Interview with Gary Sullivan

Gary Sullivan's Facebook icon
(created in GIMP)

Gary Sullivan has been a computer programmer for 32 years, and has recently been developing applications for Android. He is currently a computer science instructor at a community college, and also teaches private guitar lessons. He has been using the GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) since 2006.

OpenArtBox: When did you first start using GIMP?

Gary Sullivan: I learned to use GIMP in 2006 when I was a yearbook coordinator at a private school. It was really confusing and hard to learn atfirst, because I had never used a similar program, and it seemed quirky. Some of the students hated it.

OpenArtBox: Then why did you choose to use GIMP, instead of another image manipulation program?

Gary Sullivan: I chose to use GIMP because neither I nor the school could afford Photoshop, and because the previous teacher had already chosen GIMP. Now I use it because I really like it, I've been using for over five years and I know it pretty well. I like GIMP because I create a lot of layered images. I use it for buttons with all their different states, and I also manipulate photos with shading and lighting effects, corrections, artistic effects, masks, etc. I've used it to create full-size posters that can have their text and content changed to create new versions.

OpenArtBox: What kind of posters have you created with GIMP?


Gary Sullivan: I create advertising posters for my guitar workshops, and I’ve also created posters for a charity concert. I photograph my own guitars and other instruments at high resolution, bring them into GIMP, crop out the backdrop, add new backgrounds and textures, and add text layers. Then I digitally alter the instruments (like removing fretboard markers and adding new ones, changing the parts, etc.) I made one poster with an electric guitar that morphed into an acoustic guitar. Each time I send the poster to the printer, I can edit the text, changing the dates and details to update the poster. They come out really nice; they're 22 by 14 inches at 300DPI.

OpenArtBox: What else are you currently doing with GIMP?

Gary Sullivan: I’m making Android apps. One of them sets the Android device wallpaper. I use GIMP to create the different size icons for the app (two layers, an image and a frame). I use it to create thumbnail images. The file has one frame, one background, and all of the thumbnail images. I can just make the one I want to create visible, then export it as a .png image. And I use it for the big wallpaper images. Each one can have a picture frame effect, which is just a layer with a transparent region for the photo. I also used GIMP to create my Facebook icon. I can put any picture I want on top of the Android Robot.