Naima and Delphic how to you start in Gimp?  do you open as layers?  this is what mine looks like to start

https://i.imgur.com/h0MCOsS.png

I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone. Robin Williams

My toolbox looks the same.

When I open a picture, I click file, then open, and select my horse stock photo. Then I do this process again to select the background stock photo.

Then I click file, then new and set my dimensions to 800x600 for animal graphics or 1200x900 for layout graphics. This gives me a blank canvas for my final product. Copy and paste the background stock over to here and make it to fill the canvas dimensions the same size as close as I can.

Then I use the eraser tool to erase the background from the horse stock. I zoom in and out all over it to make sure I erase everything as close to the horse as possible without erasing any of the horse. When done, right click and select the "copy visible" and paste onto the graphic canvas where i pasted and sized the background.

Then it's just fine tuning the details: smudge tool set to like 12 to smooth the horse's body hair and mane/tail (going the direction everywhere that it would on a real horse). And changing the brightness/contrast in the Colors drop-down menu from the top bar of GIMP.

I will make some tutorials for the basic steps when I have a chance :)

Thnak you both!!

I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone. Robin Williams

I love finally having some fellow GIMP users on here to learn from!

Cutting Tutorial (With the Path tool)

https://www.deviantart.com/delphicnebs/art/1147616314

To answer your first question, I go to File > Open > click on the background image. Then to add the subject, go to File > Open as Layers > click your horse/dog/whatever.

Body Smudging Tutorial (My style)

https://www.deviantart.com/delphicnebs/art/1147625800

I stumbled across a video tutorial for manes! There's no sound, but there are subtitles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpSve4u9v9Q

Where do you all find your stock?

I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone. Robin Williams

DeviantArt! I joined some groups on there that have a ton of stock posted. Just be sure to read the description on the Deviation for the stock provider's rules. Just search things like "horse stock" and "landscape stock."

Some good stock places for backgrounds are pixabay & unsplash! Adobe stock is also good too for some things but make sure you’re looking for the free use stuff :)

Thank you for the tip! I will definitely check those out. It can be tedious to look on DA because I have to not only read the description, but also a linked journal entry just to find out I can't use it and have to keep searching.

Honestly pixabay and unsplash are my main go-to's for backgrounds etc because they have some really amazing quality pieces that are just free to use (with credits of course) definitely worth checking out! :D

Is pixabay free to use for stock?

I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone. Robin Williams

It is!

I use pixabay a lot. I've used Flickr and DA too. Depends where I can find what I'm looking for. Some times unsplash but not nearly as much.

How do you credit for Pixabay and Flickr? With a link or just the photographer's name? Do you have to send them the finished piece?