GIMP MINITASKS

BLURRED BACKGROUND (FREE SELECT / BLUR / AIRBRUSH / LAYER WORK)

You will first cutout a person in an image using the Free Select tool and deleting the pixels.

REQUIRED TOOLS

• Free Select tool (no dragging, just clicking to make straight lines)
• Blur (Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur)
• Airbrush tool

INSTRUCTIONS

• Find a photo with the entire body of a person.
• Duplicate the layer to keep a copy of the original image. (Layer > Duplicate)
• On the top layer, using the Free Select tool, select pixels around the body deleting them from time to time. This will take 15 to 20 minutes if you want to do a good job.
• I like using a temporary layer filled with a colour that is very different from the image. Above, I used a blue layer. This allows me to critique my cutout.
• Again, duplicate the original layer. On the new layer, apply a blur effect. Place this blurred layer behind your cutout. You should have a result similar to image 3.
• To get the glow effect, you can simply create a new layer and paint some white where the cutout is located. Then blur that layer. Place that layer between your cutout and your blurred background.