Creating a stylish button in GIMP can enhance the visual appeal of your website or graphic project. This tutorial will guide you through the process using patterns and the gradient tool to craft a unique button design.
Step 1: Setting Up Your Canvas
Open GIMP and create a new image with dimensions of 500×500 pixels and a white background.
Step 2: Drawing the Base Square
- Use the Rectangle Select Tool to create a square selection on your canvas.
- Move this selection so that it is centralized.
- Add a new layer and name it “Base”.
- Fill the square with black on this new layer.
Step 3: Adding Gradient
- Hold the CTRL key and select the bottom half of the square to modify the selection.
- Fill this bottom half with a white to transparent gradient to give the base layer some depth.
Step 4: Outlining the Square
- Deselect all by pressing Ctrl+Shift+A.
- Right-click on the “Base” layer and select “Alpha to Selection” to reselect the square.
Step 5: Adding Glow
- Create a new layer and name it “Glow”.
- Choose the Paintbrush tool and select a circular brush.
- Increase the “Scale” value to 5 and set the color to “#ab2020”.
- Apply the brush along the edges of the square as desired, simulating a glowing effect.
Step 6: Blurring for Effect
- Navigate to the “Filters” menu, then to “Blur”, and apply a Gaussian Blur with a radius of 25 pixels to the “Glow” layer.
Step 7: Feathering Selection
- Use the Rectangle Select Tool again and enable “Feather edges” within its options, setting it to 20.0.
Step 8: Erasing Lower Half
- With CTRL held, select the bottom half of the image and use the Erase tool to remove this section on the “Glow” layer.
Step 9: Applying Pattern
- After you’ve downloaded and attached the provided pattern file, create a new layer and paste the pattern onto this layer.
- Ensure the square remains selected and then reduce the layer’s opacity to 6% to integrate it subtly into your button design.
Step 10: Incorporating a Stock Image
- Insert your chosen stock image onto a new layer, resize it appropriately, and apply a Gaussian Blur with a 5-pixel radius to blend it into the background while keeping the button prominent.
Step 11: Creating the Drop Shadow
- Use “Alpha to Selection” on the base layer to select the button shape.
- On a new layer, fill this selection with black and then deselect.
- Apply a Gaussian Blur to this shadow layer with a 5-pixel radius for a more natural look.
Step 12: Final Adjustments
- Link all the layers pertaining to the button by clicking the chain icon beside each layer to ensure they move together.
- Reposition the entire button design to the bottom right or desired location on your canvas.
Step 13: Detailing and Finishing Touches
Now you can add any additional details to personalize your button. As a pro tip, add the white to transparent gradient on a new top layer to give your button a more glass-like finish, enhancing its 3D effect.
- First, make a new image 500*500px, with a white background.
- Make a square selection.
- Move to center of screen.
- Make a new layer.
- Fill the square with with black.
6.
Hold CTRL and select the bottom half of the square. It should remove half of the selection. Fill with a white to transparent gradient, like this:
7.
Ctrl+shift+a to deselect all, then right click on the topmost layer, with the square, and click “Alpha to selection.” This should select the whole square.
8.
Make a new layer, name it “Glow”
9.
Open the paintbrush tool, and select “Circle (19)” raise the “scale” to 5 and change the color to “#ab2020” Next, do as the image shows:
10.
Go to “Filters, blur, gaussian blur” and raise the blur to 25px.
11.
Next, click the rectangle select button, check “feather edges” and raise the slider to 20.0
12.
Hold CTRL and select the bottom half of the image. then erase the selected portion. You should have this.
13.
For this next part, you have to download the attached pattern file. Once you do that, create a new layer, and paste that on. Make sure only the square is still selected. Then lower the layer opacity to 6%. You should have this:
14.
Now, to make it look cool, find your favourite stock image, I chose this one, for the cool looks.
15.
Open it, resize it to about 25% of what it was, then gaussian blur that image 5px to make the button stand out.
16.
Next, we’re going to make the drop shadow of the button.
17.
Alpha to selection the base of the button, then create a new layer. Color the selection black, and deselect.
18.
Next, gaussian blur the shadow 5px, it should look like this.
19.
Looks good, eh? Lets make it look better. Click the 2nd box from the left, next to the layers, it makes a chain link image. This links those layers together. Link all the images that are in the button together.
20.
Move to the bottom right corner of the image, all the layers should move together.
21.
Now, add some cool looking details, and BAM, you got yourself a button. (I didn’t add this, but I made a mistake that I’m too lazy to fix atm, make the white to transparent gradient on a new layer, that is on the top, to make it look more glassy.)
