SIMULATING FIRE EFFECT
Using Photoshop

STEP 1
Create a new document with the following setting: RGB color, White background.  For this tutorial purpose, I created a 150x150 pixels, 72 dpi image.

STEP 2

STEP 3
Use the Rectangle Selection tool to make a selection rectangle which covers the whole bottom half of the canvas. Click the Gradient Fill tool in the Tools box to create a gradient such as shown on Step 4 (light orange-reddish orange- yellow).

STEP 4

STEP 5
Fill the selection that you created in Step 3 with the gradient that you created in Step 4.  

(With the Gradient Tool highlighted, drag vertically across the selection rectangle, starting from the bottom to the top).  You should see something like this. 


1.jpg (7537 bytes)

 Deselect your current selection (i.e.: Do Select->None).  

Click the Finger Painting tool in the Tools box.  The Finger Painting property box then appears, make sure Finger painting is not checked.  Set the pressure to around 50%.  

Open the Brushes palette.  Select a circular feathered brush (for this purpose, use the Standard preset  Photoshop brushes: one of the  last 3 brushes on the second row pictured below). 

STEP 6

STEP 7
  Now that you have selected a brush, smear the images using the brush. (Move the mouse into the colored areas and click and drag upward.   

Keep smearing, (you should alter the brush size periodically to make a less mechanical look).  Also make sure the height of the spikes are irregular (see the picture below.)

   After you're satisfied with the spikes, do Filter » Shear.  Experiment with until you get something like below.  

Watch the preview window to get an idea of what the filter will do the the image.  In general, it takes about 5 curve points to make the fire looks good. 



STEP 8

STEP 9
  Do Filter » Ripple.  Set size to Medium, set Amount to Maximum.  Voila, you should get a 3D looking fire like below.   One more extra step if you want to be more fancy.  You can scale the image vertically to make the fire more realistic looking such as below.  By stretching the height of the image, the fire has become more engulfing:).



 

permadi@permadi.com
(C) F. Permadi

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