Create a Spectacular Flaming Meteor Effect on Text
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Take typography one step further by having text falling from the sky in a burning inferno. Yes, this is the text-on-fire tutorial to end all tutorials. It uses a little Illustrator for the text and a lot of Photoshop to burn up the screen!
In previous tutorials you’ve seen two smoke effects that I’ve created, but let’s face it, you can’t have smoke without a fire somewhere. So in this tutorial, I will show you how to create a fire effect similar to when a spaceship or comet enters the earth’s atmosphere. The image we’ll be creating is inspired by a Nike Ad I saw some time ago. I’m not sure what the URL is. If anyone knows it, please link us up in the comments.
It’s always a good idea to keep your eyes open for inspiration for effects and designs no matter what you are doing. Graphics are everywhere and you can learn a lot by looking at what other people do. Now on to the tutorial!
Step 1
First create a new document and fill it with a dark grey.
Step 2
Create a new layer, call it “Clouds,” and using the Lasso Tool (L), make a selection similar to the one I’ve shown below.
Set your background color to a 50% grey and the foreground to a dark grey. Go to Filter > Render > Clouds and, holding the Alt key, create clouds. After that go to Images > Adjustments > Levels, and change the input levels and output levels until you make the clouds neither too dark nor too light (see the image shown).
This layer will be on top of the others.
Step 3
Create another layer and repeat Step 2, but this time just change the background color from 50% gray to a blue or green color. This will create a small cloud, lighter than the big one.
Step 4
Now we’ll switch to Adobe Illustrator to create some text. I used Times New Roman for the font. After that go to Effect > 3D > Extrude and Bevel. Now we will create the 3D text. Rotate the object and change the perspective. You can use the same values as I did (shown below).
Step 5
- Copy the 3D text and paste it in Photoshop.
- Place it in the center and add some Noise (Filter > Noise > Add Noise).
- Now let’s change the Layer Style. First add Bevel and Emboss.
- After that, let’s add a Gradient Overlay.
Step 6
- Duplicate the Type layer and add a Motion Blur (Filter > Blur > Motion Blur).
- Set the angle of the blur to -53.
- Change the layer mode to Linear Dodge (Add).
- Create a Folder, call it “Typo,” and move these two layers into it.
Step 7
Create a new layer and repeat the Step 2, this time using a selection as shown going out the back of the letter T. This will create the trailing smoke.
Step 8 Creating the FIRE
1 – Create a new layer and call it “fire1.”
2 – With the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M), create a selection.
3 – Set the background color to light grey and the background to black.
4 – Create clouds as we did in Step 2.
5 – Change the Levels to increase the contrast;
6 – Change the Hue/Saturation with Colorize selected until you get an orange/yellow color.
Step 9
Create a new layer, call it “blazes,” and repeat Step 8. After that, duplicate the layer and call it “flames.” Create a folder and move the Fire1, Blazes, and Flames layers to this folder and call the whole folder “Fire.” It will be on top of the Typo layer.
Step 10
Select the layer “blazes” and go to Filter > Liquefy. There select the Turbulence Tool (T). Now, on the edges of the fire, start creating some blazes. Use it like you would the smudge tool.
Set 11
After the Liquefy, go to Edit > Transform > Warp and change the blaze’s form to something similar to the image below. After that apply Filter > Sharpen > Sharp.
Step 12
- Create a new layer and call it “yellow color.”
- Create an ellipse selection with 30px feather and fill it with white.
- After that edit the Layer Style and apply a Color Overlay using an yellow color and Multiply for the layer’s blend mode.
Step 13
The order and the Blend modes for the fire are:
- Flames: Lighter Color
- Blazes: Normal
- Fire1: Lighten
- Yellow Color: Multiply
Step 14 Sparks
For the sparks we will use brushes. Create a folder and call it “Sparks.” It will be on top of the Fire folder.
- Inside the folder, add a new layer.
- Fill it with black and change the Blend Mode to Color Dodge.
- Select the Brush Tool and let’s create a brush.
- In Brush Tip Shape, change the Diameter to 12, and increase the spacing.
- Select Scattering and set Scatter to the 1000% and Control to off. Change the Count to 2 and Count Jitter to 100%.
- Select white and start painting some sparks.
Step 15
Create a new layer and repeat the Step 14 but now change the Scatter Option to 0%. Start creating some single line sparks like swirls.
Step 16
Here I used the Gomedia Spraypaint brushes to create those tiny little sparks, but you can repeat the step 14 changing the Brush size only. Basically, create a new layer, put it behind the others, fill it with black, change the Blend Mode to Color Dodge, see the color to white, and create the sparks.
Conclusion
Click the image above to view a full screen version of the final image
.
Although it looks complicated, the process is actually very straightforward. I used only three or four filters, brushes, and of course, the Layer Styles. It is a mix of two other tutorials I wrote: Creating Smoke and Magic Lighting Effect in Photoshop. One thing I have to say is that it’s impossible to create exactly the same fire twice, and that’s because the filter that renders the clouds does so randomly. As always, the idea is to play around with Photoshop to get your own unique results. Hope you enjoyed the tutorial!
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By Fabio
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I dont get the clouds part.
I dont get how to do clouds, it always just fills the entire selection auto
is this meant for photoshop cs4? cause thats what i have, and its registered
magnifico, awsome, beautiful….
It silly to add an incomplete tutorial!
With the clouds you need to adjust the feather option in the bar at the top which appears when you select the lasoo tool (a number between 20 – 40 is good) just play around untill your clouds don’t have hard edges.
