[Gimp-user] How is this text effect done?

[cgaik <forums gimpusers com>]

> There is no "ready made" way to create such an effect in GIMP.
> The texture lines are more easily created with a specialized animated
> brush -
> in which the main image in each frame is a thin, irregular line - and
> save it
> to use "random" cells.
>
> Or you can just try to pick a tablet (of the type used to draw, not an
> iPad),
> use a simple circular brush with the basic dynamics and draw the lines
> just
> like you'd do with a "real world" ballpoint pen.
>
> I've got the GIMP brush and the dynamic - they are available here,
> along with my painting test:
>
> http://va.mu/eIYq
> http://va.mu/eIYw
> http://va.mu/eIYx
>
> (consider these resources free to use, hack and share under CC 3.0
> Attribution Required)
>
>
> You can then fine tune a painting dynamics on GIMP to allow the angle
> of the stroke to vary just a little
> bit in each stroke -- you  will paint that in a background layer,
> above which you should
> place an opaque layer, with a mask containing your target text in
> black (so that the
> text area is a 'window' to the texture layer below)
>
> That was the "difficult" part.  But the whole thing involves a lot of
> steps, so let me list it more or less step by step:
>
> Create New image
> Type in your base text, in the font and size you will like - the
> distortion will come later
> convert your text to a mask:
>    right click on the text layer on the layer dialog
>    layer to image size
>    right click again, and add layer mask:
>          pick "transfer layer alpha channel" and check the "invert
> mask"  option
>    click on the main text layer thumbnail on the dialog to select it
> again (instead of the mask)
>    fill it with your desired color (e.g. white)
> Now, selecting the background layer as your active layer, and leaving
> the text layer visible, start painting, with these configurations:
>    select the above mentioned brush and painting dynamics, with the
> Paintbrush tool
>    set the "Angle" parameter to your desired base angle (+/-15º)
> set the "Size" I found the size of +/- 70px to work fine with this
> brush
>    set "apply jitter", and it intensity to about 0.4
>
> Now you have your texture - to get your distortion:
>    create a new layer, name it "distortion map"
>    rescale the layer to 6,25% (Layer->Scale Layer)
>    apply filters->noise->Hurl, default settings are good.
>    scale layer back to the image size (cubic transform)
>    optional: you may want to enhance contrast on this mapping layer -
> I use colors->curves
>    make the mapping layer invisible
>    select the layer mask of the text layer
>    filters->map->displace; pick your mapping layer as... map, I've
> set displacement to 7px
>
> And finally to get you the text outline:
>    with the text layer mask selected, make a selection using the
> "Select by Color tool"
>    create a new, transparent layer
>    edit->stroke selection - if solid line does not look good, use a
> round brush with some jitter,
>        or finetune the painting dynamics until you suit yourself.
> No. :-)


Thanks! This work really well!

-- 
cgaik (via www.gimpusers.com/forums)