Description

In this quick tutorial I'll show you how to create realistic fire effects in Photoshop.

Visit our website: http://www.graphicsgeeks.net
Watch our photoshop tutorials playlist: https://goo.gl/DpfR9Z

We start off with a daylight shot. This is important, as we'll need a well exposed image as a starting point.

First let's turn this into a nighttime scene. Add a levels adjustment layer and move the center slider to the right to create some contrast. Then lower the output levels until our scene is almost pitch black.

Create a new folder and inside it add a curves adjustment layer. Move the right handle all the way to the left until it reaches the edge of our histogram. Now add a photo filter adjustment layer, select the custom color option, turn density right up to 100% and make sure that preserve luminosity is enabled.

Lastly we're going to set the light color to the exact color of a candle flame. To do this change the RGB value to Red 255, Green 147 and blue 41, and then hit OK.

Now that we have our fire light it's time to paint into our original scene. Select the folder and then click the add mask button, while holding down the ALT or Option key. This creates a mask that hides all of our fire light.

Next with the folder mask selected, use a soft white brush and start painting the fire light into your scene. It's best to use a low flow setting like 25% for this, so you can build up gradually. Take your time as you're painting and try to think carefully how your light will affect the scene. Some areas of your scene will receive a lot more light than others.

I'm happy with my lighting now, so let's start adding some fire effects. First the fire itself. I place a flame image that has a pure black background into my scene. The to get rid of the black background I change the blending mode to screen.

After some careful positioning I get it in just the right place. Things are looking quite cool already. However, there's a lot more we can do to make this even realistic.

First-off I'm going to add some smoke. I do this in exactly the same way as I did the fire, except this time it's important for me to lower the opacity so that the smoke doesn't look too bright.

Next I add in some sparks, the same way I did the fire. These look pretty cool. I can just imagine the atmosphere now, as the fire crackles away.

I'm not completely satisfied though. There's still a dimension that's lacking here. A fire emits a lot of heat, creating hot air that distorts the background behind it. Therefore I'm going to want to recreate this.

I duplicate my background and then with the top copy selected I go to Filter...Filter Gallery. Under the distort section I select the glass filter and then choose the canvass texture. The slider settings are completely up to you and will basically depend on your scene. Finally press OK to apply the filter.

Unfortunately this has applied our heat distortion effect to the entire scene. Instead we want to paint this effect on. To fix this select your upper background copy and click to add a new mask with the ALT or Option key held down. Next paint in the distortion area, just like we did with the fire light earlier. While you're doing this remember that hot air travels upwards and sometimes, if there's a light breeze, diagonally as well.

Things are looking pretty realistic now, but I'm not completely happy with the color grading. Firstly some of our reds have become over-exposed. To fix this add a curves adjustment layer, and select the red channel. Move the right handle down, until you see the red colors looking just right.

Another problem is that we have a bit too much black in our background. This takes a lot of interest away from our scene, so we're going to want to lift that up a bit. Change back to the RGB channel and lift up the left handle. You can also make some other tweaks as necessary.

You can see that this has really enhanced the look of our scene. I'm really happy with this now!

That's it for this tutorial. If enjoyed it subscribe and hit the like button - and I'll see you next time!

Stock Photography (Shutterstock License):
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=263889995
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=236011747
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=228379243
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=183931349

Metadata

Video ID 297
Youtube URL Realistic Fire & Flame Effects | Photoshop Tutorial
Captions Available Yes
Captions Downloadable Yes
Playlists
Duration 00:04:24
Definition hd
Keywords
License youtube
Embeddable Yes
Views 15843
Likes 267
Dislikes 2
Favourites 0
Comments 21
Created 2017-05-04 1:00:44 PM
Updated 2017-05-04 1:13:39 PM

