How to Make Silhouette Images in GIMP
A silhouette is a shadowy image that displays the outline of a shape and not the details within the shape. You can use this with your digital photos if you want to create an image that shows a person's silhouette without showing that person's face or physical features. The GIMP graphic design program provides tools that allow you to edit your photos and turn them into silhouette images that you can use on documents, websites or social networks.
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Instructions
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Launch GIMP on your computer, click “File,” then click “Open” to browse your computer for the image you want to turn into a silhouette.
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Double-click the image to load it into GIMP.
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Click the “Layers” menu, click “New Layer,” then click “OK.” This will create a new floating layer above your image.
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Click the “Free Select Tool” from your toolbar.
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Trace around the edge of the shape you want to silhouette with the Free Select Tool. Double-click to fully outline the shape when you are done. You will see an animated dotted outline around the selected area.
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Click the “Bucket Fill Tool” from the toolbar and choose the color you would like to fill your silhouette. Often, this is a darker color, such as black.
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Click inside of the selection on your image. This will fill your silhouette shape with the color.
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Click the “Select” menu from the top toolbar, and then click “Invert.” This will select all of the image outside of your silhouette.
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Use the “Bucket Fill Tool” to fill the outside selection with a lighter color.
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Click the “Layer” menu, and then click “Merge Down” to flatten the layers.
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Click “File,” choose “Save As,” and type a new name for your silhouette image.
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