With the text in illustrator to get the same effect, click the more options tab in the 3D bevel options box and play with the light settings untill you get the same thing. (note: do not give your text an outline just a fill color before adding the 3d effects)
Also to get the bent effect on the text, render each letter induvidually in 3D bevel and emboss. Positioning it how it looks above the group the objects before copying.
Also do not hold the “alt” key when adding clouds. Just click render clouds!
Ya my fire turned out horrible. I would love to know the subtle things that make this tutorial come together because it is definitely missing a few steps.
Impressive!
Brilliant tut!
THIS IS AMAGING…..REALLY AWESOME…..
KeEp iT uP…..
nice finished product, but terrible tutorial. all I get after step 8 is a ball of orange and yellow light, where as the preview image shows it all nicely blended around the “O”. i don’t get it?
to get it blended around the ‘O’ just warp the individual fire effects around it
though still my fire doesnt glow as much :/
Wow … Very Great Tutorial.
Thnk’s guys, I will Learn it at home..
great fire effect, but I have to agree with some of the other comments that the lasso tool doesn’t create the same soft edged clouds shown in your example, but none-the-less you still showed me how to create a cool meteor fire.. Thanks and keep them coming… For you people still stuck on the clouds.. just download a cloud brush or soften the edges of your selection to create your clouds. The tutorial was about fire not clouds..
I cannot understand…why to publish a tutorial that does not work. Wrong step 2 & step 8. Only to fulfill CV?
I enjoyed this tutorial, not very nubberish-friendly though.
To complete it you have to play around some with the layer style options.
Also be patient when using adjustments like layers and hue/sat, it is important to get some areas of the clouds black (inc the contrast).
Check my img out here:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3191727&l=ca10330acf&id=696297845
good really impressive!!
woww
I’ll have a go at this
Aha! I knew this tutorial was tha bomb!
Neat!!
This is very goog idea.
Brothers hi from Serbia
Can anyone make one for me saying MrMorgastic on it please? I don’t have the right tools to do this my self
Please write back to mrmorgastic@hotmail.co.uk
Thank you
The effect is pretty cool…but I’m sorry I cannot say the same for your tutorial. The steps are not been explained properly and is very confusing.
Here is another way to make clouds better. open a new layer (ctrl+shift+N) then go to filter>render>clouds (you can do it till you get the best result for you) then here is the difference. Go to Selecet>Color Range… Then play with the Fuzziness (I found the best result on 88) after that. Select Inverse (ctrl+shift+I or Select>Inverse) so just hit delete till you get the best result. (Do not hit too much 3 or 4 times will be enough). Now we will make some beauty touches
with Clone Stamp Tool (S) copy the best parts to the edges to make it more realistic and clear the unwanted ones with eraser tool (E). Here is my result about making of cloud part of the tutorial: http://img200.imageshack.us/i/tutef.jpg/
It’s wounderfull tut
great job
wow thats really cool this is good work
Sweet
I found an error…
STEP 8
3 – Set the BACKGROUND color to light grey and the BACKGROUND to black.
Which is foreground color?
its the best text effect i have ever seen but could you describe step 8 and can i use xara 3d to make the 3d text ?
Awesome effect, but this tutorial should really be taken down. So many steps are left out and unless you’re an expert, you can’t finish it based on the information given. I gave up and I usually don’t give up. Great effect, wish I could use it, but this tut gets 1 star.
I agree with Jason; take the tutorial down, add the missing steps and re-post it.
Great final outcome but the tutorial is missing several crucial steps that leave the beginner stranded. I was able to work out things like applying a feather to the marquee selection before creating the clouds. Generally, most of the instructions are very vague.
Very nice effect, but hard to follow.
I had a hard time trying to make Step 8 work, but I managed to make it work to what I needed, although it isn’t as epic as shown. Please rewrite the steps, as most of us want to know!
Also, can anyone else help elaborate on step 8? I guess playing around with levels isn’t enough for me, so I think I’ll have to play with curves next time just to make it glowyish.
WOOW thats really cool.
excellent tutorial.. great insight.
How do you make 2 selections a once with lasso tool ?
hold down the Shift key (a + sign will appear) and add the selection to your previous selection.
Just stunning work! Thanks!
My ps is CS1.0, didn’t get the warp step, my Transform>>Warp tool just looks like Transform, no grid. Is my ps too old?
Lasso edges, you will need to set your feathering to something round 15px or higher. Adjust to your taste.
ACTUALLY M NOVICE IN PHTOSHOP, HOW CAN I LEARN PHOTOSHOP
CAN U SUGGEST ME ANY SITE?
simply amazing and easy way you expressing in this tutorial.
Right i kind off understand most of this but I’m in the same situation as other users who commented. I’m stuck on step 8 I can do everything else apart from step 8 its mainly because i looked at the comments before starting.
This tutorial needs to be explained better as “jason” and “kane” have said. “take it down and redo the tutorial” and i know the tutorial is for people who can actually use photoshop but “some things are hard to understand unless explained or given the full information” and with this tutorial am using cs4 and have been using photoshop for 3 – 4 years now.
i also appreciate the fact that you actualy took time out of your life to do the tutorial although i wish you had explained some parts properly that way most of us wouldn’t have had this problem.
but it looks good just wish i could finnish it.
Terrible tutorial. A lot is added that’s not explained. Half baked at best.
terrible tutorial
nice tutorial
awesome tutorial