How to Make Lightning in GIMP
The GNU Image Manipulation Program, or GIMP, is a piece of free software that you can use to manipulate photographs and images, with many of the same tools and features found in expensive programs like Photoshop. While the program may excel at editing images, you can also use the program's tools to create certain images. The process for making a lightning bolt may not be intuitive, but it just takes a few simple steps to create the image.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Open the GIMP program. Click "File" and choose "New" to create a new image. Choose the size of your image and click "OK." A white sheet will appear in the main work area.
-
2
Select the "Paintbrush" tool from the toolbox and select the black box in the middle of the toolbox to make the paintbrush create black lines. Click and drag the mouse to draw a jagged line down the middle of the sheet. The select the largest brush possible from the bottom of the toolbox and fill in the area on one side of the line with black.
-
-
3
Click the "Filter" menu. Move your mouse over "Blur" and select "Gaussian Blur." Select the "Horizontal" box and type in "95." The vertical box will automatically change as well. Click "OK" to continue. The line down the middle of the image will blur significantly.
-
4
Click the "Filters" menu again. Move your mouse over "Render" and then "Clouds." Select "Difference Clouds" from the last pop-up menu to open up a small window. Select the "Detail" box and enter "15." Select the box next to "X size" and enter in "10." Enter the same number into the "Y size" box and click "OK."
-
5
Click the "Colors" menu at the top of the screen. Choose "Invert" from the list of options.
-
6
Click the "Colors" menu again and choose "Levels." Select the leftmost box, which is labeled "Pick Black Point" when you mouse over it, under the large image in the middle of the "Levels" window. Enter "239" into the box. Ensure the box to the right of that one reads "1.00" and the rightmost box reads "255." Click "OK" and your image will look very much like white lightning.
-
7
Click the "Colors" menu and choose "Colorize." Move the slider next to "Hue" back and forth to change the color of the lightning to your desired result. Click "OK" when you are done creating the lightning.
-
1
