How To Draw A Fire Flame
Fire flames have an almost mystical quality to them—they flicker with a captivating beauty and sense of warmth and life to them. Drawing a fire flame, with its undulating shape and dramatic colors, has a special quality to it that can make it an enjoyable challenge to the budding artist.
When you’re ready to take on this creative task, it’s important to start with the basics. The first steps are to begin with basic shapes and lines that will help you to craft the shape of the flame. Start with a simple circle—moving it and widening it until you’ve got a basic pancake shape. Next, draw a short, curved line that comes out of the top of the circle, pointing up towards the sky. This curved line forms the base of the flame.
To bring the flame to life and add some definition to it, you’ll want to add thin, wispy, curved lines that come off of the base of the flame and curl around. The curves should move up and away from the base—creating an undulating form. These thin, curved lines form the points of the flame—creating the unique shape that characterizes a flame. To add more realism to this form, you can erase sections or pieces of the thin, curved lines to give them a more jagged, uneven feel.
Now that the shape of the flame has been established, it’s time to add some color to it. Flames are warm, dynamic, and full of light, so use showing this to best advantage by using vibrant colors with a yellow, orange, and red palette. Start with a bright yellow—filling in the main body of the flame. Next, use a medium orange to fill in the points of the flame—adding a brighter, more vibrant edge to them. Finally, use a dark red to add detail to the face of the flame—focusing the color in the outlines and crevices of the flame.
The finishing touch would come in the form of shadows and highlights— picking out the shadows and shadows cast by the flame and given it added depth. To create shadows, you’ll want to add a layer of darker tones to the slightly recessed areas of the flame. On the other hand, adding highlights will lift the flame off of the page, giving it an element of life—simply use a lighter, brighter tone of yellow to try this.
Finally, you can add fire sparks or embers to really bring the flame to life. Using small pieces of yellow, orange, and red, you can pull off sections of the flame and complete the look by adding sparks of light. For an extra touch of realism, finish up your flame by adding in some reflection with a few bits and pieces of grey, or deep brown.
The flame you draw with these techniques will be sure to get your creative juices flowing—as you look to recreate the fire’s captivating beauty and life. With a few basic shapes, shadows, and highlights, you’ll be ready to produce an eye-catching depiction of a flame to be proud of
Adding more Drama to the Flame
When it comes to drawing a fire flame, the goal should be to add as much drama and emotion to the work as possible. To achieve this, a few simple tricks can be applied that will make the flame stand out and become much more expressive.
The first step is to use some bold curves and sharp edges to enhance the undulating shape of the flame—allowing the flame to feel more dynamic and alive. This can be done by exaggerating the lines you drew earlier and adding in some jagged edges. By exaggerating the curves and rectifying certain edges, you can create the illusion of movement and life in the flame.
Next, you’ll want to add more variety and color to the flame. Use your orange and yellow palette to push the boundaries, giving the fire alternations of muted and vibrant tones. This will help to create texture and depth within the flame. Just make sure to keep your strokes and contours consistent and your colors close—allowing the intricate pattern to shine through.
The third step is to pile on the shadows and highlights to create a 3D effect with your flame. Use darker, richer tones to add shadow cast by the fire— whilst also adding brighter, more intense highlighted areas, to really bring it to life. Doing this properly can really enhance the realism and strength of the flames—giving it an almost hypnotic quality.
Finally, when you’re ready to finish the piece, try adding some finishing touches with the use of glowing sparks and particles. This will add a real sense of and turbulent movement to the flames—finishing the piece off in style.
Finishing Touches
Once you’ve completed the main flame, adding in some extra details and marks can help to give a more exciting effect to your flame drawing. A few simple strokes and patterns can help to bring a life and energy to your flame—whilst also creating a mood and atmosphere in the piece.
Firstly, use the same principle as with the lighter and darker tones—add in some smaller, thinner strokes of lighter and darker tones to accentuate the flame’s shape even further. The key here is to use a softer, smoother approach, so as not to create too much of a harsh contrast.
Next, add some outlines to the flames using your orange and yellow tones. You can draw these lines either over the top or underneath the main flame—to create a kind of filter effect over the main shape. The overall effect should add complexity, and draw attention to certain points of the flames.
For the last touches, add some sparks and pieces of fire flying away from the main flame. You can use a mix of both yellow and orange tones, with some smaller white ones to really make them stand out. This can really create the illusion that the flame is glowing, pulsing, and alive.
Capturing the Flare
If you’re looking to draw attention to your fire flame, applying some flourishes and flare can help to make it stand out. This can be done by adding some more unexpected curves and arcs to the main flames—to give the whole thing some more visual impact.
You can do this by using bolder, more exaggerated strokes and angles that are almost parallel to the flame. These can be joined together in symmetrical or asymmetrical fashion—to create a pattern that pushes the boundaries of the typical flame shape. Just make sure not to go for too much intensity with the colors—otherwise the whole thing could look over-exaggerated and distorted.
In addition, you can create shadows and reflections to add to the sense of drama and life in the drawing. For example, when creating shadows, you can use a mixture of yellow and orange shades to create a kind of halo effect that forms around the edges of the flame. This will give a sense of depth and life to the flame—almost like it’s actually burning inside the painting.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to add a more subtle reflection to the piece, you can use a light grey tone and trace an outline of the flame onto the background. This will give the impression that the flame is reflecting off of a surface—creating a more natural and captivating effect.
Giving Flair to the Details
The details can really make or break a fire flame drawing—so make sure to use a sparing but confident hand when it comes to adding them. The main goal here is to add touches of realism and life to the flame—without overpowering the overall composition or design.
Start by adding in some more subtle details in the face of the flame—using a few thin, short lines to fill in any gaps or irregularities in the flame. This will ensure that the flame looks organic and natural—whilst also creating more texture to it.
On the other hand, you can also use a few small dots and speckles to add a sense of spark and animation to the flame. These can be dotted all over the face of the flame—or concentrated into small areas where the light is brightest—to create an almost shimmering effect.
Finally, you can also add dots, flecks, and other small details to the edges of the flames— creating brighter and more intense highlights. It’s also worth using a slightly greyer shade here, to help create the illusion of light reflecting off of the flame—whilst also adding more complexity to the piece.
By following these tips, you’ll be able to create a realistic and captivating fire flame drawing that will bring warmth and life to your artwork. With a little practice and patience, you’ll be able to take your flame drawing to the next level and create a piece that’s truly unique.
