Read this article to learn how to get the most out of this course with a few useful tips to help you remember the information from lectures and apply what you are learning.

Learn where you can always download GIMP for free and how to download it on your computer.

In this lecture, I show you how to customize the user interface to your liking (I highly recommend having your user interface look like mine to make following remaining lectures much easier). I'll show you how to change the color and style of the user interface, as well as adjust the size and style of your icons. Plus, I walk you through how to improve the performance of GIMP on your computer.

One of the more recent changes to GIMP includes the introduction of Grouped Tools by default in the GIMP toolbox. I'll cover this new GIMP toolbox layout as well as how to adjust the toolbox to make this course easier to follow in 2020 and beyond.

In this lecture, I show you how to create a new document in GIMP using the File>New menu feature.

In this lecture I show you how to open images in GIMP, and also provide an in-depth look at the "Open an Image" dialogue with all its features.

In this lecture, I show you how to open an image or images as layers, as well as alternative ways of opening an image or group of images into GIMP.

In this lecture I provide an introduction to the GIMP layout, including all the major areas in the program you'll be getting familiar with for photo editing. This section is a brief overview of these main areas, with future lectures discussing each area of the layout in more detail throughout the course.

Learn about the Title Bar - the very first area you see at the very top of GIMP in the GIMP layout - including what all the information means that is displayed in this area and how you can customize what is displayed.

In this lecture I provide an overview of all the menu items found in GIMP's main menu - known officially as the Image Menu or Image Menu Bar. I cover all the menu items from the "File" menu to the "Help" menu.

In this lecture, I show you how to access commonly used image adjustment tools via keyboard shortcuts. By assigning shortcuts to your tools, you can drastically improve your workflow and get projects completed faster.

Test the concepts discussed in our Introduction section to ensure you're ready to move on to the Photo Editing Basics!

In this lecture, I define layers as well as show you how to create your first layer in a composition in GIMP. This lecture is partially a review for those of you who watched the GIMP Layout lectures at the beginning of this course.

In this lecture I cover the concept of Layer Transparency, including how to add an alpha channel to a layer and how alpha channels help you stack multiple images on top of one another.

The next concept I'll cover for layers is the layer stacking order. I show you how to change the layer stacking order, and how transparency plays a roll in displaying contents on a layer.

In this lecture I cover layer and canvas boundaries, including how to change the size of your layers and canvas. I also show you how to display pixels outside you canvas.

Next up I take an in-depth look at all the features found inside the Layers panel.

Test your knowledge on the Intro to Layers content!

Alas, it is time to cover the very important topic of Layer Masks! This lecture, which introduces you to the popular feature, shows you how to add a layer mask to your layers.

Now that you have a basic understanding of layer masks, I'll show you how they can be used to create effects in your compositions - especially when using multiple layers.

The next step in developing your layer mask knowledge is understanding how gradient masks can be used on layer masks to create dynamic areas of transparency and opacity. I show you how to combine the Gradient tool with the layer mask concepts you've learned up to this point.

The Layer Context Menu contains many additional options for Layer Masks in GIMP. Understanding this menu can help give you more control over your layer masks, making them easy to edit, to temporarily show/hide, or to delete or edit your masks. Mast the Layer Context Menu for Layer Masks with this lecture.

In this lecture, I explain all 7 of the layer mask types found in the Add Layer Mask dialogue when creating new layer masks. You'll finally understand what all of those layer mask options are for!

In this lecture, I cover the concept of layer groups - including how to add layer masks to layer groups, and how to create nested layer groups.

In this lecture, I provide an introduction to creating a new layer in GIMP using the Create New Image and Create New Layer dialogues.

In this lecture, which is "Part 2" in my explanation of the Create New Layer dialogue, I go over the concept of Composite Modes. These modes include "Union," "Clip to Layer," "Clip to Backdrop," and "Intersection."

In this lecture, which is "Part 3" in my explanation of the Create New Layer dialogue, I explain the Opacity slider for making your new layer transparent or opaque, as well as the Size options for changing your layer width and height.

In this lecture, which is "Part 4" in my explanation of the Create New Layer Dialogue, I explain how to offset your new layer from the origin of your composition (the top left corner) using the Offset options.

Take an in-depth look at the first tool in GIMP's toolbox - and the tool you'll most commonly use when working in GIMP.

Learn how to align and distribute layers using GIMP's alignment tool!

Before diving into the various selection tools in GIMP, it's helpful to understand how selections work. I cover the basics of selection areas in this lecture.

Take a deeper dive into selection areas with this advanced tutorial! I cover the more technical side of selection areas to help you better understand them.

In this lecture, I show you how to draw rectangles and squares in GIMP using the Rectangle Select Tool. I also cover the Tool Options for this tool - including some review material discussed in the previous "Advanced Selection Areas" lecture (though with some additional information).

This lecture takes an in-depth look at the Ellipse Select tool found in GIMP. I also explain how key modifiers work with this and other selection tools.

Learn the ins and outs of the Free Select tool for freehand drawing selection areas. I cover the tool options for this tool, as well as shortcuts and key modifiers to enhance the tool's features and speed up your workflow.

The Scissors Select tool allow you to "intelligently" select edge details, objects or subjects in an image. I show you how this tool works in GIMP!

