How to Set the World on Fire with Photoshop

How to Set the World on Fire with Photoshop

Learn how to create a detailed and cool looking sci-fi art piece in Photoshop. Grab your lighter and a big bottle of gasoline, because today we are going to set the world on fire. Check it out, and you might learn some neat tricks!

I know you Photoshop people love to set stuff on fire, so here is a tutorial on how to set the whole world on fire. Enjoy!

;)

Step 1

This time we will work with a square document. Make it fairly large 1280 x 1280 will do just fine (final comp will be a bit bigger).

Press D to reset FG/BG-color, then add a new Gradient Fill Layer – Name it “City Lights”. Pick a Radial gradient that goes from a white center to a black edge.

Step 2

Now we will add some filters, it can be helpful to use the Filter Gallery to append these three filters…

Filter > Artistic > Plastic Wrap

Filter > Stylize > Glowing Edges

Filter > Texture > Stained Glass

Step 3

Go to Image > Canvas Size and set it to 2048 x 1536px or whatever size you want your final composition size to be (note: the image will be scaled down later on).

Step 4

Duplicate the City Lights Layer, then scale down the original (City Lights) to the size you want for the earth on your final piece.

Merge City Lights with Background. Name the Layers as shown below.

Step 5

Working on the layer Flames. Select Filter > Blur > Radial Blur.

Step 6

Select Filter > Distort > Wave.

Repeat the filter 2 or 3 times, each time click the Randomize-button (Ctrl + Alt + F). Set the blending mode of Flames to Screen, and lower the opacity to about 70%.

Step 7

Duplicate Background and place it on the top of your layer stack, name it Smoke. Press D to reset your FG/BG-color, then select Filter > Render > Difference Clouds. Repeat the filter 5-6 times (or until you see a nice fire effect). Set the Blending Mode of Smoke to Color Dodge.

Step 8

Add a new Color Balance Adjustment Layer, place it on the top of the layer stack.

Step 9

Head over to sxc and download this stock photo (free membership required). Open up the picture in Photoshop, select the earth using the Circular Marquee Tool copy it and paste it in our fire document (I suggest you select a bit inside the actual edge, to leave out any white).

Step 10

Resize the earth so that it fits your “fireball” thingy

;)

It does not matter if there are some white dots outside the earth. In fact, it might even look cooler!

Step 11

Create a Layer Mask for Earth layer. Use a medium sized brush and start brushing the mask with Black/White to hide and reveal details.

Power tip: Use the smudge tool to mess up the edge of the mask, to make the fire look more natural.

Step 12

Add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer, choose to use previous layer as Clipping Mask. Lower the Saturation and Lightness.

Step 13

Create a new document 4000 x 3000 px, render some default colored clouds, copy and paste to our composition as a new layer Clouds.

Step 14

Set the Blending Mode to Lighten for Clouds. Add a Layer Mask, fill it with black. Grab a soft large brush, set the opacity to about 5%, then paint in some clouds by drawing on the mask with a white color. Draw around the earth, then crank up the opacity and lower the size of the brush when you get more close to the edge.

Step 15

Ctrl + Click on the Layer Icon for Earth. Create a new Fill Layer, any color. Set Fill (located below Opacity) of the Layer to 0%.

Double-click the layer and add an Inner Glow effect (dark red color).

Step 16

Duplicate the Inner Glow layer you just created. Move the layer down so that it gets placed just above Background. Un-check the Outer Glow effect, then add an Outer Glow instead.

Duplicate the top Inner Glow again, this time make the inner glow a bright red color and decrease the effect. Set outer glow of this layer to a bright red color and decrease the effect.

Step 17

For the star sky, create a new layer on top of all other layers. Fill it with black, then go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise.

Select Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, set it to about 0,4-0,8. Add a Levels Adjustment Layer, use Previous layer as Clipping Mask and drag the Midtones-slider to the right until you see a nice sky. Mask out the earth, then set the Blending Mode of the sky to Lighten.

Step 18

Cool, almost there! Adding one final Color Balance Adjustment Layer on top of the whole layer stack will help you to tweak the colors of the final image. Add some blue for midtones and shadows, then crank up the yellow and red for highlights. Also on the Earth layer you can set the Lightness and Saturation to almost 0 and control the effect with a radial gradient + brush mask instead. If you want the lava less textured, you can duplicate the Background and blur it, then mask parts of the fire that you want to blur.

When you are happy with the result, save a copy of the image then go to Image > Resize.

Setting re-sampling algorithm to Bicubic Sharper will keep the stars and the lava crisp.

Step 19

Select the Background layer and go to Filter > Render > Lens Flare. You may have to play around with the position to get the flare right.

Step 20

Create a new layer on top of all other layers. Then repeat the Lens Flare filter (Ctrl + F). Lower the Opacity of the layer a bit and set the Blending Mode to Screen. You might want to mask out some of the details on this one.

Result

That is it! Not so hard right? If you enjoyed this tutorial, please consider sharing it… it would mean a lot to me! (See below for details). Also, subscribe to stay updated with more tutorials like this one.

Thank you, have fun!

