In this class you'll learn how to use the free digital photo editing program, GIMP, to add color to black and white line drawings. The class was designed for tweens and teens, but children as young as six have also participated.

1. Digital Coloring Books
Colorizing Images with GIMP 2.0

2. Add life to black and
white images by
adding color with
GIMP 2.0

3. What is GIMP 2.8?
GNU
Image
Manipulation
Program
GIMP 2.8 is an open source (free) image editing
program, similar to Photoshop.

4. Step 1: Open GIMP

5. Work Area and
Menus
The most important
part of GIMP where
you actually draw
and paint.
There are many
menus and options.

6. Layers and Brushes
Layers let you
organize how you
color and edit.
Brushes are one
way to color. You
can have many
shapes for a brush.

7. The Toolbox
There are many different
tools that you can use to
edit your image.
Each tool has its own
options.

8. Today’s Tools
Brush Paint Bucket Fuzzy Select
Color Select Add Text Gradients

9. Foreground & Background Tool
The two squares are where you
can “save” two colors to use.
You have as
many colors as
you want to
choose!

10. 1. Getting your image
1. Go to Google Chrome
3. Click the down arrow
If asked, save to Desktop
2. http://bit.ly/dllflowers

11. 2. Opening your image
In GIMP:
1. File  Open  Flowers.jpg
2. Select the file
3. Click Open

12. 2. Opening your image
In GIMP:
1. File  Open  Flowers.jpg
2. Select the file
3. Click Open

13. 3. Cleaning Up the Image
Even if the image looks nice and clean, it’s actually
full of tiny grey spots that will mess up your
coloring.
Two ways to get rid of them:
1. Increase Contrast (a lot)
2. Adjust Color Curves

14. Cleaning with Contrast
This way gets rid of
the grey, but makes
the image really
jagged.
NOT Recommended when there’s lots of grey –
if there’s shading already done.

15. Cleaning with Color Curves
A better way to
clean, but also
harder.
You want the curve
to look like an “S”
There’ll probably still
be some grey, don’t
worry.

16. 4. Copy the “original image”
1. Go to the Layers Window
2. Click on Flowers.jpg
3. Click on the Duplicate Button
This will make a copy of the flowers image. We’ll
keep the original in case we need it.

17. 5. Getting the lines alone
1. Select the copy “Flowers”
2. Click the Color Select Tool
3. Click on the WHITE background
4. Select  Invert
You’ve selected the black

18. 5. Getting the lines alone
5. Create a New Layer
6. Name it “White”
  Repeat 5 + 6
7. Select “White” for
the type.
8. Name it “Lines” + Type is “Transparent”

19. 5. Getting the lines alone
9. Select the “Lines” layer
10. Click on the Pain Bucket
11. Click inside the lines

20. 5. Getting the lines alone
Congratulations!
You’ve now got the
lines all on their own.

21. Adding Color:
Method 1
Using the fuzzy select +
paint bucket

22. 6. Adding color
1. Click on Fuzzy Select
2. Click on “Lines” layer
TIP: You can select more by holding [Shift] as you
click. Holding [Alt]takes away a selection.
3. Click where you want
to color

23. 6. Adding color
5. Click where you want
to add the color.
TIP: You can select more by holding [Shift] as you
click. Holding [Alt]takes away a selection.
4. Click on the Paint bucket
6. Repeat 1-5 to add
more colors.

24. Why use Method 1?
It’s FAST
It’s EASY
It’s WORKS
Why NOT use Method 1?
Depend on the fuzzy select
Hard to add special effect colors
Hard to add special effect colors

25. Adding Color:
Method 2
Adding color to greyscale images
using layer modes

26. When getting lines alone doesn’t work
Getting only black lines can be hard when you work
with an image with many greys.

27. Almost the same as Method 1
1. Make a copy of the
original image.
2. Change the layer’s
mode to Multiply
Multiply will let the colors
fill in the white but leave
the blacks and greys.
3. Move the Multiply layer to the
top; leave original on bottom

28. Adding Color:
Method 3
Using Color Masks
(Advanced)

29. 6. Adding color: Layer Groups
We’re going to put all our
colors in a group.
1. Click on “White”
2. Click on Folder to
create a new group.
3. Select new group and create a new layer

30. 7. Layer Masks
Masks let you overlap colors and backgrounds.
1. Right-click on your color
layer. I chose “Green”
2. Click  Add Layer Mask
3. Select “White”
4. Click “Add”

31. 7. Layer Masks: Add color
5. Click on the left box
6. Select  All (ctrl+a)
7. Paint bucket
8. Foreground 
Choose a Green
You should have black lines on green

32. 7. Layer Masks: Add mask color
7. Important: Make
the mask black

33. 7. Layer Masks
9. You can copy
(“Duplicate”) the
whole layer to make
it easier to add
more colors.
Don’t forget the
Duplicate Button

34. 8. The Color Appears
6. Click Paint Bucket
7. Pick WHITE as a color
5. Make sure the BLACK
mask is selected
8. Click (Fill) on the spot
you want to color
Repeat steps to add more colors

35. 8. Fixing spots with brush
1. Click on Brush
2. Select color layer
you want to fix
3. Draw with WHITE
as your brush’s color
(important)
Some white dots are left
over from the fuzzy
selection.
As you draw you’re
lifting the mask and
showing the color.

36. 9. Color Effects: Gradient
You can color with more than just solid colors.
Gradient
Using gradients
instead of colors
can make some
crazy effects.

37. Other Things:
Backgrounds & Text

38. 10. Add a background
Once you color your flowers, you can add a
background to make it more interesting.
http://bit.ly/dllgrass1
1. Copy the image (right-click
 copy)
2. Edit  Past as 
New Layer
3. Resize the background

39. 10. Add a background
1. Click the Scale tool
2. Click on the image
3. Pull it to fill the work area
(canvas)
4. Click “Scale” to set the
new size of the image.
5. Move new layer down

40. 10. Add text
1. Click the Text tool
3. Write your message
4. Select text to change
text size and color
2. Click where you want to
put your text.

41. Time to
practice!
Content was developed and produced by Rino
A. Landa
May 2014

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Originally created by Rino A. Landa,
May 2014