How to Add Animated Sparkles With Gimp

Animate sparkles by saving a multi-layer workbook as a GIF file.

GIMP is a free graphics editor which can be used to create simple animation. To make animated sparkles, for example, create multiple copies of the same image in one GIMP workbook but add different light sources to each layer or frame. Assign each image a transition speed or "frame assignment." When the frames are played one after the other your file will look like it is animated.

Instructions

1. Launch GIMP and open the picture you want to add animated sparkles to by clicking "File" and "Open." Your image will load in a GIMP workbook which appears separate from the Toolbox and Layers dialog.

2. Click the "Paintbrush Tool" in the main toolbox. Once the tool has been selected the bottom half of the toolbox will show the Paintbrush's settings. Click "Brush" to choose the type "Diagonal Star." Double-click and drag the tab of the Scale scrollbar to the right to increase the size of your diagonal star.

3. Click within the workbook each place you want to insert a sparkle. Stagger the placement of your stars according to your preferences, inserting around five to ten stars. Turn the stars into sparkles by clicking "Filters," "Light and Shadows" and "Sparkle." In the pop-up dialog click "Foreground Color" and click "OK."

4. Select the "Layer" tab and click "Duplicate Layer" to insert a copy of your current layer. Again, select the "Layer" tab and click "Duplicate Layer" to insert a third layer exactly the same as your previous two. In the Layers dialog click on the thumbnail corresponding with the second layer you inserted.

5. Click "Filters," "Light and Shadow" and "Supernova." In the image preview within the Supernova dialog click on one of your stars to add a burst of light to it. Click the "Color" icon and choose a white or light color. Adjust the radius of the light source as desired and click "OK." Click "Filters," "Light and Shadow" and "Supernova" again to insert one more source of light onto an additional sparkle.

6. Click in the Layers dialog on the thumbnail of the last layer you inserted and click "Filters," "Light and Shadow" and "Supernova." Repeat this two to three more times to insert shines on additional stars on this third layer.

7. Click within the Layers dialog on the title of slide one. After the title of "Background" insert a space and the following frame assignment: "(10ms)." Click on the second slide and insert the same frame assignment after a space following the title. Repeat this for the third layer. Save your animated file using a GIF extension which will preserve your separate frames.

Tips & Warnings

• Preview your animated sparkles by clicking "Filters," "Animation" and "Playback."

References

• GIMP: Simple Animations
• GIMP: Supernova
• GIMP: Sparkle

Resources

• GIMP