PLAYING WITH FIRE

Over the years I have seen a number of Photoshop fire effects. Unfortuna
very flexible or realistic, so I decided to develop my own. The technique I
more realistic than I had hoped for. It can be used to start a fire on almos

This sequence employs a great, hidden, feature of Liquify that allows you
distortion mesh. With this enhancement Liquify becomes a much more fun
tool that offers multiple levels of control that would not be available witho
distortion can take a little practice so you may want to start with a single
attempt a more complex image like the one I created here.
Have fun getting burned ;)
Greg

Image Specs: 1117 x 790 pixels at 266

dpi, RGB color. Trajan, Regular, 85
point.
Note: This technique relies on the
document and font sizes listed above.
Other fonts will work at 85 point.

Photoshop File

Movie

Requires Photoshop version 6+.

Level: Advanced
In this first step we will start by creating the fire
1.text as white, rotated 90 degrees counter
clockwise, on a black background.
Go to File, New and set the document size to 1117
pixels by 790 pixels, Mode RGB color, Under
Contents click White.

1a

To make the Background black, press Command-I

for Mac or Control-I for PC. This inverts the white
background to black.
Over a black background layer create the white
type layer FIRE with the type tool and hit Enter.
See Image Specs: above for type size and font.
Position the type with the Move tool (V) so that it
is centered in the lower half of the document like
in step 2 below.
Note: If you don't have the font listed above, select
another font and set it to the same point size.
Now make a new layer above them by clicking on
the create new layer icon or Cmd + Option + Shift
+ N for Mac or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N for PC to

1b

create Layer 1.
Merge all viewed layers to Layer 1 with Cmd +
Option + Shift + E for Mac or Ctrl + Alt + Shift +
E for PC.
Transform Layer 1 90 degrees counter clockwise
with Edit, Transform, Rotate 90 CCW.
Figure 1a shows the document view of the layer
stack in Figure 1b.

In this step we run four wind filtrations on the

2.merged layer then rotate it back.
With Layer 1 active go to Filter, Stylize, Wind.
Leave the dialog set to defaults and click OK.
Repeat the filtration three more times. Use Cmd +
F or Ctrl + F to repeat the last filtration.

2a

Now rotate Layer 1 90 degrees clockwise with

Edit, Transform, Rotate 90 CW.
Figure 2a shows the document view after the
filtrations in Figure 2b.

2b
Now we will Blur and colorize Layer 1.
3.
With Layer 1 active go to Filter, Blur, Gaussian
Blur. In the dialog box set the Radius to 7.5 pixels
and click OK.
Now go to Image, Adjust, Hue/Saturation or Cmd
+ U or Ctrl + U. In the Hue dialog box click the
Colorize button, set the Hue to 40, the Saturation
to 100 and click OK.
Figure 3b shows the layer stack after the colorize

3a

3b

and blur. Figure 3a shows the result document

view.

Duplicate Layer 1 and make it red.

4.
Duplicate Layer 1 by dragging it to the create new
layer icon or with Cmd + J or Ctrl + J to create
Layer 1 copy.
With Layer 1 copy active, go to Image, Adjust,
Hue/Saturation or Cmd + U or Ctrl + U. Set the
Hue to -40 and click OK.

4a

Note: The shortcut names layers differently as in

Layer 2 instead of Layer 1 copy.
4b

The resulting layer should look like Figure 4b and

the document like Figure 4a.
Set Layer 1 copy to Color Dodge mode and merge
5.down.
With Layer 1 copy active, go to the Mode drop
down menu at the top of the Layers palette and
click-drag it from Normal to Color Dodge or
Option + Shift + D or Alt + Shift + D.

5a

Now merge Layer 1 copy down onto Layer 1, with

Layer, Merge Down or Command/Ctrl + E.
Note: The shortcut changes the mode based on the
active tool. For Layers select the Move tool (V).
Figure 5b shows Layer 1 copy set to Color Dodge.
Figure 5a shows the result.

5b

Distort the image into flames with the Warp tool

6.ain the Liquify dialog.
With Layer 1 active, go to Image, Liquify or Cmd
+ Shift + X or Ctrl + Shift + X.
The Warp tool is selected by default. In the dialog
box set the Brush Size to 50 and the Brush
Pressure to 40. Now click-drag the initial flame
shapes up from the edges of the white text areas.
Wiggle the mouse as you drag up. This first run
creates the major flame shapes.
For the second run, create smaller flames by
reducing the Brush Size to 30 and the Brush
Pressure to 35.

6b
6a

If you want to start over you can Reset back to the

undistorted version by holding down Option for
Mac or Alt for PC and clicking the Reset button
that appears to replace the Cancel button. You can
also use the Reconstruct tool (E) to remove or
rework your distortions until you are pretty happy
with your flames but don't click Okay just yet.
(Optional) Evaluate the distortions and re-edit if
6.bnecessary using Shift to save and load the
distortion mesh.
When you are pretty happy with your flame
shapes, press the Shift key and click Okay.
The Shift key is a modifier to Liquify that saves
the distortion mesh you created for later use. If
you want to rework the distortion, you can now
Edit, Undo or Cmd + Z or Ctrl + Z to revert the
image back to a pre-Liquified state. Now if you
reopen Liquify with Cmd + Shift + X or Ctrl +
Shift + X. The dialog will open with your
previous distortion mesh applied. The advantage
is that this allows you to use your previous
distortion mesh as a starting point but now you
can Reconstruct all the way back to the
undistorted version.
Figure 6c shows the image after Liquify
distortions, Figure 6d shows the layer stack.

