How to Draw a Circle in Gimp

Click the Ellipse Select Tool in the Toolbox., Click and drag on your canvas to begin creating an ellipse., Press and hold .⇧ Shift while dragging to make a circle., Click the Select menu from the GIMP menu bar and choose "To Path.", Click the...

23 Steps 4 min read Advanced

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Click the Ellipse Select Tool in the Toolbox.

    You'll find this in the upper-left corner of the Toolbox.

    It looks like an oval with a dashed border.
  2. Step 2: Click and drag on your canvas to begin creating an ellipse.

    By default, you'll be creating a freeform ellipse shape. , Holding ⇧ Shift after you start dragging will allow you to make a perfect circle instead of a freeform ellipse.

    If it doesn't work at first, you may need to start a new ellipse and try again.

    If you need to make a circle of a specific size, use the "Size" fields in the bottom section of the Toolbox. , This will create a vector object from your circle. , The circle you created will seemingly disappear.

    This is normal. , Click the current foreground color in the Toolbox and select the color you want to use as the border for the circle. , A new window will appear.

    You'll be converting the circle to a , By default, this will be pixels but you can change it to another unit of measurement.

    You can choose to create the stroke with different tools for a more artistic effect. , The circle will be created with the border in the color and size you selected. , You can use the Bucket Fill Tool to fill the circle with a different color after creating it.

    Select the color you want to use from the color picker, then click inside the circle with the Bucket Fill Tool selected., You'll find this in the upper-left corner of the Toolbox window.

    The button has an oval with a dotted border. , The Ellipse tool can create ovals and circles. , The shape will snap into a perfect circle.

    If this isn't working correctly, try releasing and starting over, GIMP can be difficult at times.

    Make sure to not hold ⇧ Shift until after you start dragging.

    If you need to make the circle a specific size, use the "Size" fields in the "Tool Options" section of the Toolbox. , A new menu will appear which allows you to select the selection you just created, essentially allowing you to create an outline. , For a thin border, enter "1" for a single-pixel border.

    Larger numbers will add that number of pixels to each side of the selection.

    For example, entering "2" will result in a border that is four pixels wide.

    You can change the unit of measurement if you prefer working with different units. , Click the foreground color in the Toolbox and use the color picker to choose the color you want to use for the circle's border. , This will fill the circle's border with the color you selected.

    Your circle now has a border color and a transparent center. , You can use the Bucket Fill Tool to fill the circle with a different color if you want to.

    Select the color you want to use as the foreground color, then select the Bucket Fill Tool and click the inside of the circle., While this tool is normally creating an ellipse-shaped selection, you can use it to create circles as well.

    You'll find this tool in the upper-left corner of the Toolbox window. , Click and drag on your canvas to begin creating an ellipse shape. , This will snap the ellipse into a perfect circle shape.

    Make sure to keep holding ⇧ Shift as you release your mouse button.

    If this doesn't work properly the first time, try starting a new ellipse.

    You can specify the exact size of the circle by using the "Size" fields in the "Tool Options" section of the Toolbox.

    Make sure the height and width are the same to make a perfect circle. , Click the foreground color box in the Toolbox to open the color picker.

    This color will fill the circle.

    The circle will be borderless. , The circle will fill with the color you selected.
  3. Step 3: Press and hold .⇧ Shift while dragging to make a circle.

  4. Step 4: Click the Select menu from the GIMP menu bar and choose "To Path."

  5. Step 5: Click the Select menu again and choose "None."

  6. Step 6: Select the color you want to use for the border in the color picker.

  7. Step 7: Click the Edit menu and select "Stroke Path."

  8. Step 8: Set the width of the circle border in the "Line width" field.

  9. Step 9: Click "Stroke" to create the circle.

  10. Step 10: Fill the circle with another color if you'd like.

  11. Step 11: Click the Ellipse Select Tool in the Toolbox.

  12. Step 12: Click and drag on the canvas to start creating an ellipse.

  13. Step 13: Hold .⇧ Shift while dragging to make a perfect circle.

  14. Step 14: Click the Select menu in the GIMP menu bar and choose "Border."

  15. Step 15: Enter the size you want to use for your circle border.

  16. Step 16: Select the color you want to use for the circle border as the foreground color.

  17. Step 17: Click the Edit menu and select "Fill with FG color."

  18. Step 18: Fill the center with a different color if you'd like.

  19. Step 19: Click the Ellipse Select Tool in the Toolbox.

  20. Step 20: Start creating an ellipse by clicking and dragging.

  21. Step 21: Hold .⇧ Shift after you start dragging to create a circle.

  22. Step 22: Choose the color you want to fill the circle with.

  23. Step 23: Click the Edit menu in the GIMP menu bar and select "Fill with FG color."

Detailed Guide

You'll find this in the upper-left corner of the Toolbox.

It looks like an oval with a dashed border.

By default, you'll be creating a freeform ellipse shape. , Holding ⇧ Shift after you start dragging will allow you to make a perfect circle instead of a freeform ellipse.

If it doesn't work at first, you may need to start a new ellipse and try again.

If you need to make a circle of a specific size, use the "Size" fields in the bottom section of the Toolbox. , This will create a vector object from your circle. , The circle you created will seemingly disappear.

This is normal. , Click the current foreground color in the Toolbox and select the color you want to use as the border for the circle. , A new window will appear.

You'll be converting the circle to a , By default, this will be pixels but you can change it to another unit of measurement.

You can choose to create the stroke with different tools for a more artistic effect. , The circle will be created with the border in the color and size you selected. , You can use the Bucket Fill Tool to fill the circle with a different color after creating it.

Select the color you want to use from the color picker, then click inside the circle with the Bucket Fill Tool selected., You'll find this in the upper-left corner of the Toolbox window.

The button has an oval with a dotted border. , The Ellipse tool can create ovals and circles. , The shape will snap into a perfect circle.

If this isn't working correctly, try releasing and starting over, GIMP can be difficult at times.

Make sure to not hold ⇧ Shift until after you start dragging.

If you need to make the circle a specific size, use the "Size" fields in the "Tool Options" section of the Toolbox. , A new menu will appear which allows you to select the selection you just created, essentially allowing you to create an outline. , For a thin border, enter "1" for a single-pixel border.

Larger numbers will add that number of pixels to each side of the selection.

For example, entering "2" will result in a border that is four pixels wide.

You can change the unit of measurement if you prefer working with different units. , Click the foreground color in the Toolbox and use the color picker to choose the color you want to use for the circle's border. , This will fill the circle's border with the color you selected.

Your circle now has a border color and a transparent center. , You can use the Bucket Fill Tool to fill the circle with a different color if you want to.

Select the color you want to use as the foreground color, then select the Bucket Fill Tool and click the inside of the circle., While this tool is normally creating an ellipse-shaped selection, you can use it to create circles as well.

You'll find this tool in the upper-left corner of the Toolbox window. , Click and drag on your canvas to begin creating an ellipse shape. , This will snap the ellipse into a perfect circle shape.

Make sure to keep holding ⇧ Shift as you release your mouse button.

If this doesn't work properly the first time, try starting a new ellipse.

You can specify the exact size of the circle by using the "Size" fields in the "Tool Options" section of the Toolbox.

Make sure the height and width are the same to make a perfect circle. , Click the foreground color box in the Toolbox to open the color picker.

This color will fill the circle.

The circle will be borderless. , The circle will fill with the color you selected.

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Catherine Stevens

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