Hi, today I’m gonna share about how to create realistic glass effect. But before that, let me begin with this, I’m using GIMP, GIMP is an image manipulation freeware, you can download it at, http://www.gimp.org/downloads/ So, the end result look like this,
Or this,
The background don’t have to be green. So, let’s begin with a blank template. Next, duplicate the blank template. Then, go to the top tool bar, Layer > New Layer > Transparency Then click ‘OK’. Here’s a more detailed illustration,
This is the new transparency layer, make sure it’s at the top.
After duplicating the blank template, you get the ‘Background copy’ layer.
Click here to duplicate selected layer.
Select the transparent layer, put in any shape or text you want. Use this if you want to draw shapes. Hint: you can draw rounded edges square, at the top toolbar: Select > Rounded Rectangle Bucket Fill tool, to fill in color.
Text tool, to write any words.
I choose the text tool as follow,
Choose text color.
So, I write the word ‘Glass’. Then, duplicate this layer.
The ‘Eye’
As you can see, you ended up with 2 image layers and 2 background layers. I name it: layer 2 layer 1 background 1 background 2
For layer 2 (select layer 2), fill in color as follow:
Color: brown Html notation: 846a4f
For layer 1 (select layer 1), fill in color as follow:
Color: white
For background 1 (select background 1), fill in color as follow:
Color: grey Html notation: 818181
For background 2 ( select background 2), fill in black color. Select layer 1. Go to: Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur Set the blur Radius at 5. You will get something like this,
Now click on the ‘Eye’ of layer 1 to shut the eye. Then select layer 2.
Then, go to:
Put layer 1
Filters > Map > Bumpmap
Set depth at any value from 12 to 17. Depending on how ‘Bumpy’ you want it to look. Then click ‘OK’. Right click layer 2, select: ‘Alpha to Selection’.
Then, go to the top toolbar: Select > Shrink Set pixels: 3 Then go to the top toolbar: Select > Feather Set pixels: 2000
Next, go to the top toolbar: Colors > Curves Set ‘Channel:’ to ‘Alpha’.
Move the line like this.
Then click ‘OK’.
You should get something like this,
Then, duplicate this layer, name it ‘layer 3’. Click on the ‘Eye’ of layer 3 to shut it. Select layer 2 again.
Then press: Ctrl Shift A
to remove the alpha to selection.
Caution: Be careful when pressing ‘Ctrl Shift’, it might change your keyboard keys, if that happens, just press ‘Ctrl Shift’ again. Then, at the top toolbar: Edit > Clear This will clear the inside brown color to give you a clear inside, you should get something like this,
Then, go to the top toolbar: Colors > Color Balance Select ‘Shadows’.
Set the ‘Red’ at: -29 Then click ‘OK’.
You should get something like this,
Then, at the top toolbar: Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur Set blur Radius: 12 You should get something like this,
Next, shut the ‘Eye’ of layer 2. Open the ‘Eye’ of layer 3. Select layer 3.
Go to the top toolbar: Colors > Invert Then you should get something like this,
Then, Open the ‘Eye’ of layer 2, Select layer 2,
Choose the ‘Selection’ tool at the right side tool box, below the toolbox, select ‘Move the active layer’.
‘Selection’ tool, click this, then click on template to move selected layer.
Choose ‘Move the active layer’ so the other layers won’t get affected. Then, click on the template and drag, ‘layer 2’ will move. Place it where you deem suitable to be the ‘shadow’.
Like this,
‘Background 1’ is the background color. If you want the background to be other colors, at the ‘Layers’ toolbox at the right side, just select ‘Background 1’.
Then use the ‘Bucket Fill’ tool to fill in any color you like.
So, how do you change the color of your glass? Just select ‘layer 3’. At the top toolbar, Colors > Color Balance Then play around with the bars, I will not go into that here☺
Acknowledgement: This tip is done by referring to: the tutorial by Ron Scott, http://gug.criticalhit.dk/tutorials/ronq2/