Creating flower a texture in the GIMP

  Originally published in 3DW 121

Creating a flower texture in the GIMP is easy; mix a little noise, a few gradients and some smudging, and you’re good to go Here’s how:

Open GIMPQNA_Petal_Start.xcf file from the disc or download.  Using  guides makes it easier to generate a path. Create a new layer: Layer>New and set the layer fill type to white. Add a transparent layer on top of it. Click the Path icon in the toolbox, and generate three anchor points by clicking down the middle vertical guide where the horizontal lines intersect.  Click Edit in the path tool, ensure polygonal  is unchecked,  and drag the middle anchor point to the leftmost guide. Click to activate the handles, and create a gentle curve. Select the bottom anchor point,and create a small curve, and move it to the middle vertical guide. Click Stroke Path, and set line width to 3. Duplicate the layer: SHIFT+ CTRL + D and flip it by going to Layers>Transform>Flip Horizontal. Right click the duplicated layer, and select Merge Down. You may have to paint in some areas to ensure the petal is fully closed for filling in.

Setting the gradient’s depth and supersampling to a high setting gives a smoother colour-transition

Select the outside of the petal, and invert the selection: CTRL + I. Add a new, transparent layer, and name it BaseColour. Set foreground colour to R234, G111, B10, , the background colour to, R179, G29,  B13. Click the gradient icon in the toolbox, and set Shape to Shaped Spherical, check the dithering and adaptive supersampling checkboxes, and drag both its sliders all the way to the right.Fill the selection. Add a new transparent layer and call it Noise. Fill the petal with white, and go to Filters>Noise>Spread. Set the spread to 470. Blur it: Filters>Blur>Gaussian Blur at 10. Set the layer to overlay. Repeat the previous step, and set the  Gaussian blur to 5. Create a new layer, and call it Roughed_Edges.

The Spread Noise filter breaks up an selection from the outside in

Use Motion blur to break up the evenness of the gradient

Fill the selection with Render>Clouds>Plasma with Random seed at  1036897181 and turbulendce at 7. Go to Colours>Desaturate, then  to Filters>Blur>Motion Blur at zoom, x256, y 508, and length 23. Set the layer to overlay, and it’s opacity to 75. Set the foreground colour to R132,G53, B6, and the background to a R121, G26, B12. Select the paintbrush, set it to sparkle brush and check “use Colour from Gradient”. Varying the scale, draw some lines upwards to generate shape and contrast, and set the layer to overlay.

Tip: You can use the same technique for leaves using similar greens, but use the Shaped Angular gradient, and fade the RoughedEdges layer to about 25%.

If you’re into digital vegetation, you may also like my “Working with Digital Vegetation”-article.

Download Conditions and terms of use

By downloading the file you agree to not sell, re-distribute or republish any of the content contained in the file or the tutorial. Using the content to add textures to your own (commercial) images is perfectly fine, though

Download petal-files for the GIMP here!

No exceptions without written permission. Files are copyright Cirstyn Bech-Yagher. Feel free to contact me regarding this:-)