While there is no "Draw Circle" tool for drawing circles in GIMP, there are several ways you can follow to create circles using the available tools. “Path Tool” can create a vector circle to which you can add a frame or outline. In addition, you can also use the " Select Tool " to create a circle frame from the " Ellipse Select " function. The same basic function can be used to create a complete circle without outlines.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Creating a Circle with Outlines Using “Path Tool”
Step 1. Click “Ellipse Select Tool” from the toolbox
It's in the upper-left corner of the toolbox and is indicated by an oval icon with a dotted outline.
Step 2. Click and drag the cursor on the canvas to create an ellipse
By default, you can create free ellipses.
Step 3. Press and hold the button
Shift while dragging the cursor to create a circle.
Hold down Shift after dragging the cursor so you can create a perfect circle instead of a free ellipse. If it doesn't work, you need to create a new ellipse and try again.
If you need to create a circle of a specific size, use the " Size " column at the bottom of the toolbox
Step 4. Click the “Select” menu from the GIMP menu bar and select “To Path“
A vector object from the circle will be created.
Step 5. Click the “Select” menu again and select “None”
The circle that was created seemed to disappear after that. However, do not worry because this is normal.
Step 6. Select the desired outline color of the circle from the color picker
Click the currently used foreground color from the toolbox and select the color you want to use as the outline color of the circle.
Step 7. Click the “Edit” menu and select “Stroke Path“
A new window will be displayed. At this stage, the circle will be converted.
Step 8. Set the thickness of the outline of the circle using the " Line width " column
Automatically, the thickness of the outline is set in pixels, but you can change it to a different unit of measurement.
You can make strokes with various tools for a more artistic effect
Step 9. Click " Stroke " to create a circle
After that, a circle with an outline in the selected color and size will be created.
Step 10. Fill the circle with another color if you want
You can use the “Bucket Fill Tool” to fill the circle with another color once created. Select the color you want to use from the color picker, then click the inside of the circle once the " Bucket Fill Tool " is selected.
Part 2 of 3: Creating a Circle with Outlines Using the “Select Tool”
Step 1. Click “Ellipse Select Tool” from the toolbox
It's in the upper-left corner of the toolbox window. This button has an oval icon with a dotted outline.
Step 2. Click and drag the cursor on the canvas to create an ellipse
"Ellipse Tool " can make oval and circle shapes.
Step 3. Hold down the button
Shift while dragging the cursor to create a perfect circle.
The created shape will be a perfect circle. If that doesn't work, release the mouse button and start over. Sometimes, GIMP is difficult to use. Make sure you don't hold down the Shift key before dragging the cursor.
If you need to create a circle of a certain size, use the " Size " column in the " Tool Options " section of the toolbox
Step 4. Click the “Select” menu from the GIMP menu bar and select “Border“
A new menu will appear and you can select the selection made. Basically, you can outline the circle using this method.
Step 5. Enter the desired outline size of the circle
If you want to make the outline thin, enter the number "1" for the outline of a single pixel. Larger numbers multiply the number of pixels on each side of the selection. For example, if you enter the number "2", the outline of the circle will be four pixels wide.
You can change the unit of measurement if you prefer to use a different unit
Step 6. Select the outline color of the circle as the foreground color
Click a foreground color in the toolbox and use the color picker to select the desired outline color for the circle.
Step 7. Click the “Edit” menu and select “Fill with FG color“
The outline of the circle will be filled with the selected color. Now your circle has a colored outline and a transparent inside.
Step 8. Fill the inside/center of the circle with another color if you want
You can use the “Bucket Fill Tool” to fill the circle with a different color if you want. Select the color you want to use as the foreground color, then select the " Bucket Fill Tool " and click inside the circle.
Part 3 of 3: Creating Circles Without Outlines
Step 1. Click “Ellipse Select Tool” in the toolbox
While this tool is usually used to create elliptical selection areas, you can use it to create circles. It's in the upper-left corner of the toolbox window.
Step 2. Create an ellipse by clicking and dragging the cursor
Click and drag the cursor on the canvas to create an ellipse first.
Step 3. Hold down the button
Shift after dragging the cursor to create a circle.
With this button, the ellipse will be turned into a perfect circle. Make sure you keep holding down the Shift key when releasing the mouse button. If it doesn't work at first, try creating a new ellipse.
You can specify the exact size of the circle using the " Size " column in the " Tool Options " section of the toolbox. Make sure the height and width of the circle are the same so you can get a perfect circle shape
Step 4. Select the desired color to fill the circle
Click the foreground color box in the toolbox to open the color picker. The selected color will later fill the inside of the circle. In addition, this circle will also have no outline.
Step 5. Click the “Edit” menu from the GIMP menu bar and select “Fill with FG color“
The circle will be filled with the color you selected.
