Building a fire in Photoshop

Published July 05, 2000 by Jesse King, posted by Myopic Rhino
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updated: 11/6/99

The first thing you do is make a [color="#8B0000"]new image[/color] of any size. Using any orange related color, you make what looks like an orange blob. You must make sure that the image has black spots around its interior.

fire_1.jpg


For personal preferences you might consider adding small specs of red, after all fire does have some red in it. All the [color="#8B0000"]brushes [/color]used should have an [color="#8B0000"]anti-alias [/color]hint to them, so the edges don't look too hard. Your fire should look smooth and beautiful, like poetry.

fire_2.jpg


Now the first real step towards building your very own fire is to click the [color="#8B0000"]Filter [/color]menu, and run your mouse over the [color="#8B0000"]Distort [/color]topic which shows another menu in which you click on [color="#8B0000"]ripple[/color]. You click and drag the slider deal all the way to the left/right, and keep the size at [color="#8B0000"]Medium[/color]. Now click OK.

fire_3.jpg


Now here is where you decide what you want you fire to look like, of course you [color="#8B0000"]ripple [/color]a couple more times. However many times you decide is fine. The more you ripple the more it blends and looks harder.

fire_4.jpg
7 times, including the first


All you do for now is decide whether or not you like your fire. If not you can do things like add more black, and [color="#8B0000"]ripple[/color], or even add more orange. You can definitly do anything you like.

fire_5.jpg
Added more color, then [color="#8B0000"]rippled [/color]it again.


Now this step would probably be just touching it up, maybe [color="#8B0000"]ripple [/color]it some more, or color [color="#8B0000"]dodge/burn [/color]it. This help make the fire look more real, so if you not looking for semi-serious fire then don't use the [color="#8B0000"]dodge/burn [/color]tool. You can also use a [color="#8B0000"]brush [/color]of your choice or [color="#8B0000"]copy and paste [/color]different parts of the image around the picture.**Remember there is no distinct shape or movement of fire**

fire_6.jpg


Now this is usually the last step, but it doesn't have to be. I always end my fire with a good [color="#8B0000"]blur[/color], or random [color="#8B0000"]filters [/color]which give it a hint of [color="#8B0000"]blur[/color]. Sometimes fire doesn't look good with [color="#8B0000"]blur[/color], in which you leave it alone. The [color="#8B0000"]blur[/color] is only a touch up tool as well.

fire_7.jpg


Here is an example of some fire I have done in the past.

fire_8.jpg
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