# Off-Topic Discussion > Artists' Corner > Art Design >  >  Tutorial for Xedan

## Spenner

Because he's so special.

Alright, so we'll be doing this in GIMP of course, starting off with just plain white text on a transparent background.



After that, make a transparent layer over that one.

From there you're going to make sure you have the text tool selected, and click the PATH FROM TEXT button near the bottom. After that, go to SELECT>FROM PATH



From there go to SELECT>FEATHER



About 10 pixels, but whatever may suit the size of your text.

So, from our feathered selection, just take the paint bucket tool with black and click maybe 3 times-- until it looks black but still gradient-ish on the edges.



After that, we're going to shrink our selection down to add a smaller detail, so go ahead and goto SELECT>SHRINK by about 5 pixels or 10 pixels- try both, I forget what I did >_>



So from there you're going to fill it in with about one shot of white paint bucket fill.

Alright, and so far, we have something like this:



Not too shabby. Still doesn't look very chrome/glassy or anything though, so let's go ahead and make sure you're deselected, and add a new transparent layer.

From here you're going to go back to SELECT>FROM PATH to get the text's selection again.



Once you've got this, click the rectangular selection tool (should be the top right one) and hold CTRL while selecting a bit from the top, and a bit from the bottom. This should leave you with just a selection in the center.



Feather that guy by about 10 pixels, then paste some white.



After doing that, repeat the step of just selecting small lines from the entire text with the rectangular selection tool subtracting parts of the path whilst holding control, and feathering the resultant path-- add some black places, some white places-- mine's not a very good example of the capabilities, but there's endless possibilities as to what you can do with it.



So yeah, even if it doesn't look like metal or anything, use this method in application to make a metal look. Try starting with different base colours other than white, feathering different amounts, etc.

Here's just another one, a bit more "chrome" but not really, only spent like two minutes on it >_>



GIMP is a lot different than what I'm used to in Fireworks, but learn to maste it and you'll be a graphics machine  :tongue2: 

Hope that helps a bit.

sort of an emphasis on this little bit:

DO THIS::: *SELECT>FROM PATH> HOLD CTRL WITH RECTANGLE SELECTION TOOL>FEATHER>FILL BUCKET*

That is the main part in the construction of the small little details of changing colours.

Make sure to use a *new layer* for every new repetition of this step so the fills don't mess up  :smiley:

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## Xedan

Well I went with a round text so I didn't quite get those hard edges, and I did something weird at the bottom I guess, but all in all, great tutorial!



And anyone else can feel free to try with their name

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## iSee_iBelieve

> Well I went with a round text so I didn't quite get those hard edges, and I did something weird at the bottom I guess, but all in all, great tutorial!
> 
> 
> 
> And anyone else can feel free to try with their name



I think that the text would look a bit better if you didn't have as much "light" on the text and if you just had it around either the top of the bottom of the text.

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