¿JComponents no aparece con una imagen de fondo?

Primero mire este pequeño ejemplo, avíseme si entendió lo que está sucediendo aquí. Sólo entonces daremos un paso más, poco a poco. Intente seguir este ejemplo, en el que le muestro cómo dibujar en unJPanel

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.net.URL;
import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
import javax.swing.*;

public class PaintingExample {

    private CustomPanel contentPane;

    private void displayGUI() {
        JFrame frame = new JFrame("Painting Example");
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);

        contentPane = new CustomPanel();        

        frame.setContentPane(contentPane);
        frame.pack();
        frame.setLocationByPlatform(true);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }

    public static void main(String... args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                new PaintingExample().displayGUI();
            }
        });
    }
}

class CustomPanel extends JPanel {

    private BufferedImage image;

    public CustomPanel() {
        setOpaque(true);
        setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.BLACK, 5));
        try {
            /*
             * Since Images are Application Resources,
             * it's always best to access them in the
             * form of a URL, instead of File, as you are doing.
             * Uncomment this below line and watch this answer
             * of mine, as to HOW TO ADD IMAGES TO THE PROJECT
             * http://stackoverflow.com/a/9866659/1057230
             * In order to access images with getClass().getResource(path)
             * here your Directory structure has to be like this
             *                 Project
             *                    |
             *         ------------------------
             *         |                      |
             *        bin                    src
             *         |                      |
             *     ---------             .java files             
             *     |       |                   
             *  package   image(folder)
             *  ( or              |
             *   .class        404error.jpg
             *   files, if
             *   no package
             *   exists.)
             */
            //image = ImageIO.read(
            //      getClass().getResource(
            //              "/image/404error.jpg"));
            image = ImageIO.read(new URL(
                        "http://i.imgur.com/8zgHpH8.jpg"));
        } catch(IOException ioe) {
            System.out.println("Unable to fetch image.");
            ioe.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

    /*
     * Make this one customary habbit,
     * of overriding this method, when
     * you extends a JPanel/JComponent,
     * to define it's Preferred Size.
     * Now in this case we want it to be 
     * as big as the Image itself.
     */
    @Override
    public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
        return (new Dimension(image.getWidth(), image.getHeight()));
    }

    /*
     * This is where the actual Painting
     * Code for the JPanel/JComponent
     * goes. Here we will draw the image.
     * Here the first line super.paintComponent(...),
     * means we want the JPanel to be drawn the usual 
     * Java way first (this usually depends on the opaque
     * property of the said JComponent, if it's true, then
     * it becomes the responsibility on the part of the
     * programmer to fill the content area with a fully
     * opaque color. If it is false, then the programmer
     * is free to leave it untouched. So in order to 
     * overcome the hassle assoicated with this contract,
     * super.paintComponent(g) is used, since it adheres
     * to the rules, and performs the same task, depending
     * upon whether the opaque property is true or false),
     * then later on we will add our image to it, by 
     * writing the other line, g.drawImage(...).
     */
    @Override
    protected void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
        super.paintComponent(g);
        g.drawImage(image, 0, 0, this);
    }
}

Compilar y ejecutar:

1. Inicie el símbolo del sistema/terminal/cmd. Y vaya a la ubicación a la que hace referencia la carpeta Proyecto

2. Ahora compila el código usando:

   C:\Proyecto>javac -d bin src\*.java

3. Ahora vaya a la carpeta bin , emitiendo el comando:

   C:\Proyecto>bandeja de cd

4. Una vez dentro de la carpeta bin , emita el siguiente comando para ejecutar:

   C:\Project\bin>ejemplo de pintura java

Aquí está el código cuando se usa JLabelcomo base para la imagen:

import java.awt.*;
import java.net.MalformedURLException;
import java.net.URL;
import javax.swing.*;

public class LabelExample {

    private JPanel contentPane;
    private JLabel imageLabel;

    private void displayGUI() {
        JFrame frame = new JFrame("Label Example");
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);

        contentPane = new JPanel();
        contentPane.setOpaque(true);
        contentPane.setBorder(
                BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.BLACK, 5));
        //imageLabel = new JLabel(
        //          new ImageIcon(
        //              getClass().getResource(
        //                  "/image/404error.jpg")));
        try {
            imageLabel = new JLabel(new ImageIcon(
                    new URL("http://i.imgur.com/8zgHpH8.jpg")));
        } catch(MalformedURLException mue) {
            System.out.println(
                    "Unable to get Image from"
                        + "the Resource specified.");
            mue.printStackTrace();
        }
        contentPane.add(imageLabel);
        frame.setContentPane(contentPane);  
        frame.pack();
        frame.setLocationByPlatform(true);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }

    public static void main(String... args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                new LabelExample().displayGUI();
            }
        });
    }
}

Aquí está el resultado de los dos códigos anteriores:

Jul 07 '2012 04:07 nIcE cOw