Using Gradient to blend four images

[cpoldedana]

Hi.  I am brand new to imaging software and have been using a lot of Youtube and tutorials to learn.  I figured out how to blend two images using a layer mask.  My problem is I have four pictures that I need to blend between pairs.  They are laid out as follows and please don't laugh if i have done something stupid.

Picture1 (No Mask) -  Blend - Picture 2 (Mask Layer) Blend Picture 3 (Mask Layer) - CAN"T GET TO BLEND - Picture 4

I can't figure out how to get picture 3 and 4 to blend.  If I try to used the Mask Layer in picture 3 it messes up the blend with picture 2.  If I add a mask layer to Picture 4, it just makes the image in picture 3 visible with no blend I'm guessing because it has a layer mask.

Can someone explain in newbie terms how to do what I want to do?

Thank You!

[Espermaschine]

Are they all the same size ?

You already learned: black conceals and white reveals.
Instead of using a gradient you can paint on the layermask with a (fuzzy) brush.

   

[cpoldedana]

(12-15-2019, 04:06 PM)Espermaschine Wrote: Are they all the same size ?

You already learned: black conceals and white reveals.
Instead of using a gradient you can paint on the layermask with a (fuzzy) brush.

Thank you for the reply.

Where they overlap each other, yes.  What you have makes sense and I think that is what I'm doing but when try to blend picture 4 that has a mask to picture three that has a mask (that is blended to picture 2) they don't blend.  Picture 3 just shows up through picture 4 with a crisp unblended line where the blend area should be.

[Espermaschine]

(12-15-2019, 04:24 PM)cpoldedana Wrote: Picture 3 just shows up through picture 4 with a crisp unblended line where the blend area should be.

Its just a quick demo to demonstrate the principle. You can use a fuzzy brush to make it blend more gradually.
You can also use a hard brush and apply Gaussian Blur to the layermask to make it softer.

[rich2005]

I do not think there is a newby terms explanation. You can always fix-up first two layers with layer mask, make a layer from visible Layer -> New from visible  combining the two and then continue with layer 3 (and mask). Repeat the process and add layer 4 and mask.

or depending on the images I might try using layer groups as this.

   

From Gimp 2.10 a layer group can use a layer mask

[Espermaschine]

(12-15-2019, 04:46 PM)rich2005 Wrote: I do not think there is a newby terms explanation.

You do you and i do me.
There is no competition because you are no competition to me.

[rich2005]

(12-15-2019, 05:01 PM)Espermaschine Wrote:

(12-15-2019, 04:46 PM)rich2005 Wrote: I do not think there is a newby terms explanation.

You do you and i do me.
There is no competition because you are no competition to me.

Yeah, well that is incomprehensible as well.

FWIW a 4 way gradient blend

   

[cpoldedana]

(12-15-2019, 04:46 PM)rich2005 Wrote: I do not think there is a newby terms explanation. You can always fix-up first two layers with layer mask, make a layer from visible Layer -> New from visible  combining the two and then continue with layer 3 (and mask). Repeat the process and add layer 4 and mask.

or depending on the images I might try using layer groups as this.



From Gimp 2.10 a layer group can use a layer mask

This has gone completely over my head. Don't need all four touching. Only two at any one time touch so think of it as 4 images side by side that I want them to fade into each other.

[rich2005]

(12-15-2019, 08:21 PM)cpoldedana Wrote: This has gone completely over my head.  Don't need all four touching. Only two at any one time touch so think of it as 4 images side by side that I want them to fade into each other.

That is better information, four images side-by-side. They will need an overlap to blend together as: https://i.imgur.com/7UkIyAQ.jpg or is it something else. A screenshot of your layers layout will help.
but
Are they smaller layers (shown by dotted layer boundary) or have they been expanded to fill the image.

My first thoughts, why make it difficult for yourself, trying to accomplish everything in one image (unless it is to serve as a template for other combinations)

Combine the the two left as one image, the two right as another image, Use those as a third image to 'merge' together.

If you need to everything in a single image then, I go back to using layer groups (just the same procedure but you will need to use layer -> image size and fiddle with gradient direction)

Combine the two left: https://i.imgur.com/nAXovpF.jpg
Combine the two right: https://i.imgur.com/YArMYXz.jpg
Combine the two layer groups: https://i.imgur.com/OsuW1cz.jpg

[cpoldedana]

(12-15-2019, 09:32 PM)rich2005 Wrote:

(12-15-2019, 08:21 PM)cpoldedana Wrote: This has gone completely over my head.  Don't need all four touching. Only two at any one time touch so think of it as 4 images side by side that I want them to fade into each other.

That is better information, four images side-by-side. They will need an overlap to blend together as: https://i.imgur.com/7UkIyAQ.jpg or is it something else. A screenshot of your layers layout will help.
but
Are they smaller layers (shown by dotted layer boundary) or have they been expanded to fill the image.

My first thoughts, why make it difficult for yourself, trying to accomplish everything in one image (unless it is to serve as a template for other combinations)

Combine the the two left as one image, the two right as another image, Use those as a third image to 'merge' together.

If you need to everything in a single image then, I go back to using layer groups (just the same procedure but you will need to use layer -> image size and fiddle with gradient direction)

Combine the two left: https://i.imgur.com/nAXovpF.jpg
Combine the two right: https://i.imgur.com/YArMYXz.jpg
Combine the two layer groups: https://i.imgur.com/OsuW1cz.jpg

Let me take some time and play around and see if I can digest this.  Thank you!