Reader Tutorial: Colorful Light Effect in GIMP

I was browsing the other day and saw a Sony-Ericsson Xperia X1 with a beautiful wallpaper on it and thought to myself "Can I make one that looks like it but using only GIMP?"

And guess what? I could! And with this tutorial so can you.

Step 1

We first create a new document, you can make it any size, though I used 1600 x 1200. Setting by default Black as your Foreground color, we can ask in the advanced options to use it as our background.

Step 2

We now create a new layer, this time it should be transparent.

Step 3

Using Filters > Render > Clouds > Solid Noise we fill our New Layer. Play with the values until you find the one that works for you, I preferred to size it 6 in both X and Y.

Step 4

Set the New Layer opacity to something between 15 and 30. I went with 20. While we are at it, rename this Layer to Clouds.

Step 5

Create a New Layer and using the Rectangle Selection Tool (R) create a rectangle that's as wide as your document but only 10 pixels in height. Fill that with #cccccc. Duplicate this layer 3 times.

Step 6

Select the lowest Line Layer, go to Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur and select 70 as your Blur Radius.

Repeat this step for the next two layers above it, only setting the Blur Radius to 30 for one and 10 for

the other.

There should be still one Line Layer with no Gaussian Blur above them all.

Step 7

Create a new layer and use the Stripes Fine pattern to fill it. We'll call it ScanLines.

Step 8

Create another new layer and fill it with using the Blend Tool (L) and the Full saturation spectrum CW gradient from left to right (Press the Ctrl Key to keep your line horizontal). We'll call this one Colorful.

Step 9

Place the ScanLines Layer below the last of the Line Layers.

Step 10

Go to Filters > Blur > Motion Blur and use 256 in Lenght at an angle of 90 degrees on the Clouds Layer.

The Final Touch

We add the logo and duplicate it twice and using Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur by 70 and 10 each, leaving the third, without any Gaussian Blurring, on top of them and making sure they arebelow the Colorful Layer.

You can play with it by inserting another layer and filling it with black, painting some circles and applying Gaussian Blurr and setting this layer just above the Clouds Layer and setting its mode to Multiply.