Burning For You

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This was my last project for Photoshop III: rendering fire and smoke
from nothing. We had done an exercise where we made burning
letters and I really wanted to run with that. Very simple effects
were used to create this illustration, but all were used sparingly:

- lighting render
- cloud render
- smudge tool
- blending modes
- brushwork
- dodge & burn
- inner & outer glows
- adjustment layers

I just took everything I knew how to do and tried it. Most of this
was a total accident, which isn't usually my forte, but sometimes
it's best to experiment. I love how the "burning" text looks, very
hot and fiery. I spent a lot of time making the wispy flames on
the letters. The smoke was fun, too. Lots of painting, modes, and
filters. Surprisingly, the entire thing was done in black and white
and the color was added through adjustment layers later. For fire,
especially flames, this method helps reinforce overall realism
because it determines the tonal values within the color spectrum.

The crosses were a last minute addition, but they mean a lot to
me. When I created this, back in June, I was going through such
a rough week and this was pure therapy for me. I was praying a
lot and wanted to do something that reflected how I was feeling.
The verse at the bottom kept coming up in my mind, and I just
knew it needed to be included. Life felt like it was burning me
that week and I needed to remember I was not suffering alone.

So, it may not be a very impressive piece (in terms of technique),
but it has a sense of emotivity and spirituality, at least for me. Enjoy!

<sub>Created in Photoshop CS4 on June 21, 2010.

Typefaces: Abaddon & Diploma</sub>