YOU’LL NEED THIS GIMP 2.1 www.gimp.orgOS: Windows 7 or newer

THERE ARE AN ALMOST INFINITE range of uses for image editing applications. For many, the ability to make minor edits such as adding filters, color adaptations, and the odd manipulation is sufficient reason to invest in some software. On the other hand, a more powerful application, such as Adobe Photoshop or GIMP, gives the user more scope to edit imagery and create pieces of artwork. Photoshop is now on a subscription-based payment plan, which may be a financial barrier to the beginner or more casual user, however, GIMP is not only free, but it’s a great starting point to get into more advanced areas of image manipulation. Test the waters and see whether this is a hobby you enjoy—and even if you could turn it into your profession..

In this tutorial, we’ll be creating artwork using neon lines to enhance a photo. This technique has been used for video thumbnails, posters, flyers, album artwork, and banners. Like most tutorials, you can use these skills to your own advantage and apply them to other media. You can use any image (within reason) for this tutorial, although it does help if you have a subject focal point as this is what we will be emphasizing using these neon lines. As usual, we are using a royalty-free image from Unsplash, specifically an photo by Andre Tan. We are going to take his PC setup photo and add some attention-grabbing effects to it.