Sun Ray Effect

Average: 4.1 (112 votes)
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Although this is a very simple straight forward effect i though it would be good for people getting familiar with gimp to try something not too hard. I call this effect "sun Ray" its pretty common with so called web 2.0 websites these days.

I'm using Gimp 2.4 so i would advise downloading so there isn't any different.

Step 1

Open a new image at 400x400 and in the new image dialog under the advance section select Transparent fill.

Step 2

Now will want to activate the GRID by going to Veiw> Show Grid or pressing CTRL+SHIT+T, will also need the "Snap to Grid" feature active, go to Veiw>Snap to Grid.

Step 3

Now with the path tool will draw our first ray pay attention to where i drew my ray using the grid points.

Remember when drawing your path be sure to have it on "design" mode and to close it you must have it on Edit mode or hold down CTRL.

Once you have drawn your path in the path dialog click on "Selection from Path"

Step 4

Create a new layer and name it "1"

Step 5

Change the foreground colour to white,select the "Blend tool" or press L and in the the Gradient dialog select the "FG to Transparent" Gradient.

Step 6

Now apply the Gradient from bottom to top as shown in the image below.

Step 7

now you can de-select the Ray by going to Select>None or Shift+CTRL+A.

Step 8

now move the it to the center of the grid, it as shown in the image.

Now what will do is basically duplicated the layer again and again to complete a full circle

Step 9

Duplicate the Ray and name the layer "5".

Step 10

Now select the Rotate tool or Shift+R, now rotate the ray either by dragging to approximately the position i have mine at or use the rotate dialog to enter 83 for angle and Centre both X and Y at 192.

Step 11

Using this same technique create 13 more rays and use the grid to position them with equal space between each ray. just remember having make sure you adjust the centre point to 192.

This is just an example of how these neat sun ray effects can add a nice cool look to a design like a header, wallpaper, background ect. all i did was use a simple two colour light toned gradient named "Web 2.0 Wax Dark " that can be found in the 30 ultimate web 2.0 pack here on this site, adjusted the whole ray opacity to 50 and added a pre made speech bubble in the middle and that's it :)

Just one more last note i noticed alot of the other tutorials comments are asking for help i would advise everyone to use the help forum section for that.

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Naki's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

Cool and easy to do effect, thanks! ^^

El Llama's picture

Great

 Lovin' it man! 

ellamasblog.blogspot.com

El Llama

elysia05's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

thanks for posting! Ill try to do it!

Visitor's picture

Very Usefull

Ohh thanks a lot, this tutorial is very usefull.

Siddharth's picture

thx

Really nice tutorial

Visitor's picture

duplicate

how do i duplicate it?

 

Gimper's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

select the layer from the layer dialog then in to image menu you will see "Duplicate" as the first option. you can also just press CTRL+D

Visitor's picture

Wow

Great! I got it ...Thanks sooo much really.

Visitor's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

i dont get the blending part

Visitor's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

the "Blend tool" is on your left toolbox.

Visitor's picture

Help.

I downloaded your pack of graidents - Thanks btw - How do you get them in the signature with it not going over the sunray affect i made? Thanks.

Gimper's picture

Re: Help.

create a new layer and place it in the background so its before the sunray effect, you can move it from the Layout dialog

No0B's picture

Awesome!!!

Cool idea! Very cool effect... bring more like this!

Noi's picture

WTF?!

Lol, step 3 states:
"CTRL+ *SHIT* +T"

Im not sure If they have that in My version of gimp...

Other than that, nice tutorial!

Visitor's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

Wow, that's really cool!

Visitor's picture

Hello, Please can you help

Hello,

Please can you help with a download problem.

I've followed the instructions but when I open GIMP the gradients aren't there and when I click on refresh on the gradients tab I geta message: Failed to load data: Could not open 'C:\documents........\30_web20_Gimp' for reading:Permission denied".

Thank you.

Gimper's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

you need to place the .ggr files directly inside the root/main gradient folder and not in a sub folder like you have now.

Visitor's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

Thank you for the quick reply.

I've been trying to sort this out for ages but I'm still not sure what to do.

I can't seem to get access to the gradients (I've looked at the download page too and tried in vain to follow the directions there).

