How to do Glossy Metal 3D Text using GIMP. ~Requested by MaxBrown22~

NickiSnowflake · #1 05-02-2010, 04:18 PM

Okay so there's a tutorial for this on youtube, but here it is if you can't see it.
This was requested by Max.

Okay so~

1.) Open up GIMP. (Duh! xD)

2.) Open a new file. Make it so it's "600 x 400 pixels."

Here's a pic:

3.) Go to your "tool box" and change your background color to black.

The background square is the one that's black in the pic:

4.) Change the foreground to another color. (I'll change mine to pink!))

The foreground square is the other square:

5.) In the tool box, go to "blends."

6.) Go to "shape" and choose "radial."

Here's a pic:

7.) Now click the middle of the page and drag to one of the corners.

Like so:

Here's how it should look:

8.) Go to "layer," then "add new layer."

Here's the picture:

9.) Take the "text tool."

10.) Make sure the foreground color is set to white. Choose your font. (Mine is going to be Jellyka- Love and Passion.) Make the sized about 150-180 pixels (px).

Here's the set up:

11.) Type your text and center the box in the center.

Here's what it should look like:

12.) Right click on the text layer and choose "Alpha to Selection." This selects the text itself.

Here's a pic:

13.) Add a new layer. Go to "select," "Grow," and then change the grow selection to 10 pixels.

Here's how it should look:

14.) Select the "bucket fill tool."

Making sure the foreground color is white, fill in the text.

Here's a pic:

Here's how it should look:

15.) Add new layer. Change the background color to a medium gray.

16.) Take the blend tool and change the shape back to linear. Start from the bottom of the text and drag the line to the top. Click ctrl to make it straight.

Here's the pic:

Here's how it should look:

17.) Right click on the text layer again and click "Alpha to Selection."

18.) Go back to "New Layer #2" and go to "select" and "grow." This time, adjust the grow selection to 2 pixels.

Like so:

19.) Press the delete key located on your keyboard.

That deletes that part:

20.) Right click on the "New Layer #2" and choose "Alpha to Selection" again.

Continued on next post.

NickiSnowflake · #2 05-02-2010, 04:18 PM

Continued from first post.

21.) Add a new layer and change the foreground color to white and the background color to a darker gray. Then, using the blend tool again, start from the top and work your way down.

Like so:

Here's how it should look:

22.) Go to "select" and "shrink." The default is 1 pixel. Click okay and then press your delete key.

Here's a pic:

Here's how it'll look so far:

23.) Go to "select" and then "none." Then, on "New Layer #3," lower the opacity to 60%.

Here's how it should look:

24.) Duplicate "New Layer #1" twice. Select the chain option for "New Layer #1" and "New Layer #4."

Here's what I mean:

25.) Select the "move tool"

and change the selection to "move the active layer." While on the "New Layer #4" layer, click on the image and use the down arrow on your keyboard to move the two layers down about 10-12 pixels.

Here's the "move active layer" pic:

Here's what moving down the layers should result in:

26.) Uncheck the two chain links.

27.) Make sure "New Layer #1" is selected. Go to "Filters," "Blur," and then "Gaussin Blur."

Like so:

28.) Change the blur radius to 10 pixels.

Like so:

29.) Now use the "move tool" to move that layer down about 5 pixels. Then lower th opacity to about 80%.

Here's how it'll look:

30.) Take the "text layer" and move it above the three black layers.

Like so:

31.) Now, using the moving tool again, move the "text layer" down about 3 pixels.

It should look like this:

32.) Add a new layer to the top of the list of layers.

33.) Right click on "New Layer #2" and click "Alpha to Selection."

34.) Go back to "New Layer #6." Select the "Rectange Select Tool" and change the setting to "Interesect with the Current Selection."

Located here:

35.) Draw a rectangle around a little less than the top half of your text. Then click inside to finalize the selection.

Like so before you click inside:

36.) Making sure the foreground is still white, go back to the "blend tool." Change the gradient to "FG to Transparent." Then just drag the line up to the top.

Like so: