Creating Cartoons in Gimp.

As a cartoonist, the most useful tool in my studio (and most used) is my computer. Because I draw four features for DBR Media, I rely on my computer to streamline some of the tasks in creating my cartoons. And because of the problems I've run into with Windows (crashes, viruses, etc.), I moved to Linux.

And I was wonderfully surprised to find so many graphics software applications available for free.

The "top-shelf" graphics app in Linux is The Gimp image editor. Gimp is a PhotoShop clone of sorts. Gimp works like Photoshop, feels like PhotoShop and even opens PhotoShop .psd files.

With Gimp, you work in layers just like PhotoShop (check out the above screen shot of my feature Word Pile). In fact, you can do everything in Gimp that you can do in PhotoShop, PaintShop Pro, PhotoImpact and other image editors. You can can add color, cut, paste, clone, crop, move elements, create mattes, select areas, add filter effects,etc. It's all there! And the cost is...FREE.

(I like Gimp a lot. It's worth re-visiting.:) I've blogged about it before here and here.)

When parents ask me what kind of computer or graphics program they should give their children, I tell them to get a Linux system. All the tools a young budding artist needs are already installed. And this software is incredibly powerful. Best of all, the cost is much more affordable than a Windows system and certainly thousands less than a Mac.

Linux is perfect for the family budget. Plus, the system is secure and immune from Windows viruses.

If your child is showing signs of digital creativity, get him or her a Linux system. Linux is fast, powerful, packed with creative digital tools, and wonderfully affordable.

I use Linux to create my cartoons. You can, too.

Check out the new banner!

I created a new banner for my blog. That's my character George on the right. He stars in a comic strip I draw for DBR Media. And it's called, George.

Anyhow, I used the Gimp to create the banner. Just ike PhotoShop, I used layers in Gimp to create each element and then combined them all into a single image.

The most bottom layer was the crimson background. New layers were created for white text. I also resized the text in each layer to fill the area a bit. I then did the drawing of George at the computer. I scanned this in using Xsane and then added color using Gimp.

I pasted this "George" layer on top of the crimson background. I then created a new layer behind George. Using Gimp's brush menu, I created a brush with a soft edge. I then painted in white on this new layer, highlighting behind and around the character so the black outline would stand out a bit on the crimson background. I then dialed down the opacity of this "highlight" layer so it would soften and blend in a bit. I cropped, resized and saved as a Jpeg.

All of this was done in Gimp running Linux.

So, do you still want to buy that $600.00 copy of PhotoShop?

Photoshop, $600.00. Gimp, Free!

One of the great things about running Linux is the thousands of free software applications available. Some are already available to you when you first install Linux. Others are available to you (from a disto's repository) with the simple click of a mouse.

One of the best Linux software applications is The Gimp. (Gimp stands for "GNU Image Manipulation Program").

A history of The Gimp can be found at Wikipedia.

The Gimp has all the features and power that Photoshop has and touts. The gimp suports layers and channels, allows photo-retouching, does digital image retouching, has hundreds of plug-ins available giving the user the ability to create any number of effects, sup0pots many popular file formats, lusmuch much more. The Gimp also opens Photoshop (.psd) files.

So why pay hundreds of dollars for PhotoShop?


Well, this is one of the really big reasons why I've moved to Linux. I can run a terrific program like the Gimp for free. I have all the power and ease of use of PhotoShop without the expensive price tag. In this screenshot (above), you can see how I use The Gimp to add color to my cartoon feature Double Take. (click on the image to see a larger view) I do all the digital editing in Gimp. I add text, draw on the screen digitally, rotate, morph, resize, and change the image. I can cut, paste, add effects, paint, import, export, etc. I do it all with the Gimp! No need for PhotoShop. The Gimp is the perfect program for professionals and beginners alike! I highly recommend any family or school needing a computer system to simply get Linux. All the tools a child or student would need for expressing his/her creativity are already bundled! They are easy to use, free, and allow students (and anyone) to explore digital creativity to their heart's content in a stable and secure computing environment. I use Gimp. It's one of the best digital imaging programs around! And the price cannot be beat!

UPDATE -- I was reminded by Freespire forum member Thorpe that GimpShop is also available. GimpShop is Gimp, but with a more familiar PhotoShop interface.

Check your Linux distribution's repository to see if it offers GimpShop along with Gimp.

Careful, though, my pal Elinux (at the same forum) says that Gimpshop may not be in active development. The package he checked was built on some pretty old libs.