Gimp Beginner – Straight Line, Circle

ByCecine Bunn

Gimp Beginner – Straight Line, Circle

This tutorial shows you how you can create straight lines and circles with GIMP (Gimp – Open source image retouching and editing tool.). A straight line can be drawn using the Shift key, instead of relying on the imprecision of the mouse. A perfect circle can be drawn by setting the aspect ratio of an ellipse.

Let’s start by creating a new file. Open up Gimp, A window titled GNU Manipulation Program as seen below should pop up.

GimpGnuManipulationProgram Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

GIMP – GNU Manipulation Program

In the upper left hand corner click on File then New… The following window appears.

GimpCreateNewImage Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

GIMP – Create New image

Let Us Begin With The Straight Line

Leave the settings at 640×480 pixels since that should be all we need for this tutorial, if you plan on making something higher resolution or of different dimensions you can adjust these settings. Click OK and you will have your work space.To draw a straight line click on the pencil Icon in the toolbox, place the pointer over the white surface and place a dot where desired.

GimpToolboxToolOptionsPencil Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

GIMP – Toolbox Tool Options Pencil

 

GimpWorkspacePencil Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

Gimp – Workspace Pencil

After placing the dot move your cursor to the desired end point, hold shift and click to place a line.

GimpWorkspaceDrawLine Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

GIMP – Workspace Draw Straight Line

The thickness and other effects for line creation are adjusted in the Tool Options” pane on the left hand side in the tool box. See how adjusting the thickness to seven made a thinner line?

GimpToolboxToolOptionsPencil Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

GIMP – Toolbox Tool Options Pencil

 

GimpWorkspaceLineThickness Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

Gimp – Workspace Line Thickness

The Circle Is Just As Easy

Now to create a perfect circle! Change to the ellipse select tool in the toolbox, instead of the pencil, otherwise you will draw another line. To make it a perfect circle, in the tool options part of the toolbox you’ll want to check fixed aspect ratio.

GimpToolboxToolOptionsEllipse Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

GIMP – Toolbox Tool Options Ellipse

GimpToolboxToolOptionsEllipseCircle Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

GIMP – Toolbox Tool Options Circle

Click and drag in the drawing area until you create a circle of the desired size, and then release the mouse button.

GimpWorkspaceDrawCircle Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

GIMP – Workspace Draw Circle

A moving dotted line, marking your circle, tells you that you created the circle correctly. Leave the circle selected and go up to the top row and choose Select, then choose Selection Editor, this will fill the circle with color.

GimpWorkspaceFillCircle Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

GIMP – Workspace Fill Circle

After opening the selection editor you’ll want to select the paintbrush in the lower right hand corner.

GimpWorkspaceFillCirclePaintBrush Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

GIMP – Workspace Fill Circle Paint Brush

After opening the choose stroke style window you may adjust the settings which will adjust thickness, color, style and other more advanced options. Click stroke to draw your circle.

GimpWorkspacePaintBrushStrokeStyle Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

GIMP – Workspace Paint Brush Stroke Style

Exit out of the selection editor and click outside of your circle to deselect it, and you have your circle!

GimpWorkspacePaintBrushStrokeStyleCircle Gimp Beginner - Straight Line, Circle

GIMP – Workspace Paint Brush Stroke Style Circle

A straight line, a circle, hey no problem and you thought this was going to be as painful as going to the dentist.

About the author

Cecine Bunn author

I'm working on an associates degree in business administration, then plan on transferring to UNM to the Anderson school of business to pursue a 4 year degree in marketing.