Hi. I'd like to share this effect with the members of TFW2005. As the title says, it's a "Fire" tutorial, and with the use of Adobe Photoshop. I'm using the CS2 version, so those using earlier versions will have to tweak/modify what I'm about to explain.

NOTE: For those using the 6.0 version, look for Krem. He's read my tutorial and modified it for the 6.0 version.

I'd like every reader to know that this tutorial is a slight modification of Chaos Incarnate's Explosion Tutorial, so he deserves almost all the credit here.
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STEP 1

Get an image ready, and open it in Adobe Photoshop. And may I introduce my assistant: KO Cybertron Scourge.





STEP 2

Set the colors on your TOOLS palette to what I call "black overlap white", or simply press "D".

Second, create a new layer. It's the button 2nd from right at the bottom of your LAYERS palette.

Next, select the "Paint Bucket" tool (or press G) and click anywhere on your photo to fill the new layer BLACK.




For impatient people: Just press "Alt+Backspace", instead of selecting the paint bucket tool and then clicking anywhere on the photo.


STEP 3

Create another new layer. (You might want to label your layers to avoid confusion)

This time, get what Chaos calls a "fuzzy" brush, or an AIRBRUSH. Hopefully this image below helps you to locate the airbrushes.  




Select a reasonably BIG brush size, say 300 pixels (as seen in the image above). Of course, you are the one to determine how big you want the brush to be.


STEP 4

(You may want to hide your black layer. This will make it easier for you to do this step. To hide a layer, click the "eye" next to the layer.)

Outline your flame with RED. Flames move in RANDOM manner, sorta. So, make your outline a little "wavy".




Now, choose a Yellow brush and fill up the remaining uncolored space. By the way, you're still "painting" on the same "red brush" layer, so don't select another layer.

Also, using a white brush, fill up some of the yellow-colored region. Below is an example.





STEP 5

Go to Filter --> Blur --> Gaussian Blur.

Now, increase the pixel radius till you get something like this.




The number of pixels may vary depending on how big or small your flame is. Just don't overdo or "under do" it.


STEP 6
Now, go to the LAYERS palette. At the bottom of the palette, there's a half-white-half-black circle. Click it.



A list comes out. Click Hue/Saturation. Now, DO NOT click anything, except Ok.

One last action for this step: Press Ctrl+Alt+G so that the Hue/Saturation layer will only affect the layer right below it.





STEP 7
Create a new layer and Press D.

Now, go to Filter --> Render --> Clouds.




WOW!! Ugly!! But worry not.

Look for a box that says Normal at the top left of your LAYERS palette. Click it, and a list will drop. Select Color Dodge.





STEP 8



Enjoy the view momentarily. Lovely, isn't it? Okay, back to work.

Click the half-black-half-white circle again. This time click Levels. Again, DO NOT touch anything. Click Ok, and then Ctrl+Alt+G.




STEP 9

Select the Levels layer. Hold SHIFT and then select the Black layer.



Now, time to group them by pressing Ctrl+G. After that, go back to the box that used to say "Normal". Now for this group of layers, the box says "Pass Through". Click it, and select Screen.



VOILA!!!

Now, if you'd like to modify the flames, go to the Hue/Saturation and Levels layers. Double click one of the layers to open up a box with "scrolling bars". Modifying saturation and the levels will make your flame look nicer, if you think the finalized flame in Step 9 isn't satisfactory.

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That's all for the Fire Tutorial. Hope you liked it.