In this tutorial we will teach you how to make a reflection effect on an object in Gimp. For this tutorial, we will be working on the HowTech Logo. So let's get started.
Don't forget to check out our site http://howtech.tv/ for more free how-to videos!
http://youtube.com/ithowtovids - our feed
http://www.facebook.com/howtechtv - join us on facebook
https://plus.google.com/103440382717658277879 - our group in Google+
Step 1 -- Duplicating the layer
First of all, we would need to duplicate the layer. So head over to the Layers panel, right click on the layer which the logo is on and click on the duplicate option.
Step 2 -- Vertically rotating the duplicated layer
To give the image a reflection effect, we will need to rotate the duplicated layer. So head over to the toolbar and pick up the flip tool. Once you pick up the flip tool, you will see the options related to that tool appearing in the window below. Since we are making a reflection of the logo, we would need to flip the image vertically. For that select the vertical option there and to apply the effect, all you need to do is move over to the image and click on it. The tool will automatically flip the image vertically.
At the end, drag the image and move it downwards. Make sure that the bottom line of both the images touch with each other.
Step 3 -- Adding a layer mask
After that, we will add a layer mask on the image. For that, we will move to the Layer menu, select the duplicate layer, right click on it and select the Add Layer Mask option. Once the new window opens up, make sure you have the white option selected. With this option, the selected layer will become fully opaque. That means if you paint over or add effects on the layer mask, only then will you notice any difference in the appearance of the selected layer.
Step 4 -- Adding a gradient
After that, pick up the gradient tool from the toolbox on the left. Over here, we will set the gradient to black and white. We will be applying the black and white gradient over the layer mask so that we can create a fading effect.
Now move on the layer, click and drag a line from the bottom of the artwork (see screenshot below) since you would want the image to be completely faded out at this point. Basically how this works is that the first click will determine from where the image will be faded out, and the second click, which will be at the top, will determine where the image will start fading from.
Step 5 -- Changing the opacity of the layer
After that, move over to the layers panel, towards the right, and reduce the opacity of the duplicated layer to 60%.
And there you have it. A simple and easy way in which you can give the image a reflection effect in Gimp.