Continue reading here: Create a Glowing Retro LCD Effect in Photoshop

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Readers' Questions

  • emmanuel
    How to render flame in photoshop?
    9 months ago
  • To render a flame effect in Photoshop, you can follow these steps:
    1. Open a new document in Photoshop.
    2. Create a new layer by clicking on the "Create a New Layer" button in the Layers panel.
    3. Choose the Brush tool (or press B on your keyboard) and select a brush with a soft, round edge.
    4. Choose the colors you want to use for the flame. Typically, red, orange, and yellow are used for flames. Set one of these colors as the foreground color.
    5. On the new layer, use the Brush tool to paint the general shape of the flame. Start with a larger brush size and gradually decrease it as you move towards the top of the flame.
    6. Go to Filter > Render > Clouds. This will add a cloud-like texture to the flame.
    7. Change the blending mode of the layer to "Screen" or "Linear Dodge (Add)" to make the black areas of the cloud layer transparent.
    8. Press Ctrl + T (or Command + T for Mac) to activate the Transform tool. Adjust the size and shape of the flame by dragging the transformation handles.
    9. To add more detail to the flame, create a new layer and paint smaller flames or sparks using a smaller brush size.
    10. You can also experiment with different layer blending modes, such as Overlay, to achieve different flame effects.
    11. Continue adding and adjusting layers until you are satisfied with the flame effect.
    12. Once you're happy with the flame, you can merge or flatten the layers to finalize the image.
    13. Remember, these steps provide a basic starting point. You can further enhance the flame effect by adding gradients, using layer styles, or applying custom brushes.
    • juan watson
      How to draw a flame step by step?
      1 year ago
      1. Start by drawing a curved line that looks like a “D” shape.
      2. Draw a curved line on the top and bottom of the line that looks like an “S” shape.
      3. Draw a second curved line on top of the first “S” shape that looks like a “C” shape.
      4. Draw a third curved line on top of the second “C” shape that looks like a “U” shape.
      5. Draw a fourth curved line on the top and bottom of the “U” shape that looks like an “M” shape.
      6. Draw a fifth curved line on the top of the “M” shape that looks like a “V” shape.
      7. Inside the “V” shape, draw a series of small curved lines to add texture to the flame.
      8. Color in the flame with a yellow or orange crayon.
      • frank
        How to add flames to a picture?
        1 year ago
      • There are a few different ways you can add flames to a picture.
        1. Use image editing software to draw flames on top of the image.
        2. Find a flame clipart image and paste it on top of the photo.
        3. Use flame photo overlays and layer the flames on top of the image.
        4. Use a flame filter to add a flame effect to your photo.
        • andrew hill
          How to make flames in photoshop?
          1 year ago
          1. Open a new file in Photoshop and select the Rectangle Tool (U). Create a black rectangle and set the size to the size of your canvas.
          2. Create a new layer and select the Brush Tool (B). Use a yellow or orange brush and begin to draw flame-like shapes starting from the bottom of your canvas.
          3. To add more realism to the flames, lower the brush's opacity and draw more flames from the center of your canvas.
          4. To add highlights, create a new layer and use a brighter yellow or orange brush. Paint highlights on top of the flames to give them more depth and realism.
          5. To add shadows, create a new layer and use a dark red or purple brush. Paint shadows below and around the flames to give them more dimension.
          6. To finish, add a layer mask to your topmost layer and use the Gradient Tool (G) with a black and white gradient to add more highlights and shadows around the flames.
          • fnan
            How to create fire in photoshop?
            1 year ago
            1. Open a new canvas in Photoshop.
            2. Go to View > Show > Grid (Ctrl + ') to activate the grid.
            3. Create a new layer.
            4. Select the Gradient tool (G), and create a radial gradient from the center of the canvas to the outer edge of the canvas. Set the foreground color to orange (#FFA500) and the background color to yellow (#FFED00).
            5. Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Set the Amount to 20%, select Gaussian and check Monochromatic.
            6. Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set the Radius to 5.0 and press OK.
            7. Create a third layer, and press D to reset the foreground and background colors. Select the Brush tool (B), and select a medium-sized, hard-edged brush.
            8. Set the foreground color to black (#000000) and paint short, jagged strokes over the canvas to create the flames.
            9. Finally, go to Layer > Layer Style > Color Overlay to add a glowing orange (#FF8C00) effect to the flames. Press OK after adjusting the settings to your liking.
            • hagos
              How to make fire in photoshop?
              1 year ago
              1. Create a new document and add a black background.
              2. Create a new layer and select the Brush Tool. Set the brush to an appropriate size and color for your image.
              3. Begin painting with yellow and orange colors to create the flames.
              4. Select the Smudge Tool and drag the flames in random directions to create a more realistic look.
              5. Add smaller brush strokes for greater detail and adjust the opacity of the layer to make the fire look brighter.
              6. Select the Burn Tool and use it to darken areas of the fire.
              7. Create a new layer and draw a smoke brush over the flames. Use the smudge tool to create a realistic smoke effect.
              8. Create a new layer and use the Dodge Tool to brighten the areas around the fire.
              9. Merge all the layers together, save your image, and you’re done!
              • Zuzanna
                How to create flames in photoshop?
                1 year ago
                1. Open a new document in Photoshop.
                2. Create a new layer and fill it with black.
                3. Select the Brush Tool and set the Foreground Color to Orange.
                4. Pick a soft round brush and start painting random flame shapes. Create smaller, medium and bigger brush strokes to create the flames. You can also use the Smudge Tool to shape and blend the flames.
                5. Once you have the basic flames painted, select the Dodge Tool and set the Range to Highlights. Gently brush the flames with this tool to add some brightness to them.
                6. Use the Smudge Tool with a bigger brush to create the smoke and create a gradient effect between the fire and smoke.
                7. To add more realism, add some sparks and sparkles to the flames. Create a new layer and select a round brush to paint the sparks. Reduce the brush size and paint a few more sparks. You can set the brush mode to Screen or Dissolve to make the sparks more intense.
                8. To create more sparks, create a new layer and add some stars using the Star Brush. Reduce the brush size, set the brush mode to Screen and paint a few bright stars.
                9. Finally, adjust the colors and contrast for a more realistic look. You can also use blur and distorting filters to create a more interesting composition.