Captions

ASR: en

0:00:00.000,0:00:05.160
in this quick tutorial I'll show you how

0:00:02.700,0:00:08.160
to create realistic fire effects in

0:00:05.160,0:00:10.950
Photoshop we start off with a daylight

0:00:08.160,0:00:13.400
shot this is important as we'll need a

0:00:10.950,0:00:15.630
well exposed image as a starting point

0:00:13.400,0:00:18.720
first let's turn this into a nighttime

0:00:15.630,0:00:22.080
scene add a levels adjustment layer and

0:00:18.720,0:00:25.890
move the center slider to the right to

0:00:22.080,0:00:28.500
create some contrast then lower the

0:00:25.890,0:00:33.329
output levels until our scene is almost

0:00:28.500,0:00:36.649
pitch-black create a new folder and

0:00:33.329,0:00:39.270
inside it ida curves adjustment layer

0:00:36.649,0:00:41.460
move the right handle all the way to the

0:00:39.270,0:00:45.539
left until it reaches the edge of our

0:00:41.460,0:00:47.760
histogram now add a photo filter

0:00:45.539,0:00:49.710
adjustment layer select the custom color

0:00:47.760,0:00:51.989
option turned density right up to

0:00:49.710,0:00:54.600
hundred percent make sure that preserve

0:00:51.989,0:00:56.460
luminosity is enabled lastly we're going

0:00:54.600,0:00:59.309
to set the light color to the exact

0:00:56.460,0:01:04.580
color of a candle flame to do this

0:00:59.309,0:01:09.960
change the RGB value to read 255 green

0:01:04.580,0:01:11.939
147 and blue 41 and then it's ok now

0:01:09.960,0:01:14.430
that we have our fire light it's time to

0:01:11.939,0:01:16.710
paint into our original scene select the

0:01:14.430,0:01:19.350
folder and then click the add mask

0:01:16.710,0:01:22.140
button while holding down the alt or

0:01:19.350,0:01:25.080
option key this creates a mask that

0:01:22.140,0:01:27.420
hides all of our fire light next with

0:01:25.080,0:01:29.729
the folder mask selected use a soft

0:01:27.420,0:01:32.729
white brush start painting the fire

0:01:29.729,0:01:34.409
light into your scene it's best to use a

0:01:32.729,0:01:36.570
low-flow setting like twenty-five

0:01:34.409,0:01:39.329
percent furnace so you can build up

0:01:36.570,0:01:41.310
gradually take your time as you're

0:01:39.329,0:01:43.350
painting and try to think carefully

0:01:41.310,0:01:45.750
about how your light will affect the

0:01:43.350,0:01:47.630
scene some areas of your scene will

0:01:45.750,0:01:50.460
receive a lot more light than others I'm

0:01:47.630,0:01:53.630
happy with my lighting now so let's

0:01:50.460,0:01:57.060
start adding some fire effects

0:01:53.630,0:01:59.400
first the fire itself I place a flame

0:01:57.060,0:02:02.970
image that has a pure black background

0:01:59.400,0:02:04.740
into my scene then to get rid of the

0:02:02.970,0:02:07.770
black background I change the blending

0:02:04.740,0:02:09.780
mode to screen after some careful

0:02:07.770,0:02:12.120
positioning I get it in just the right

0:02:09.780,0:02:14.790
place things are looking quite cool

0:02:12.120,0:02:17.310
already however there's a lot more we

0:02:14.790,0:02:19.770
can do to make this even more realistic

0:02:17.310,0:02:22.380
first off I'm going to add some smoke I

0:02:19.770,0:02:25.680
do this in exactly the same way as I did

0:02:22.380,0:02:27.810
the fire except this time it's important

0:02:25.680,0:02:30.270
for me to lower the opacity so the smoke

0:02:27.810,0:02:32.280
doesn't look too bright next I add in

0:02:30.270,0:02:34.680
some sparks the same way I did the fire

0:02:32.280,0:02:36.720
these look pretty cool I can just

0:02:34.680,0:02:39.090
imagine the atmosphere now as the fire

0:02:36.720,0:02:41.010
crackles away I'm not completely

0:02:39.090,0:02:42.870
satisfied though there's still a

0:02:41.010,0:02:45.090
dimension that's lacking here a fire

0:02:42.870,0:02:47.240
emits a lot of heat creating hot air

0:02:45.090,0:02:49.230
that distorts the background behind it

0:02:47.240,0:02:52.650
therefore I'm going to want to recreate

0:02:49.230,0:02:54.690
this I duplicate my background and then

0:02:52.650,0:03:00.150
with the top copy selected I go to

0:02:54.690,0:03:02.489
filter and filter gallery under the

0:03:00.150,0:03:04.890
distort section I select the glass

0:03:02.489,0:03:06.959
filter and then choose the canvas

0:03:04.890,0:03:08.730
texture the slider settings are

0:03:06.959,0:03:11.280
completely up to you and will basically

0:03:08.730,0:03:14.010
depend on your scene finally press ok to

0:03:11.280,0:03:15.570
apply the filter unfortunately this is

0:03:14.010,0:03:17.489
applied our heat distortion effect to

0:03:15.570,0:03:20.670
the entire scene instead we want to

0:03:17.489,0:03:22.980
paint this effect on to fix this select

0:03:20.670,0:03:24.690
your upper background copy and click to

0:03:22.980,0:03:27.540
add a new mask with the alt or option

0:03:24.690,0:03:29.400
key held down next painting the

0:03:27.540,0:03:31.560
distortion area just like we did with

0:03:29.400,0:03:33.450
the firelight earlier while you're doing

0:03:31.560,0:03:35.640
this remember that hot air travels

0:03:33.450,0:03:37.890
upwards and sometimes if there's a light

0:03:35.640,0:03:39.870
breeze diagonally as well things are

0:03:37.890,0:03:41.700
looking pretty realistic now but I'm not

0:03:39.870,0:03:43.709
completely happy with the color grading

0:03:41.700,0:03:46.590
firstly some of our Reds have become

0:03:43.709,0:03:47.870
overexposed to fix this add a curves

0:03:46.590,0:03:52.080
adjustment layer

0:03:47.870,0:03:54.120
and select the red channel move the

0:03:52.080,0:03:56.610
right handle down until you see the red

0:03:54.120,0:03:58.200
color is looking just right another

0:03:56.610,0:04:00.510
problem is that we have a bit too much

0:03:58.200,0:04:02.580
black in our background this takes a lot

0:04:00.510,0:04:03.739
of interest away from our scene so we're

0:04:02.580,0:04:07.049
going to want to lift that up a bit

0:04:03.739,0:04:09.360
change back to the RGB channel and lift

0:04:07.049,0:04:11.879
up the left-hand rule you can also make

0:04:09.360,0:04:13.560
some other tweaks as necessary you can

0:04:11.879,0:04:15.900
see that this is really enhance the look

0:04:13.560,0:04:18.989
of our scene I'm really happy with this

0:04:15.900,0:04:20.789
now that's it for this tutorial if you

0:04:18.989,0:04:24.919
enjoyed it subscribe and hit the like

0:04:20.789,0:04:24.919
button and I'll see you next time

standard: en

Screenshots

Participant: nameless model

Profiles

Profile 1

Purpose Tutorial (why)
Content
Participants nameless (f) model, nameless (m) model, Photoshop (m) geek
Form Tutorial (how)
Time
Place

Profile 3

Purpose
Content
Participants
Form
Time Medium
Place Desktop

Profile 4

Purpose
Content Portrait
Participants
Form
Time
Place