The program I'll be using for demonstration purposes is Pixlr Editor. This is a web-based graphic editor that operates similarly to Photoshop. I've chosen this site since Photoshop isn't accessible to everyone and you'll only need the basic tools to follow along. If you have Photoshop and feel overwhelmed by the plethora of features, you may want to continue reading as I'll be covering the fundamentals in this post as both programs have similar layouts.
Installation of Adobe Flash Player is necessary for Pixlr Editor to work. You can also check out this page to see what the other browser/system requirements are.
If you've met all of the minimum requirements to run Pixlr Editor on your computer, let's get started. (Note: If you need to enlarge the screenshots, you can click on the photos and it should open a new tab.)
When you open the website, this is the first thing you should see. The options are very self-explanatory, and in this tutorial I decided to click "create a new image" to start with a blank canvas. A pop-up box will appear and you can enter whatever dimensions you want.
(For reference: one zone background is 640 (width) x 1136 (height), two zones is 1280x1136, and three zones is 1920x1136.)
You can have multiple windows opened at once. (The checkered background indicates transparency. This is what you want for creating overlays!)
To transfer an item to another window, press ctrl + A and then ctrl + C (or edit > select all > copy). Then open the window you'd like for it to be in and press ctrl + V (or edit > paste).
On the right hand side, there is a small window titled "Layers". Layers are extremely helpful for working on an individual part of an image. New layers are automatically created whenever you paste an image from one window to another. Many advanced graphics are composed of several layers and it is one of the most essential features. You can rename a layer by double-clicking on the name, which is great for staying organized.
Now, the order of your layers is extremely important. The bottom layer would be behind an object and the top layer would appear towards the front. If your layers aren't in the correct order you'd like, you can resolve this issue by selecting the layer and move it up or down to rearrange. (If you've noticed in the previous image, the "character" layer was on the top and has been moved beneath the "table" layer.)
My Episode character appeared rather gigantic compared to the table, so I adjusted the size by going to Edit > Free Transform (same thing on Photoshop). This feature can resize one object at a time, so be sure you have the correct layer highlighted! If you want to constrain proportions, hold down the shift key as you resize it. You can also use this option to freely rotate an object by hovering your cursor to the corner.
If you wish to change the size of the entire image instead, simply go to image > image size.
There are plenty of changes you can do when working with layers.
If you click "toggle layer settings", you can change the opacity and mode. Opacity affects a layer's transparency, with 0% being completely transparent and 100% being solid.
If you uncheck the box (or click on the eye icon on Photoshop), that will hide the layer. Personally, I find this to be very helpful when experimenting around with multiple images.
Brushes are a great tool that can add a nice touch to your image. I would highly recommend creating a new layer first. By creating a new layer, your brush effects will not be directly attached onto the background (or whatever your current layer is). This is a much more feasible approach as it permits more creativity and for avoiding future problems, in case you decide later on you don't want that design anymore. You may also refer to the history section to undo any mistakes you've made.
You can also change the layer blending mode (also found under "toggle layer settings" on Pixlr Editor). The layer mode affects the way in which a single layer interacts with the rest of the image. This is another great option to play around with when creating graphics.
If you've attended my live streams on Instagram before or noticed that I take pieces from several Episode backgrounds and put them together, you will know that this always requires me to cut out an item from an image.
For example, let's say I specifically want that painting to be placed in the image where my Episode character is sitting at a table. I can transfer this image over by selecting around it with the polygonal lasso tool.
In this scenario, you can also use the "marquee tool" to select the painting since the object in question has four sides. For all other cases, I would recommend using the polygonal lasso tool since you can easily draw straight lines to cut out the image you want. The other lasso option is best suited for using a freehand to select around an object.
Then, all you have to do is copy the painting and paste it into your other window.
Finally, don't forget to save your hard work as a "layered Pixlr image (PXD)" file (or PSD if you're on Photoshop). This type of file will save all of your layers, allowing you to easily rearrange and perform other changes in the future.
Other program features will be explained in further detail in subsequent posts.
I hope this post has been comprehensible and helpful in familiarizing yourself with some of the tools. Don't be intimidated by the number of options that are available and don't be afraid to experiment around with some of the settings. I've learned a lot through trial and error, and hope you will too.
Do you have a tutorial for gimp or is this gimp
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