This is to go on my website once it's commented, improved, etc.

FOR BEGINNERS. NO FLAMING.

MAKE .GBR BRUSHES
Create .GBR brushes from pre-existing files

QUICK NOTE(s)
I used GIMP 2.2.10
Image used is here (save it) [link]






NOTES AND BEFORE NEEDED WORDS ------->
FIRST NOTE: The image provided is one of my brush set sheets that I MADE! DO NOT USE IT AS A REAL BRUSH!! DO NOT TAKE CREDIT FOR THE CREATION OF THE BRUSH WE MAKE OR TRY TO PROVIDE IT TO OTHER PEOPLE AS A RESOURCE! If you want to use this brush, download the set from [link]!
When you make a brush in the GIMP, you're given options on how you want to display them, use them, and save them. As your making your brush, consider if you want it large or small, colored or grayscaled, and if it would be easier combining a bunch of smaller images into one "animated" brush with a .gih extension. Brushes by default should be grayscaled (meaning they can be used with color) so the usage can be expanded.

You should have the following ready:
The saved image provided opened in the GIMP
STEP ONE ------> Editing your image
This image is obviously way to big to make a useful brush. First, you should realize that a brush shouldn't be larger than 500 pixels. If it's over 500 pixels in width, you may have to resize it. Same with height. Some programs put restrictions on size, so make it easy for every program, and resize the image.

First, you'll notice the annoying vertical line on the brush image. You'll need to clean it up by removing it and you shouldn't use the eraser on this image.

> Select the PaintBrush from GIMP's tool menu (fourth down, fourth over).
> Select a small, soft, round brush.
> Change your color to white.
> Carefully color white over the lines.

The second thing you want to do is crop that extra space off, leaving the brush as you want it displayed, as the image.

> Select the crop tool from GIMP's main tool menu (second down, fifth across). If the image is extremely big and takes up to much space, zoom out so you can see the whole image at once.
> Crop off the extra white space around the image but don't crop off any of the actual brush! Cropping off white reduces brush size in KB and in dimensions. Now it's a good idea to view the image at 100%.

We now resize because it's to big still.

> Click IMAGE > SCALE IMAGE from the image window at the top.
> Under Image Size, change the HEIGHT ONLY to 500px. Note that if you changed the width to 500px, the image would still be to tall!
> Click OK.

Right now, your brush is RGB color, meaning it's a color image. You need to change this if you want people (and yourself) to be able to use this brush with color. Ironic, but RGB won't allow color, just grays; Grayscale allows any color.

> Hit IMAGE > MODE > GRAYSCALE from the image window at the top. Now your image is grayscaled and all's well! You can check to see your image mode from IMAGE > MODE anytime.

STEP TWO ------> Saving your image
In case you're confused on .GBR and .GIH, both are GIMP brush formats. You know, Paint Shop Pro has .PspBrush and PhotoShop has... well... I can't recall at the moment. Anyways!

> Hit FILE > SAVE AS from the image editing window. The save window pops up.
> It asks for a file name. Save it as brush1.gbr or any name you want as long as you put .gbr for the extension! Not .jpg.gbr, JUST .GBR! Change the folder where it will be saved if you like.
> The Save as Brush window now pops up. It asks for spacing and a description of the brush.

The spacing is how long until the brush is "painted" on an image. When you use a brush, you click and hold down and drag it around. 100 spacing is very wide; 10 is very compressed. Typically, for these types of brushes, you put 100 or 200 because you don't want them to blend into each other. This is your preference.

The description is what words will how when you click to use a brush in GIMP's brush panel. You know how you select one of the default circle brushes and you see something like "Circle (13) (13 x 13)"? That's the description. Descriptions organize the brushes where they are for they are alphabetical. It doesn't matter what the actual brush name is called when you save it, it's the description that positions the brush in the panel. This is also your preference.

> After you're done here, hit OK. Your brush will be saved.

STEP THREE ------> Putting your image in the brushes folder and testing it.
ALWAYS test your brushes! If they don't work right, you'll want to know-especially if you intend to make brushes for the public to use!

To test your brushes, you'll first have to move it into the GIMP shared brushes folder, which is under C:/program files if you installed GIMP into the default directory.
> Go to where your brush is saved on your hard drive, right click on it, and hit COPY.
> Now type C:\Program Files in the address bar in your My Documents folder or in My Computer. Hit ok like you're going to view a web page. A whole list of folders should come up.
> Find the one that says GIMP and click it.
> You'll see bin, etc, share, lib, and doc folders and a few files. Click and go into share.
> Go into gimp inside of share.
> Go into the 2.2 folder, or whichever folder you see. It's the version of GIMP you downloaded. It may say 2.0.

Now you've reached all the components for the GIMP. By default, save all the custom brushes and tools you make for the GIMP in the share folder under the appropriate folder for what you've made.

> Go into brushes.
> Right click somewhere in the folder (NOT ON A BRUSH) and hit PASTE. Now your brush can be used in the GIMP!
> In the GIMP (if it's open), hit the Refresh image in the brushes panel. Your new brushes aren't automatically loaded in the panel, you always need to refresh for them to show up.
> What did you name your brush? did you say Blood Brush for the description? Whatever letter your description started with, scroll to that letter and look for it. Remember: the brushes are alphabetical.
> When you find it, click it like you would any other brush, select a color to paint it with, and test it. If you can paint color, then it works!