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Golden Objects in GIMP

Page history last edited by PBworks 16 years, 10 months ago

Making objects look like gold using the GIMP

This tutorial will tech you how to take existing objets with a transparent background and making them look like gold metal in a relatively realistic manner.

 

1. You must have GIMP. Get it Head over to the gimp website if you already don't use it and download this excellent, free image editing program. (Though I expect all these steps have an equivalent in Photoshop, or other programs).

 

2. Load up a source image of the object. In this case, it is a cobra from the DOTW at dundjinni:

 

3. Duplicate the layer. Optionally desaturate the layer:

 

4. At this point you might have to adjust the layer levels to get a good bump map source, but in this case I didn't need to. It all depends on the image.

 

5. Load up an image to use as an environment map. I got a good one for gold from here:

 

6. Now launch the Filter->Render->Lighting Effects filter. You will have to adjust all the tabs. First on the environment map tab, check "Enable Environment Mapping" and select the gold image:

 

7. On the Bump Map tab check the "Enable Bump Mapping" option, and select the Background layer. Also dial the Maximum hight down. I find 0.02 and 0.01 are good for this sort of thing, but it really depends on the source image. Also play with the different curves. Here I found Sphereical gave the most realistic look:

 

8. On the Material tab check the "Metalic" option:

 

9. Back on the Options tab select "Transparent Background". Also drag the light source (the blue dot) to somewhere near the center of the image, depending on how you want the light to hit it.

 

10. Click OK:

 

11. Move the top layer to align it with the one below, so you can just use the old shadow around it. Then save the image off as a png. Done!

 

I also edited out the tongue, thinking a statue wouldn't have one...

 

Some things that might need adjusting - the original image levels. Rememebr bump maping maps from black to white as low to high, so you want raised surfaces to be lighter than dark surfaces. If the source image is not coloured this way, you might have to do some sort of remapping or gradient shifting/filling ahead of time.

 

As well, you can increase the intensity of the gold effect by duplicating the gold layer and changing the blending mode to Multiply. This is really the part that is more art than science...

 

Hope this was informative!

-Rob A>

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