How to Draw a Campfire
Craving for a campfire in your drawings that looks delightfully realistic? Drawing a campfire is as easy as one, two, three by just following a few simple steps!
1. Layout the Stumps and Logs
To begin your campfire sketch, start off by laying out the logs. Depending on how large you’d like your campfire to be, lay out several logs in a teepee type shape on some graph paper, so you can get an accurate size. Then, at the bottom of the teepee, position a few logs or stumps where the fire will be burning.
2. Add the Flames
Next, to create the flames, begin by drawing flames at the base of the fire. You don’t need to draw fiery, erratic looking flames. Rather, draw the flames to be more subdued and focused toward the center. Then, draw some wavy and curvy lines drawn above the base of the fire to define and illustrate the smoke.
3. Lighten the Picture
To make your drawing look more life-like, soothingly lighten your drawing as you go. With a smudging tool or blending stump, blend the flames throughout the entire drawing. This will help to create a more blended and realistic look.
4. Add Shine and Reduce Darkness
For detailed and vivid shadows, lightly and carefully outline your fire pit with a ruler and erase it to create the effect of shine. To increase the vibrant spark, add deeper shades of orange and yellow around the flames and lighten it to create a glowing Campfire effect.
5. Enhance Further
For extra flair, include particles of smoke rising from the crannies of the fire. To make the fire look more alive and burn hotter, include more energy by adding more erratic and quicker flames. Additionally, if you’re comfortable with using a blending tool, mottle in and blend shades of white and warm colors to create several layers of living flame.
6. Accent with Glittery Lights
Finish off your campfire masterpiece with glitter and add the allure of sparkling embers. Include the magic by lightly feathering in with a stippling effect a small bit of white in the middle of the flames to illuminate the flames. With these six simple steps, you have made a vibrant and realistic looking campfire with your own two hands!
7. Create Sparks and Flames
To make sparks and flames burst off your campfire, use a sharp pencil to give the fire an aged and seasoned look. Use the pencil to make a few flame shapes around the fire and draw a few jagged lines in the air to represent a spark!
8. Define the Soot
The sooty residue from a campfire gives it a unique and smoky flavor that can’t be forgotten. To get the perfect sooty effect on your own personal campfire, use soft muted colors for the stump and boulders and add a gentle shaded outline to the smoke. Try to capture the movement of air using swirls and a few smudges to make it stand out.
9. Add Background and Smoke
To make the campfire outdoor environment stand out, add a background of trees, a sky, and rolling hills or grass. You can also use a light fuzzy smudging quality on the edges of the smoky parts of your campfire to give it that misty smoke-filled woods quality to its atmosphere.
10. Shade and Blend
Finally, shade your campfire with a few different hues of orange and red and use the blending tool to make the colors more vibrant and alive. Make sure to work in layers and lighten certain areas so that certain sections of your campfire art stand out from the rest. With this last step, you have officially completed the perfect campfire drawing!