6c

6d

Duplicate the FIRE text layer, rotate it back, fill it

7.with black and then move FIRE copy above Layer
1.
Duplicate the FIRE layer by dragging it to the
make layer icon or Cmd + J or Ctrl + J to create
the layer FIRE copy.

7a

Drag FIRE copy above Layer 1 in the layer stack.

Fill the text shape with black by pressing the D
key for default colors then Option + Delete or Alt
+ Backspace to fill with foreground color.
7b

Note: The shortcut names layers differently as in

FIRE 2 instead of FIRE copy.
Figure 7a shows the new, black, text over the fire.
Figure 7b shows the layer stack.
Duplicate the liquified flame layer, move the copy
8.above the black text, then mask and Screen.
Duplicate Layer 1 with Cmd + J or Ctrl + J to
create Layer 2.
Drag Layer 2 above the layer FIRE copy in the
layer stack. Set the mode for Layer 2 to Screen
with Option + Shift + S. Then add a layer mask by
clicking on the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom
of the Layers palette.
With the linear Gradient tool run a white to black,
linear gradient from the top of the text area to the
bottom.
Then use the Smudge tool (R) or Shift-(R) to
toggle, with a 65 pixel, soft edged brush at 70%,
on the layer mask, dragging up and down to reveal
or hide Layer 2 flames.
Figure 8a shows the document view of the layer
stack in Figure 8b.

8a

8b

Merge all the layers to a new layer at the top of the

9.stack, then blur and Screen to create a glow.
Create a new layer at the top of the stack by
activating Layer 2 then clicking on the create layer
icon or Cmd+ Option + Shift + N or Ctrl + Alt +
Shift + N to create Layer 3.

9a

Turn the view on for all layers and merge to Layer

3 with Cmd + Option + Shift + E or Ctrl + Alt +
Shift + E.
Set the mode for Layer 3 to Screen with (V) then
Option + Shift + S or Alt + Shift + S.
Set the opacity of Layer 3 to 50% with (V) and
then (5).

9b

Then go to Filter, Blur, Gaussian Blur or Cmd +

Option + F or Ctrl + Alt + F to open the last filter
dialog, set the Radius to 50 pixels and click OK.
Figure 9a shows the image with the glow applied.
Figure 9b show the layer stack.
Merge all layers to a new layer at the top of the stack, then
10.transform the resulting image down under.
Click on the Create Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette or
Cmd + Option + Shift + N or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N to create Layer
4.
With Layer 4 active and all views on, merge to Layer 4 with Cmd +
Option + Shift + E or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E. Set the mode for Layer
4 to Screen and set the opacity to 60% with (V) and then (6).
Now zoom back so you have some gray non-document space around
your image (make sure Resize Windows To Fit is off in your Zoom
tool options bar). Go to Edit, Free Transform or Cmd + T or Ctrl +
T. Click-drag the top center handle down beyond the bottom of the
transform bounding box, then drag the bottom center handle up to
create the inverted reflection. Apply the transform (Enter) and
position with the Move tool (V) if needed.
10a
Figure 10a shows the final layer stack and Figure 10b shows the
completed image.

10b

Key Techniques

Merge to target (Cmd + Option + Shift + E or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E) is a great way to create a composite of a
layers quickly. It simplifies the build process by bringing together a number of layers into a single layer and w
applied to a new layer, it does no damage to the component layers.

To envelope an image element in an effect, sandwich it between two layers holding the effect. Thi
the enveloped element appear to be inside the overall effect. Here we used this to enclose the text

Duplicate a bright layer, blur it and set it to Screen mode to create a glow. This can offer a much m
sophisticated, image-based glow than a Layer Style glow can offer.

To save and load a Liquify distortion mesh use Shift when applying and entering Liquify . This gi
the ability to Undo and re-work your distortions with much more control over the result.

Enhancements

To make the fire appear to have more depth run another liquify pass on either one of the flame layers, Layer 1
2 above. This will increase the separation of the flames in the foreground and background.

To make the surface of the floor a bit more realistic. Run a Filter, Stylize, Wind on the reflection to roughen u
texture of the floor.

To place the fire over other backgrounds, merge your fire with black background onto one layer. Then put you
background image on a layer underneath. Finally, target the fire layer and set the mode from Normal to Screen
stacks the light stuff from the fire layer onto the background image but ignores the dark stuff. To keep the text
would predict that I would need the black text as a separate layer. So I would merge the fire in front of the tex
layer, merge the fire in back of the text onto one layer, set both fire layers to Screen and replace the backgroun
are looking for more fire intensity against a light background try the Lighten mode instead. It will hold more "
against lightness but the edges will carry some unwanted density sometimes. If you have this edge problem tr
Blending options for the fire layer by double-clicking it and then splitting the black "This Layer" slider by pre

option/alt key and dragging it right. This will fade the edge transition. You may need to drag the right slider "e
way over to 255. Also try duplicating the layer when it is set to Screen to intensify the effect.