How To Fill With My Own Colour/Pattern/Sample?

[abrogard]

I would like to fill an area with a sample taken from a photograph of my own.

For instance fill an area with copies of a small sample from a photo of a section of pebbly beach sand.

I say 'copies' because I believe that's the way pattern fill works and because my original sample wouldn't be big enough to fill the proposed area, so copies will be needed.

What's the best way to go about doing that?

[Blighty]

Use the bucket fill tool. In the tool options set the Fill Type to Pattern. When you select the pattern, the first (top left) pattern is the clipboard, so easy to use. These patterns are limited to 1024x1024px.

Your own image of beach sand won't be seamless. There are various ways to make the image seamless.
Filters > Map > Tile Seamless (or Make Seamless for 2.8)
G'MIC has some make seamless filters
Or it can be done manually

[rich2005]

Some screenshots to go with Blighty's post

Making a seamless pattern (sometimes called a seamless tile) can be a bit of a dark art.

A clip from a photograph of a beach should be straight forward.

Use some common sense when selecting a area, for example avoid cutting noticeable objects in half.

Made a mess of this screenshot but it is the rectangular selection tool and a selection 500x500 pix. Size all depends on the image. https://i.imgur.com/UxrgFoD.jpg

Copy and that can be used in the patterns dialogue, the very first, the clipboard pattern.

If this is filled into an image (bucket fill or drag from dialogue) very probably joins will show https://i.imgur.com/tunvrlw.jpg

One way to make seamless is Filters -> Map -> Tile Seamless In Gimp 2.10 you get a nice on canvas display, Gimp 2.8 just apply the filter. https://i.imgur.com/jAlZ1mN.jpg Copy to the clipboard to test, Copy and paste as a new image and export as a png

Hopefully that tiles a little better: https://i.imgur.com/0aaCQ2J.jpg

Another way is a plugin resynthesizer which you might or might-not have installed.

[abrogard]

(07-03-2018, 10:27 AM)rich2005 Wrote: Some screenshots to go with Blighty's post

Making a seamless pattern (sometimes called a seamless tile) can be a bit of a dark art.

A clip from a photograph of a beach should be straight forward.

Use some common sense when selecting a area, for example avoid cutting noticeable objects in half.

Made a mess of this screenshot but it is the rectangular selection tool and a selection 500x500 pix. Size all depends on the image. https://i.imgur.com/UxrgFoD.jpg

Copy and that can be used in the patterns dialogue, the very first, the clipboard pattern.

If this is filled into an image (bucket fill or drag from dialogue) very probably joins will show https://i.imgur.com/tunvrlw.jpg

One way to make seamless is Filters -> Map -> Tile Seamless In Gimp 2.10 you get a nice on canvas display, Gimp 2.8 just apply the filter. https://i.imgur.com/jAlZ1mN.jpg Copy to the clipboard to test, Copy and paste as a new image and export as a png

Hopefully that tiles a little better: https://i.imgur.com/0aaCQ2J.jpg

Another way is a plugin resynthesizer which you might or might-not have installed.

Thanks a lot for all that.  I'm off and running.

I see what you mean about the patterns and the seams.  I dislike the whole pattern thing, actually.  I've had it happen on some of my web site index pages where html fills them with patterning. 

My beach sand or pebble thing is hopefully too amorphous for that to happen...  I'm after more of a texture than a 'scene' so to speak.

One of the effects I want, for instance, is metal effects - a wash of 'stainless steel' or 'aluminium' or copper and I hope to get it this way.


Is this right? I've got a copy of your whole post in my reply edit area here.  Like a reply with quote or something.  I don't remember that happening previously....  I'lll see what happens...

Hmm.... yes, it all appeared.  No need for alll that.  I guess I should just delete what's not needed....