Fire and Flames

Pretty realistic fire and flames effects can be produced, so that an object looks on fire.

• Create a new file of 300ppi and 1100 pixels x 1100 pixels with a black background.

• Select the Type tool and a font of your fancy in white and 72 point. A basic Times font is used here.
  
 Type the word PIZZA on the lower portion of the background.
  
  

• Combine the Background and Type layers into a new layer by using Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E / Cmd + Alt + Shift + E.
  
 This new layer should be active.

• Go to Edit > Transform > Rotate 90 CCW.

• Go to Filter > Stylize > Wind.
  
 Check the buttons for Wind and From the Right.

• Run the filter three more times with Ctrl + F / Cmd + F .

• Go to Edit > Transform > Rotate 90 CW.

• With Layer 1 still active, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and enter a value of 7.
  The right colours greatly help the fire and flames effects.

• Go to Image > Adjust > Hue / Saturation, which is Ctrl + U / Cmd + U .
  
 Check Colorize.
  
 Set Hue to 40 and Saturation to 100. OK.

• Dupe Layer 1 with Ctrl + J / Cmd + J .

• Via Ctrl + U / Cmd + U give Layer 1 copy a Hue of 0 and Saturation to 100 to create the red.
  Click OK.

• Set the mode of Layer 1 copy to Color Dodge.

• With Ctrl + E / Cmd + E, merge Layer 1 and Layer 1 copy.

• Go to Image > Liquify, which is Ctrl + Shift + X / Cmd + Shift + X. Choose the Forward Warp Tool.
  
Set Brush Size to 40;
  Brush Density to 100;
  Brush Pressure to 50.

  Stroke the brush up from the letters to distort the flames.
  
 Give the brush a suitable wiggle to make the flames look more realistic.
  

  

• Now change the brush to a size of 30 and a pressure of 30. 
 Have a second go at the flames to distort them further. OK.

  It's best to keep the numbers low. Although it is slower, it gives more control.

  If you are not satisfied with the way the flames are looking, hold Alt and the Cancel button changes to Reset.
  Click on Reset and start again.
  

• In the Layers panel, copy the original Type layer and move it above Layer 1.

• Go to Layer > Rasterize > Type.
  
 Ctrl + click / Cmd + click on to this layer's icon in the Layers panel in order to select the letters.

• Press D for the default toolbox colours.
  If black is on top, use Alt + Backspace to fill the selection with black.

• Cancel the selection with Ctrl + D / Cmd + D.

• Duplicate Layer 1 with Ctrl + J / Cmd + J and put this new Layer 1 copy on the top.

• Change its mode to Screen.

• In the Layers panel, click on the Add layer mask icon.
  

• Select the Gradient Tool.
  From the options bar, choose the Linear Gradient tool.
  Make a gradient of white to black, making the join between the white and black quite sharp.

• Drag the cursor over the letters from the top down.
  
 The top portion of the letters need to be masked and they should still be black at the bottom. If not, then the gradient is upside down. Undo the last move and reverse the gradient.

• Select the Smudge Tool and a Brush Size of 60.
  
 Set a Hardness of 50% with Strength at 60%.
  
 Brush over parts of the letters to make the edge of the gradient more erratic.

• Create a new layer on the top of the stack.
  
 Merge all the other layers into this layer with Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E / Cmd + Alt + Shift + E.

• Put it into Screen mode and set Opacity to 30%.
  

• Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Give it a Radius of 40. This gives a slight glow to the flames.

• Create yet another new layer at the top of the stack and combine all the other layers into it with Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E / Cmd + Alt + Shift + E.
  
 This makes Layer 3.

• Set its mode to Screen and Opacity to 60%..
  
 This is going to be a reflection.
  

• Drag the bottom right corner of the image frame down and to the right to give more grey space around the image.
  
Bring up Free Transform tool with Ctrl + T / Cmd + T.

• Pull the top middle handle down, then the bottom middle handle up above it so that the image flips upside down.

  With the Move tool, position the letters so they are touching like a reflection.
  
Press Enter.

Adjust Hue, perhaps to -10.

The Liquify tool can be used again to distort the flames further.

Or use fire in Photoshop to create your own Phoenix.

This 'Fire and Flames' tutorial is a sample from

Photoshop Expert

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