In this lesson I’ll tell in detail how to draw burning candle. The flame is in general complex enough theme, and there is a set of ways to draw it. I’ll show you one of them which I use.

Step 1. No effects will rescue figure if it is wrong for constructing. It is better to give to this step enough attention because to correct a mistake will be then practically impossible. But first of all - color of a background. I choose dark-brown. Then we take a brush, and on a separate layer draw auxiliary lines. They will help to represent a candle correctly.

Step 2. When the sketch will be ready, we start to work with fire. For this purpose we create a group, and call it fire, and in it we create a layer fire. Blending Mode of group (not a layer, namely group) it is changed on Color Dodge. Then we choose white color, we take the Brush Tool (Opacity: 10 %), also we draw fire.

Step 3. We return brushes Opacity - 100 %. What to start drawing a candle, we need to choose three colors: the basic, is darker than the core and brighter. The most light part - top, then bottom right, and the most dark - bottom left. On a sketch it is drawn a candle of the form of a smooth parallelepiped.

Step 4. With the Blur Tool we soften corners. Transition between colors becomes soft, but lines should remain direct and equal.

Step 5. We draw a candle, which only pair seconds back was burned. Therefore on it should not be a drop of the fallen asleep wax and dimples at a match. But as the candle conceals quickly enough, we’ll draw a drop of hot wax under fire. For this purpose we use Brush Tool and Blur Tool.

Step 6. And nevertheless wax has had time to flow down a little on a wall of a candle. We draw a drop the Brush Tool (two shades, more light and more dark, than a background on which we draw it) then we smear it by means of the Blur Tool. We do not forget to draw a shadow (even with more dark shade).

Step 7. We create reflection of the flame. We copy a layer with fire, insert into the same group, we reflect it on a vertical. We have exactly under a flame, and by the Eraser Tool we wipe superfluous.

Step 8. The candle too should be reflected from a surface on which it stays. To create this reflection, we allocate a small part of a candle from below, we copy and it is inserted on a new layer. Fill a layer about 45 % are lowered, an elastic band we create effect of gradual disappearance. Then by help of the Burn Tool we draw a shadow between candles and a surface. Then we choose a usual brush of black color and we draw a match.

Step 9. We draw the match (its tip should be an orange shade since it is heated by a flame).

Step 10. There is flame, it is time to draw light which it creates. Using the Dodge Tool (Highlights, 100 %), we clarify a drop of wax.