Life Behind A Lens

This How To is for the GIMP image manipulation software (Version 2.6 used) and shows how to quickly and effectively colour parts of an image to produce an effect like:

• Open your desired image in GIMP.
• Press Ctrl+D to duplicate the image. GIMP will name this ‘untitled’
• In the drop down box at the top of the layers, channels, paths toolbox (to the right of your image window by default), make sure that you have your original image selected.
• Right click the background layer and select New Layer. A new selection window will appear.
• Name the layer B&W and ensure that the fill type is selected as Transparent. Click OK
• Select your duplicated image and convert it to greyscale, using whatever methods and techniques that you normally would.
• Press Ctrl+A (select all) and then Ctrl+C (copy).
• Return to your original image and press Ctrl+V (paste) Note: You can close the ‘untitled’ image now as you have finished with it.
• You will see that your original image has now become greyscale and that in the layers, channels, paths box there is now a Floating selection (pasted layer).
• Right click on the floating selection layer and choose Anchor Layer
• Right click on your B&W layer and choose Add Layer Mask
• Select the paintbrush tool from the Toolbox area (to the left of the image window by default).
• Ensure that black is the foreground colour above the tool options area.
• Paint over the areas of the image that you want to be coloured. Make use of the different brush sizes and zoom in on the image as you desire to ensure that you accurately get close to the edges of the area you want to be in colour.
• You can paint the image back to greyscale by making white the foreground colour (or you can use GIMP’s excellent undo history facility (Edit->Undo History).

Have fun with that colouring! :-D