Please can you help any further.

Once again many thanks.

Visitor's picture

Done it! Managed to get a

Done it!

Managed to get a dummies guide on You Tube.

Thanks again.

Gimper's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

glad you got it sorted out :)

Visitor's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

i get stuck on step 5 where it says create a new player
i maybe thought it meant new layer
but then even when i do that it doesn't let me fill it with white
:S

Gimper's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

yes its layer.. i've fixed it. make sure your selection is as in step 7 and that you have the layer selected from the layer tab.

TakaiKami's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

How do you get on "design" mode, I have no idea where to go to get it.

Gimper's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

its in your Tools option tab/dialogue. and you must have your the path tool selected for the options to show up.

TakaiKami's picture

O.K. got it. But then i save

O.K. got it.
But then i save it, it doesn't save it rendered.
D; any help you be nice

Visitor's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

really helpfull, thanks

Visitor23's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

i had trouble closing the path. i had it in edit mode but i ddint know how to close it still

Visitor's picture

Re: Sun Ray Effect

When I duplicated it it opened in a different window?

NJ's picture

Very well presented. Seems

Very well presented. Seems like very easy to do. It's a must ry I can say. Thanks for the share.

Jana's picture

My grids don't come out like

My grids don't come out like yours?
:( i can't do it right. I have gimp 2.6
Also mine don't go in the middle. Well the first one does, but the second does't. It goes everywhere but the middle. :(

salt lake city doctors's picture

Wow thank you. I need this

Wow thank you. I need this for my proposals.

Visitor's picture

Hi. Where can I take this

5

Hi.

Where can I take this speech bubble?

maryjane's picture

I'm having trouble with step

5

I'm having trouble with step 10. I'm pressing rotate but all that's rotating is a box and not the image. I'm so confused...

Leroy's picture

I'm too lazy to create this

I'm too lazy to create this myself.

Is there anyone who is willing to share their xcf or psd file they created of the sun ray effect?

Gimper's picture

here is a set of brushes for

here is a set of brushes for the lazy people :)
http://qbrushes.com/objects/risingsun-brushes/

RaeRae's picture

Most of it is pretty easy,

4

Most of it is pretty easy, but my grid doesn't come up the same. I have 2.6, so maybe that's the prob? Also, I've never really done paths before, and I had much trouble creating the right shape... Is there a tutorial for paths? I'm learning lots from just trying a few of these tutorials out, I'm a complete newbie at this. :)

Visitor's picture

HiHobi. This articles is

HiHobi.
This articles is actually very good it will be usefull thanks.

Rogan's picture

Hello, i'm rogan, but i

Hello, i'm rogan, but i believe that at step 10 you should select the image in question!

najzere's picture

For those having trouble

For those having trouble using paths and the grid, you can get the sun ray pattern by using Filter > Distorts > Blinds with the transparency box checked, and then Filter > Distorts > Polar Coordinates. You can then apply transparency to the ends of the rays, if that's the desired effect.

najzere's picture

An even quicker way, if you

An even quicker way, if you don't want less than 40 rays, is to use Filters > Render > Line Nova with setting like:

No. Lines: 40

Sharpness: 3.0

Offset radius: 0

Randomness: 1

Then you can alpha to selection, create a new layer and use the FG to Transparent gradient set to radial.

fridger's picture

I did not getonline slot

I did not getonline slot machines

Chrisblue's picture

Why don´t you just making a

3

Why don´t you just making a new Brush for this?

Ryanwwe1's picture

I get stuck on no. 8 I dont

I get stuck on no. 8 I dont know how to move it to the center?

Web designer's picture

I'm loving it! Thank you for

I'm loving it! Thank you for sharing. I will try to creat my own immediately.

Sally,
Alierra Custom Web Design Services

Visitor's picture

Now will want to activate the

Now will want to activate the GRID by going to Veiw> Show Grid or pressing CTRL+SHIT+T, will also need the "Snap to Grid" feature active, go to Veiw>Snap to Grid.

---

Uhh, you spelt shift wrong.
Thanks for the tutorial!

jeffsmith's picture

Interesting post very well

Interesting post very well written as well :)
logo design

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