I always like to improve.