Recolour image based on lower resolution version

Question

I want to recreate the following image at a much higher resolution, so it will be suitable for printing in large.

I have found a place where I can purchase a high-resolution version of the ice cream cone, as well as (a good imitation of) the font. The only difficult (to me) part of putting the image together is recolouring the stock photo to match the ice cream in the smaller image as closely as possible. I somehow want to keep the small-scale detail of the higher resolution image while preserving the colour of the smaller image. I was hoping someone here could explain to me how to do this.

The only software I have on hand is Gimp, so I would prefer to do it there. If doing this is for some reason next to impossible in Gimp and very easy in (some recent-ish version of) Photoshop, I might be able to get access to a computer with Photoshop for a few hours, but that would be much less practical for me.

(ETA: To be clear, I have permission from the creator of the image to do this.)

Answer 1

I realize this answer doesn't address your specific Gimp question, but it does provide a solution.

I find that font, along with its kerning and spacing, a bit atrocious.... But anyway.....

The easiest solution is to purchase the image as it is, not try to recolor the wrong image:

_{Click the image to load it at www.dreamstime.com}

People often take the shortest possible route to something. That font choice, to me, makes it clear the creator isn't really a designer... so a stock photo or photo of the actual ice cream cones must exist somewhere. It was merely a matter of the right search terms to find it. The image, as it is, is already available at www.dreamstime.com as well as other stock sites I'm sure.

Stock photo + uncredited quote from W. Kamau Bell (Kamau saying this quote is used in an advertisement on Comedy Central to promote the next episode of his television show)... do you need permission for that? The original creator was merely "borrowing" content to begin with. Guess that's a different matter altogether. :)

Answer 2

Just in case you still want to do it in Gimp, the easiest / fastest way would be something like this:

• Open your image;
• Using the Lasso or the Free Select Tool, select the area you want to re-color (the ice-cream itself);
• Add a new layer, and using the selection you have created before, fill it with the color you want to use;
• Go to the Layers tab, and in the dropdown select Overlay.

_{Source of Image (also contains explanations about layer modes)}

You can re-use this layer for all the colors you need, just duplicate the overlay color layer and paint with a new color.