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GIMP 2.8/2.10 for Beginners: Free Book and eBook Covers

GIMP 2.8/2.10 graphic design for beginners: Free GIMP on Windows/Mac/Linux: Free book/eBook covers for self-publishing!
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Length 3 to 4 weeks
Effort 3 hour per week
Price $ 28
Subject Design, Art
Level Beginner
Languages English
Video Transcripts None

Learn the GIMP from the Ground Up

In this course I'll show you how to use the Gnu Image Manipulation Program (GIMP), a free Photoshop like program, to produce professional looking, high quality graphics on a budget. The course uses the creation of book covers for self-publishing as the basis for demonstrating the use of the program. The techniques demonstrated can be used to create stunning graphics for any purpose including display on the Web.

GIMP Easily Explained:
Excellent course with detailed explanations on how to use GIMP to create fabulous book covers. Thank you!
-Maria Oquendo

This course provides material suitable for the absolute beginner and includes information on how to install all required tools and resources. It then goes on to show you how to use those components to produce unique, professional looking, and high quality graphics suitable for use as book covers for self-publishing. The course includes information on graphic composition that can be used to cause the most important elements of your image stand out.

Note: I demonstrate the use of the GIMP on a PC running Microsoft Windows 7. If you're a Linux or Mac user, the GIMP is also available to you, and information in this course beyond installation is fully applicable.

Sell More of Anything with Professional Looking Graphics

Though you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, the truth is that most people do exactly that. Why not produce the best impression you can by displaying stunning graphics mixed with text. Whether you're selling books or some other product, graphics that can capture the customer's attention will give you a leg up in differentiating yourself from your competition.

This Course Includes Everything You Need to Know to Become Proficient with the GIMP

This course includes 29 lectures, over two hours of material, divided into the following major categories of information:

  • Installing, staring, and stopping the GIMP

  • GIMP window layout

  • Creating a simple book cover

  • Working with layers and selections

  • Loading fonts and using text effects

  • Buying and manipulating inexpensive images

  • Creating colored boxes

  • Using layer masks

  • Stroking a path

  • Putting it all together

Learn to Create Stunning Book Covers and More

Why focus on book covers? The course benefits from having a specific focus and I'm the most familiar with using the GIMP to create book covers. Besides, you only need to know the fundamentals of using the GIMP to produce book covers. Don't worry, you can still create amazing images for the Web and beyond using the basics of the GIMP.

A Great Cover Course
Bite sized lessons that are clear and concise on how to use The GIMP to create ebook covers for the KINDLE. Very easy to follow.
-Bronwyn Wilson

This course uses a combination of presentation slides and screen capture to show you how to use the GIMP to produce book covers specifically.

Expect to spend several days to weeks digesting all the information provided in this course.

Start Today!

Silly as it may seem, your book cover is the first characteristic of your book that is likely to distinguish you from the crowd. Why not spend some time learning how to produce a quality, professional looking book cover for your self-published work using free tools and inexpensive professional quality images?

I'll see you in the classroom,

---Brian

Who this course is for:
  • Anyone seeking an introduction on how to produce high quality graphics using the GIMP
  • Self-published authors needing to produce professional looking, high quality book covers on a budget

What you'll learn

  • Install the GIMP on Your PC
  • Use the GIMP to produce a basic book cover
  • Use advanced concepts to produce professional looking book covers
  • Use tips and suggestions to maximize our design and implemention

Course syllabus

Introduction Creating a Simple Book Cover Working with Layers and Selections Loading Fonts and Using Text Effects Buying and Manipulating Inexpensive/Free Images Creating Colored Boxes Using Layer Masks and Paths Book Cover Design Theory Putting It All Together Favorite Tricks and Common Errors Recreating My Personal Favorite Book Covers: 2017 Course Extension 2017 Amazon Book Cover Reinterpretation Challenge Question and Answer Conclusion

Meet the instructors

Brian Jackson

Author, Publisher and Educator

I was born the middle of the last century in Los Angeles, California. After moving for a time to the Silicon Valley, I graduated from Humboldt State University amid the redwoods of Northern California.

Two weeks after graduation I was working as a computer systems programmer for Lockheed Missiles and Space (LMSC) back in the Silicon Valley. Two months after that and I was married as I have been happily ever since (for 38 years).

After 14 years at Lockheed I moved from working on IBM mainframes to using PCs running the Unix operating system and encountered a thing called the Internet. Cisco Systems seemed to be the right place to work, so I joined the company as their 650th employee. Eleven years later Cisco had grown to over 20,000 employees.

I retired at the age of 48 and instantly became bored!

Throughout my professional career I'd always enjoyed both writing and providing technical training. So, I attended creative writing classes at my local junior college and began to write.

I managed to write and self-publish a handful of books, but things didn't take off until my wife, Melanie Jackson, an established author with a New York company, left traditional publishing to join me in self-publishing.

In 8 years, from 2010 to now, Melanie and I have made half-a-million dollars self-publishing well over 100 books. I also managed to record a pair of audiobooks for Amazon and Audible sale.

By 2014, our rapid rise to Kindle fame had already dwindled. I decided to pursue my second passion of giving training presentations.

Since 2014 I've published over 40 online video training courses for training sites such as Udemy and SkillShare. My goal is to provide low cost high quality screen cast based educational material focusing on my areas of expertise; namely, self-publishing and book cover design using the GIMP. I continue to expand my video training catalog while focusing some energy on resurrecting our flagging book sales using various marketing techniques. Finally, I spend a portion of my time maintaining both my website and my wife’s website, which was developed using WordPress.

I currently live in the beautiful California wine country with my lovely wife and Butterscotch the cat.

I'll see you in the classroom,

---Brian