Open Source Software for Digital ArtistsOkay, I admit I'm a GIMP evangelist - I believe that if more people knew the 'good news' about the GIMP and how well it works, they'd convert to the cause, too. Every time I hit the forum and see a "What software should I use?" post, I wax poetic about the program's virtues.
What is the GIMP?From the GIMP website: [link]
GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages.
Simply put, GIMP is the best open-source photomanipulation and digital painting program, period.
What does "open source" mean?The practical explanation: It is free. Not only is it free to download and use, it is constantly being updated, upgraded, and improved, and every upgrade is also free. AND, there are lots of people who create custom brushes, filters, add-ins, scripts, etc., and offer them free on the web. Oh, and it's easy to create your own if you don't find the perfect one out there for your need.
For more about open-source software and the open-source movement: The GNU Public License for the GIMP www.opensource.org
But isn't Adobe Photoshop the industry standard?Sure, in that it is the program most often used in the industry. If you work for a corporation that can afford to buy you a copy of Photoshop, by all means use it. But if you are a student, a hobbyist, a freelance artist, or a small business, there is no reason to pay the big bucks to Adobe when there is a program that does damn near everything Photoshop can do, for free.
The 'industry standard' isn't really about what software you use -- it's what file format you publish. GIMP can export to all of the industry standard raster file formats, including Adobe Photoshop's PSD format and the universally accepted TIFF format. It can export as web-friendly formats such as jpeg, png, and if you have to use it, gif. It can also export to a bunch of other formats I haven't even tried to mess with. And, it can open files in multiple formats -- including Adobe Photoshop, Windows bitmaps, encapsulated PostScript, Paint Shop Pro...
GIMP lets you interface with all the industry standards - both import and export - but you only need the GIMP.
Why not just pirate the software? Everyone else is doing it, and I don't care if Adobe loses money.Well, there's several reasons. One, it's unethical to steal software. It's also unethical to make money off of images you've created with illegal software.
If ethics don't faze you, how about lawsuits? [link] Adobe isn't as lawsuit-happy as UNISYS was with the LZW algorithm in gif images (and I was working for a web development company at the time that nightmare was happening), but if that fiasco taught me anything, it's that it's just not worth it. If I can use legal software to create web-standard images and still get sued, then I know that illegal software is just not worth it -- especially if there are legal alternatives that work great!
Can I color lineart, do photomanipulations, make avatars, do digital paintings, make animated icons?Yes, to all of those. And more. I've used GIMP to create website graphics, forum avatars, full-scale digital paintings, proposal sketches, photomanipulations, cleaned up old family photos, cleaned up scans of traditional artwork, made greeting cards, animated images, colored other people's lineart, made posters for theatrical productions, flyers for church, lineart for print reproduction, book covers, business cards, and even calligraphy. GIMP works with my Wacom tablet, and has pressure-sensitivity, tilt, and angle controls. It works with my scanner and my printer beautifully.
How do I get it?Go to the GIMP downloads page: [link]
And follow the directions to get the appropriate version for your OS. Most people will want the binaries, so go down to "Binaries for various platforms" and click the link for your system (GIMP has compiled binaries for UNIX, Linux, Windows, and MacOS X). There should be a link to an automated installer. You will need to install the GTK (runtime environment) first, then the GIMP. When I've installed it on Windows, it's been very easy.
Once it's installed, you're ready to play!
How can I learn how to use it?The website, [link] has enough free, easy-to-follow tutorials to get you up to speed and using GIMP in no time.
You can find more tutorials and information here:
[link] Everybody loves The GIMP
[link] GIMP User FAQ
[link] [Gimp User Group] Tutorials2
[link] GIMPTalk.com - Ultimate gimp tutorials and community forum
If you're interested in cleaning up scanned lineart, I have a tutorial here: [link]
And if you want to get started with coloring lineart or doing comic-style digital pieces, check out this PDF I put together: [link]
There is also an entire book available for free: [link] Grokking the GIMP leads you through most of the program's functions in-depth, with great examples and a lot of useful tips and tricks. This isn't like a little 20-page booklet, this is like a 400-page monster tome that you can also find in print in all the major computer stores.
I have yet to come across anything that Photoshop can do that the GIMP can't. Some of it has to be done differently, or it's called something different, but so far, everything the "industry standards" can do, so can the GIMP.
I love my GIMP!
There's also two small GIMP communities on DeviantART:
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You can read an article from Philip McClure, a professional commercial prepress designer, on why the GIMP is better then Photoshop for most home users: [link]
Devious Comments
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-- Cosira
Making fun of the powerful is Bravery, because they can make you pay for what you say. This is why Satire is the weapon of the Clever Courageous. Making fun of someone weaker than you are, that is merely Cowardice.
I don't do a lot of vector work anymore, and it seems like most people looking for software on DA are doing photomanipulation, digital painting, or coloring lineart. So this seemed like the one to start with.
I'm thinking I'll write up a whole series of mini-articles and FAQs about free and open source resources for digital artists - I've even threatened to present the info as a workshop at conventions.
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Genuine Gimp Evangelist.
...and referring to another comment above, I think this topic would be a *great* panel at a convention. I'm sure the panel slots for this year's DragonCon are full by now, but maybe next year?
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Genuine Gimp Evangelist.
I am the Queen of Kickin' Workshop Handouts.
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Genuine Gimp Evangelist.
And I was [mostly] joking about the two-weeks thing. They generally try to be nicer than that.
Still, even with its shortcomings, I love the GIMP and the philosophy behind it. If they fixed/added the following features, it'd be truly comparable to Photoshop:
*CMYK support
*Folders for Layers
*Layer Effects a la Photoshop
*More and Better Renders/Filters
*Dynamically-resizing brushes
*Re-arranged UI
(I say this being a former Photoshop person who started cold-turkey on the GIMP a few months back)
As for CMYK support, have you checked out GIMP-Print? It's a package you can download and add-on to GIMP to give it CMYK support and other assorted print options and features. I haven't used it yet, becuase I'm mostly doing stuff for digital output, but I'll need to be getting it soon, now that I'm getting more print jobs.
Native support would be better, of course, but hey, it's something, and it's open-source.
And, improvements are always being made, and I never have to pay for upgrades. That's worth a lot in my book.
As for a re-arranged UI, I felt that way too when I first started using it. But now that I've been at it for a while, I like GIMP's interface better. If I'm going to be using one tool for a while, I can make my image full-screen and work with the whole screen, and just alt-tab over to my tools or layers as needed. It really makes better use of the screen real estate IMHO -- especially working with a tablet.
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Genuine Gimp Evangelist.
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