GIMP is a free photo manipulation program most similar to Photoshop that allows you the freedom to create any photo composition you want. It has evolved over the years (especially in 2020) to become a powerful piece of software for creating digital art or for retouching old and new photos. In this list, I cover my 20 favorite GIMP photo manipulation tutorials from the Davies Media Design YouTube channel from 2020.
1. Create a Drip Portrait Effect in GIMP
The first tutorial on this list shows you how to remove the background from a portrait photo and create a drip effect. I also show you how to design an eye-catching background and add some additional effects to your photo.
2. Create a Double Exposure Effect in GIMP 2020
A popular photo manipulation composition is the double exposure effect. This effect emulates the traditional photography technique of exposing two photos together to create a blended result. I show you how to accomplish this technique using GIMP – blending a mountain photo with a portrait photo.
3. Turn Any Photo Into a Cartoon in GIMP
The next GIMP photo manipulation tutorial on this list takes a portrait photo and transforms it into a cartoon. I show you how to add cartoon effects, add an outline around your subject, and add a comic book style background (using one of my favorite filters).
4. Quick and Easy Color Match Technique in GIMP (Photo Compositing)
Photo compositing is when you take an object or person from one photo and blend it into another to make it look like that object or person belongs in the photo. I show you a simple color matching technique for achieving realistic photo composites using GIMP.
5. Trendy Line Art Photo Trace and Masking
In this video tutorial, I go over how to use a photo and some photo manipulation techniques to produce a trendy line art effect. I use a Wacom tablet to trace the original image, then mask out areas of the image to make it look like a brush stroke is revealing a sketched character.
6. Turn Day Photos Into Night Photos with GIMP
There’s a concept called “day by night” in film making that takes footage shot in the daytime and converts it into something that looks like it was shot at night. This technique is useful because it allows you to capture all the details of a well-lit subject while also conveying the thematic elements of a nighttime backdrop. In this tutorial, I show you how to produce that day by night effect using GIMP’s photo manipulation tools.
7. How to Outline a Photo Easily in GIMP
Creating a thumbnail for your YouTube channel or another video? This tutorial shows you how to add an outline around subjects in your photos – a common design element used in video thumbnails to help catch the viewer’s eye.
8. Change Your House Color in GIMP
Before you buy a bunch of paint from your local hardware store and realize you hate the color, you can use this photo manipulation technique in GIMP 2.10 to try out different colors around the exterior of your house. This tutorial was requested by a subscriber in the real estate business.
9. 5 Ways to Remove Anything from a Photo in GIMP
Want to learn how to remove subjects or objects from any photo? This GIMP 2.10 tutorial shows my 5 favorite ways of removing anything from a photo in GIMP.
10. 5 Step Next-Level Skin Retouching in GIMP
If your subject has acne or any other blemishes, wrinkles, imperfections, etc. they’d like you to remove (or that you want to remove for any reason), this tutorials shows a 5-step process for achieving clearer skin that glows without looking overly processed.
11. GIMP Quick Mask In-Depth Tutorials
Layers and layer masks open up a whole new world in GIMP when it comes to photo manipulation. There is also a feature in GIMP called the Quick Mask, which makes it quick and easy to select areas of your image for masking or other purposes. I provided an in-depth look at the Quick Mask tool in GIMP and show you how to use it to select a subject in a photo.
12. Design a Monochrome Collage That Pops in GIMP
In this GIMP tutorial, I show you how to create a monochromatic poster design using one main color (purple) and a subtle accent color (yellow). This tutorial covers how to remove an image background, combine multiple photos together, add graphical elements, and have your subject interact with those elements.
13. GIMP vs. Photoshop: 90 Second Background Removal Ultimate Challenge
Time to have a little fun with Photoshop and GIMP! Both programs have smart tools for removing the background of your subjects. How do these tools stack up to one another? Well, I put them to the test in this 90 second background removal challenge featuring Photoshop CC 2020 and GIMP 2.10.
14. How to Create a Neon Glow Effect in GIMP (Photo Manipulation)
In this next tutorial I show you how to add a glowing neon object that wraps around a subject’s face. I show you how to make the object glow, and have that glow interact with your model.
15. Add Graphics to Complex Perspectives in GIMP
This tutorial covers how to take a graphic (like a complex pattern) and make it appear as though it is painted on a surface, even if that surface has a complex perspective.
16. GIMP Heal Tool Tutorial
The heal tool is a popular tool for photo manipulation because it allows you to spot heal areas of an image while also removing larger areas without producing a seam. That’s why this tool is nicknamed the “seamless clone tool.” I provide an in-depth look at this tool and how to use it for your photo manipulation compositions.
17. How to Erase Your Ex From a Photo Using GIMP
You though he (or she) was the one. And then you went your separate ways. Now you’d like to erase that person from your memory. The best way to do that? Erase them from your photos! This GIMP photo manipulation tutorial shows you how to remove an ex (or really any person) from your digital photos.
18. How to Animate a Still Photo with GIMP
This tutorial shows you how to animate any still photo using a filter from the free G’MIC QT plugin. The results are amazing!
19. How to Create a Bokeh Effect in GIMP | GIMP Lighting Effects Tutorial
Ever notice how all the top Instagram stars have awesome lighting in their photos? This is partly because they use what’s called a “Bokeh” effect to add some depth-of-field to their lighting while also giving their photos more character. I show you how to produce this bokeh effect using free and built-in filters in GIMP.
20. How to Colorize Black and White Photos with GIMP
Have an old black and white photo that you’d like to colorize? This tutorial shows a great technique for adding realistic colors to desaturated photos.
That’s it for this list of my favorite GIMP photo manipulation tutorials from 2020! If you’d like to view any of my tutorials, check out the GIMP tutorials page on my website. You can also learn everything you need to know about GIMP via any of my GIMP courses or classes, or get access to exclusive premium content by becoming a DMD Premium Member.