Learn how to use GIMP's most powerful smart selection tool, the Foreground Select Tool! This tool allows you to quickly circle and paint a foreground subject or object and use an algorithm to create an accurate selection around that subject. This tool is great for erasing backgrounds or singling out a subject to edit.

Select "contiguous" regions of color in your images using the Fuzzy Select tool - which I cover in-depth, along with its various tool options, in this lecture. This is originally for my GIMP Masterclass and is ad- and self-promotion free.

This tool is similar to the Fuzzy Select tool with some minor differences. Learn about the Select by Color tool and its tool options!

Test and reinforce your knowledge of GIMP's Selection Tools!

In this Paths Tool lecture, I cover the all-important Paths Tool in-depth for beginners. If you aren't super familiar with this tool, which is sometimes referred to as the Curves Tool or Pen Tool, you'll enjoy this deep dive geared to help you learn every aspect of the tool.

In this Part 2 of my premium Paths tool introduction, I cover various details about the Paths tab, the icons at the bottom of the dialogue, and how to work with multiple paths on your composition.

In this lecture I show you how to fill and stroke paths using both the Tool Options and Paths tab. You can use solid colors or patterns to paint along your paths, as well as solid or dashes lines. There are tons of design options with this Paths tool feature!

Time to get into some more advanced concepts for the Paths tool! In this lecture, I show you how to outline a subject in a photo using the Paths tool. You can then erase the background around your subject, or add styling to the photo by adding a stroke or editing the area outside the subject.

Have you now mastered the Paths tool? Time to find out with this quiz!

In this lecture, I go over how to crop your image into a circle shape using the ellipse select tool. I also show you how to align your image using the align tool.

Though there are many different Transform Tools found in GIMP, these tools have many features in common. To start off this section, I'll take a look at the Transform Modes and Directions found in the Tool Options for the Transform Tools in the first Transform Tool Group.

Though there are many different Transform Tools found in GIMP, these tools have many features in common. In this next lecture, I'll take a look at the Interpolation and Clipping found in the Tool Options for the Transform Tools in the first Transform Tool Group.

Though there are many different Transform Tools found in GIMP, these tools have many features in common. In this next lecture, I'll take a look at the Image Preview and Guides options found in the Tool Options for the Transform Tools.

In this first lecture of my 4 part series on the Scale tool, I introduce you to all the various features and functions of this tool and show you around the Tool Options.

In this lecture, I show you practical examples for using the scale tool while working in a multi-layer composition in GIMP.

In this lecture I provide a comparison between the Scale Tool and Crop Tool when it comes to changing the aspect ratio of your image.

In the 4th and final installment of the Scale Tool lecture series, I show you how the Scale Tool can be used to scale your entire composition - or simply scale an image.

Learn the Shear Tool for transforming elements in GIMP by shifting the sides of the element in opposite directions. Learn how to use this tool, plus decode its Tool Options and settings.

In this lecture, I take an in-depth look at the Flip Tool from GIMP's Transform Tools.

In this lecture, I take an in-depth look at GIMP's Perspective transform tool. This tool allows you to place 2D items along a 3D plane.

Take an in-depth look at the popular and powerful 3D Transform Tool for creating 3-dimensional transformations with objects and text!

In this lecture I take an in-depth look at the VERY unique Handle Transform tool. This tool allows you to place up to 4 handles on your image or layer, and perform various transformations depending on how many handles are active.

In this lecture I discuss the versatile Unified Transform Tool, which contains multiple GIMP transform tools in a single tool.

The Cage Transform Tool can be a powerful tool for those who properly know how to use it. This tool allows you to separate an area of an image with line segments and nodes, which will then transform those areas of the image as you move the nodes to new locations. This is a great way to make transformations to objects or people within the image.

This lecture covers another powerful tool that was introduced with GIMP 2.10. That is the Warp Transform tool, which allows you to warp pixels of your image in a variety of ways (i.e. enlarge, shift, shrink, etc.). This tool is definitely worth experimenting with!

Reinforce concepts you learned in the Transform Tools section with this Section Quiz!

Learn how to transform multiple layers simultaneously using GIMP's "Transform Lock" feature in this tutorial!

This lecture provides an introduction to the text box, as well as the two different styles of text box (dynamic vs. fixed) where you will be typing and editing your text.

Text layers are an important concept when it comes to creating text as they differentiate from regular layers in GIMP. In this lecture, I help you understand what makes text layers different and how not to get confused when trying edit or work with them.

There are a wide variety of things you can do to edit your text using the Tool Options, and I go through each of those things in this lecture line by line. It's time you finally knew what all of those fancy settings were for!

The text tool box is similar to the Tool Options, though there are some slight differences between the two that are good to know (to save you hours of frustration). I cover editing your text using the floating tool box in this lecture.

Right clicking on your text box brings up the Text Context Menu, which opens up a whole new world of possible text settings and effects. I explain each of the menu options in this lecture and demonstrate what they do to your text.

There are plenty of cool effects you can add to your text - including the very useful drop shadow. I show you how to add effects to your text in this lecture, while also covering any other features I have found to be important to know about the text tool that weren't already covered in this section.

Test your knowledge of the GIMP text tool with this quiz before moving on to the next section!