Flames Fire Drawings

Copy the outline of these flames fire drawings to prove to yourself that you are capable of drawing anything you put your mind to.

Here is an outline of a campfire that I designed to simplify a normally complex subject.

Flame drawing would best be done in color but for the exercise of achieving a good resemblance of fire, it does you good to practice in pencil for now.

When you learn how fires are built, you also learn how to draw them in a way that tells a story.

So What is Fire?

According to the dictionary, fire is flame, heat and light caused by something burning.

Substances burn in different ways.

Charcoal has a faint glow and heat is emitted.

Coal, gas, oil and wood have heat plus a flame. The color of the flame depends on the type of substance burning.

Did you know, if you throw rags soaked in oil or paint into a pile in the shed, oxygen from the air slowly unites with the oil in the rags.

As the uniting process called oxidation occurs, enough heat is accumulated to set the rags alight.

This is called "spontaneous combustion". Lots of fires happen this way. Scarey hey?

Before a fire can be made, there must be fuel or a material that will burn. Then that fuel must be heated to a kindling temperature, and, there must be plenty of oxygen.

Oxygen supply is usually taken from the air because air is about one-fifth oxygen.

Cavemen discovered a way to start fires with friction.

They whirled a stick in an indentation in another piece of wood or rock until a glow was produced.

They gently blew on the glow to give a supply of oxygen which in turn produced a flame.

Matches were invented in 1827.

When the match tip was struck on a rough surface, the friction produced enough heat to ignite the match.

How To Start A Camp Fire

Ok, this is a drawing site, right? Why am I telling you how to start a fire? Well, I think it's fitting that you know all about fires if you're wanting to draw them!

This information helps you to format your drawings in a way that shows you know what you are depicting.

To get a camp fire going, you need tinder and kindling, then a heavier wood to keep the fire going.

Tinder would be dry grass, dead leaves, bark and tiny twigs.

Kindling is thin sticks about pencil thickness.

Put the tinder down first, then lay the kindling on top, going from the thinnest to the thickest pieces on top. Keep it in a loose pile so that air can circulate.

Put a lit match to the tinder close to the ground.

The tinder will flare up and once the kindling starts to burn well, gradually put larger sticks on top until you have the size of fire you want.

For anyone who loves to tinker with Photoshop, here is a tutorial for making flames drawings. (This link will open a new window.)

Are you going to try to produce flames fire drawings in pencil?

Drawing flame art is a creative pastime and makes an interesting talking piece once you hang your creation on the wall.

To add coloring to your flames fire drawings, use oranges, reds and yellows and that will give good contrast to your flame drawing. Enjoy!