Having difficulty getting the effect I am looking for ...

[langstracht]

There is an effect that I am having difficulty achieving.

While there may be no need to do it this way I will explain what I am trying to do as if it were a number of layers.

layer number 1 - an irregular shape (perhaps a flower or a face) which is in "living colour"

layer number 2 - a "grown" version of this irregular shape where the saturation (or perhaps opacity) is progressively reduced to, at its extremity, b&w (or 0 opacity)

layer number 3 - a further grown version where the now black and white image gets increasingly blurry (no blur to whatever)

layer number 4 - the blurriness continues to increase and the image becomes black.

I have not been able to accomplish this and would appreciate any thoughts.

Thanks in advance.

[monoceros84]

You have already described how to do it

1st layer is your background with the face/ flower.

2nd layer contains a radial gradient from transparent (at the centre) to white (at the edges). Layer mode to Saturation. Alternatively, copy the background layer, convert it to monochrome, add a layer mask that contains a radial gradient from black (centre) to white (edges).

3rd layer is a copy of all visible stuff. Menu Edit -> Copy Visible. Paste in new layer. Blur this layer. Add a layer mask that contains a radial gradient from black (centre) to white (edges).

4th layer contains a radial gradient from transparent (centre) to black (edges). Play with the opacity and the layer modes (try Normal, Overlay, Hard Edge, Soft Edge, Multiply).

With those steps you should get your wanted result.

[langstracht]

Thanks for your reply.  But, well, no.

My problem is to get "gradienting" (if I can coin such a word) that varies with the original selected shape and is not radial. 

That is, I need the gradient(s) to be uniform between the boundaries of the layer images - i.e. between a person's face and the say 50 pixels surrounding that person's face.  And then, say, the 75 pixels beyond that boundary. 

Neither of these will be an annular rings as would be produced by the radial gradient.

[monoceros84]

Ah ok, now I see your problem.

You have two solutions here (that I know about):

• Select the original shape using the selection tools. If you have problems here, watch the episodes 17 (http://meetthegimp.org/episode-17-selecting-selections-part-1/) and 18 (http://meetthegimp.org/episode-017-selecting-selections-part-2/) or ask again
  Once your selection is ready go to the Select menu and chose "Grow". This will extend your selection to get this surrounding you were talking about. After that, use "Fade Out", "Feather" or whatever it is called in the English version of GIMP from the Selection menu. Maybe one of the other forum members that runs GIMP in English can help here. With this tool you can fade your selection gradually. If you use the same value you used in the grow tool you will gradient all this surrounding.
  Now you can save this selection for further usage in a channel. Use this selection to fill a black layer mask with a white gradient, to erase an area from a white layer mask etc. Just the same steps I described in my previous post.
  
• A second possibility is to create a real big and soft brush that allows a radius of e.g. 100px instead of the standard 19px maximum. The radius is determined by the amount of softness you wish around your shape. Now you can paint white on a black layer to gain a fading area of this unregular shape. If you reduce the opacity of the layer you are painting on you can still see the background image, so you will know where to paint.
  After you have created this layer, use it in all those layer masks. In some you will have to invert the colours or delete all white or something. But I am sure you got the trick

[langstracht]

Once again thanks for your response.

I have some small motor-muscle control problems - so I don't think "manually" fading (i.e. with a brush) is going to be at accurate enough for me.

As for your other advice I'm not sure that I completely understand ... but I'll play around and see what I can do.

Thanks once again.

[Rolf]

My try on this problem will be in tomorrows show. I hope that I have got it right..... ;-)

[monoceros84]

Oh cool I shortly have thought about recording something but I had little time and I never did this - so I am expecting some issues with using the recording software the first time

But I have some other plans... Prob. I will contact you soon, Rolf

[Rolf]

The show is out - I hope I have got the problem right.

And I am waiting for your video, Mathias.... ;-)

[monoceros84]

And I am waiting for your video, Mathias.... ;-)

Hehe, let's see. I installed recordmydesktop yesterday and it was fairly slow. But then again I had several programs running in parallel and I haven't rebooted for some days. So let's see how things work out.

I will watch your episode tomorrow and see if it's the technique I was thinking about.

EDIT: Just watched the video and yes, it was exactly what I had in mind.

[langstracht]

Just wanted to say Danke to Rolf for picking up the cudgel and dealing with my problem in the podcast.

It certainly cleared up some stuff for me and gave me some more ideas to chew on.  I still have to get my head around having a blur gradient but I'll be pursuing that.

All of that said, the image that precipitated my query is a bit more complicated than that of the Chancellor.  and I am wondering whether it would have been useful to upload it.  However if there is a way to do so I have not been able to find it.  I think the icon above only links to a web address. ??

Finally, langstracht is Scottish - to some badly spoken English.  I think pronouncing it as if it were German would be quite accurate.  It is in fact two words meaning long straight.  Instantly recognizable (as a street name) to anyone from my home town.

Thanks again Rolf

[monoceros84]

Uploading would help a lot. Just click on the "Additional Options" under the answer box. There you can append a file...

[langstracht]

o.k. here's the image.

The focus is plant and table top.  Everything else, for want of a better description, fading out from there ... to a totally black blur around the edges of the image.

[monoceros84]

it's working in the same way. Since you grow and feather the selection anyway you don't have to be that accurate while selecting.

I attached a XCF and a JPG with my quick-and-dirty-attempt...

[Rolf]

Since you grow and feather the selection anyway you don't have to be that accurate while selecting.

I had that idea while editing the video. Why had I made these fine corrections to the selection....  ;-)

[langstracht]

No I realize the basic technique is the same.

And the black border, selection and the coloured subject gradually desaturating aren't problems.

But I am having issues with increasing the blur as the distance increases.