Gimp - Shine Navigation
1. First off give yourself a rectangle with the "Rectangle Select Tool".
Gimp - Shine Navigation
2. Then fill that rectangle with a lighter blue/green/red/etc: and then a darker one of the same color above.
Mine:
Foreground: #004300
Background: #00f700
Now change it's layer name to "Base".
Gimp - Shine Navigation
3. Create a New Layer (Layer/New Layer) and fill that layer with a stripe pattern (The one I used can be downloaded
here, just make sure you view
Gimp Video Effects website first, otherwise you'll get an error, cause hyperlinking is disabled). Now the pattern's color is black, so go to Colors/Invert to make it white. Once that's done set it's layer mode to Overlay, and name it "Pattern".
Gimp - Shine Navigation
4. Create a New Layer, and grab your gradient tool. Change your foreground color to black (#000000). Then change your gradient to "FG to Transparent".
Gimp - Shine Navigation
Then put small gradients on the sides so it kind of blurs out. Then change it's opacity to 15%.
Gimp - Shine Navigation
5. Create a New Layer, name it "Separators". On the left side fill the rectangle 1px with white, and the right side with black. Then change it's opacity to 23%.
Gimp - Shine Navigation
6. Now with the navigation button you have now you can use that for the rest of the nav buttons, before we give it text, and a top lighting, so go ahead, and do that now.
7. Now duplicate that layer and change it's name to "Text Blur". Duplicate it again, and name it "Text".
Also move the text blur, and text layers to the top, with text above text blur.
Gimp - Shine Navigation
8. On the text layer add some text for navigation like home, message, uploads, etc: to that 1 navigation link.
TIP: When you add text it puts it in it's own layer.
Now right click the layer with your text you created and select "Alpha To Selection", and then then copy the text.
Now right click the gradient layer select "Alpha To Selection". Then click on the text layer and paste it into there.
Gimp - Shine Navigation
TIP: When an object is selected and you paste another object in that section. If a smaller object it'll automatically become centered.
Copy the text in the text layer, and paste it in the text blur layer.
9. Now on the text blur layer add a 2px gaussian blur to it. (Filters/Blur/Gaussian Blur)
10. Now merge the text, and text blur layers together, change the opacity to 70%, and then name it "Text". You can now select the layer where you originally put the text as we won't be needing that now.
Gimp - Shine Navigation
11. Now grab your Circular Marquee Tool aka "Ellipse Select Tool" and create a selection with part of the circle (bottom only) and fill it in with white. Then change it's opacity to 15%, and you've now created the Shine Navigation.
Gimp - Shine Navigation
Gimp - Shine Navigation
