Ex. 1.
Download a photo from the web. Go to www.flickr.com, then to Explore, and find the popular tags by scrolling down. Click on one of the tags and choose a photo. Click on it. Just above the image there should be a small link saying  "all sizes". Click on it, then choose the largest size that is not more 1000 pixels on either side. to get a larger size, then click on the link above the image that says "Download the ... size". This should allow you to save it in your account. Close or hide the browser and open the image with the Gimp.

Note. Do not upload this image or the result of any modification you make to it on any web site, unless you start with a photo of your own.

For an example, I will start with this image.

Blur - Overlay
Save the image in the xcf format. Adjust the colors in the original image if necessary using the brightness-contrast or the curves.

From the Layers dialog, right-click on the background layer and duplicate the layer (there is also a button you can simply click). Rename the new layer "blur". Select the new layer from the same dialog to make it active.

From the image window, the Filters menu, choose Blur, then Gaussian Blur. Increase the horizontal and vertical radius of the blur in the dialog that opens to 10, then click ok.

In the layers dialog, click on the arrow(s) next to Mode: Normal. This should open a menu. Try different options to see the effect, and then choose overlay. If the effect is too strong, reduce the opacity of the blurred layer.

Save the image (still in xcf), then save it again as a jpeg (it will require exporting), and add "_blur" to the file name. Here is the result of the operation on the image I chose.

Posterize and Page Curl
Flatten the image using the Image menu from the image window.

From the image window, click on the Colors menu and follow with Posterize. Increase the number of colors to about 6, then click ok.

From the main window click on the rectangular selection tool.  Select a small region that completely includes the bottom left corner of the image. From the Filters menu, follow on Distorts, then Page Curl. In the dialog that opens choose the direction of the curling to be Lower left.

Save the image as a png, and replace the part "blur" in the name with "poster" in the file name. Here is the result of the operation on the image I chose.

Soft Glow and Edge Detect
Open the original image again (or another fresh one if you want). Save it under yet another name, also in xcf format.

Duplicate the background layer and rename the new layer "sketch". Make sure it is the active layer.

From the Filters menu choose Edge-Detect and then Edge (any of them should work). Then invert the colors in this layer (Colors - Invert). The main outlines of the borders should be dark.

Explore the effects of the various superposition modes in the Layers dialog. For example, this image was created with a grain extract mode. When you're done experimenting, select "Darken Only". Save your work.

Select the background layer again. Apply the filter called Softglow that you can find under the Artistic category.

Select the sketch menu again. From the layers dialog reduce the opacity of this layer to about 70% (or to whatever looks good to you).

Save your work as xcf, then save it again as a jpeg image. Add the word "sketch" in the name of the jpg image. Here is the result of the operation on the image I chose.

Grain Extract
Start again with a fresh image. This part works best with a portrait. For example, I will start with this photo.

Save the image as an xcf. Duplicate the background layer, then name the new one "blur". Blur this layer with a Gaussian Blur of a radius of 10, then invert the colors in this layer.

Choose the mode for this layer as "Grain Extract". If the effect is too strong, you can decrease the opacity of the layer. Save the image (as xcf).

From the Filters menu in the image window, choose Decor, then Fuzzy Border. Increase the size of the border to about 25 (unless the image is smaller than 200 pixels on either side). Click on the Color and choose something that fits the colors in your image, then click Ok. This should create a new image.

In the Filters menu of the new image, choose Decor, then Round Corners. This operation will create a third image. Save this last one as a jpeg. Here is the result of the operation on the image I chose.

Note.
You will have to send me the 3 jpeg images and the one png image resulting from this lab for the homework (see the homework page for more instructions).