How to Use the Illusion Effect in GIMP

One of the advantages of GIMP over many other image editors is the large variety of tools and effects filters that are included with the software. GIMP is also free with both Mac and PC versions and from my personal experience, “bullet proof” in operation. One of the MAPPING TOOLS that GIMP offers is called the Illusion Map. This allows the users to create new artwork using an image as the source of the art. The tool is easy to use, but requires careful image selection and some experimentation to create effective artwork. Read below for some tips on how to use this unique mapping tool.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• GIMP running on a Mac or PC platform
• Digital images for experimentation

1. 
   Open Image

   Find a suitable image and open the picture in GIMP. For special effects like this, I like to select images that don’t stand alone as a good pictures. This picture is not the greatest. The lighting is flat and the background is kind of distracting; however, the eyes and facial expression have some impact, so the image may be improved with a special effect.

2. 
   Illusion Toolbox

   After opening the image, click on FILTERS and MAPPING to find and select the ILLUSION map. This will open the toolbox for the Illusion Effect. Notice you can choose from two different types of illusions and adjust each mode by altering the number of divisions.

3. 
   Adjust Divisions

   More divisions will cause the algorithm to divide the image into more segments creating different looks. You can set divisions with a negative or positive number and each one will cause a completely different look for your creation. As you adjust the divisions and modes you can see the results in the preview window. You can also change the zoom of the preview window to preview different parts of the image.

4. 
   First Attempt

   This was my first attempt. This was done in Mode 2 with +8 divisions. I don’t like it at all, so time to click UNDO and start over. GIMP makes this easy by allowing you to choose to render an image in a new window. Simply close the new window without saving and start over.

5. 
   Second Attempt

   The second illusion is better, but too busy for my taste. This was done with Mode 1 and plus 32 divisions.

6. 
   Final Image

   After some experimentation, I finally got one that I like. It shows off the best features of the model’s face, her eyes and lips. It gets rid of the distracting background and hides the bad lighting. This one was done at Mode 1 with -16 divisions. The applet requires a lot of experimentation, but with the right image and a little patience, you can turn a bland photograph into something interesting and possibly artistic.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to save your creation under a new file name to protect the integrity of the your image archive.
• Don’t be scared to experiment, GIMP will render your creation to a new window, so it is very easy to just close that window and start over if you don’t like the result.

Resources

• GIMP