Fire drawing reference: flames, smoke, explosions

Flames, smoke and blasts have no fixed shape, so they are drawn by their rhythm more than their outline. These sheets show a candle flame, a campfire and a wall of fire; smoke in a thin wisp and a thick billowing column; and explosions with debris and sparks. Each kind comes in clean contour, comic ink, and graphite glow. Type a different fire, such as a bonfire, and the same kinds carry it.

• an effect for a comic panel
• a reference for fire in a game or fantasy scene
• a sketchbook page on flames and smoke
• a study of an explosion for an action scene

Frequently asked questions

What effects are shown?

Flames, smoke and explosions, with three views of each.

What is the difference between the three styles?

Clean contour outlines sharp curling tongues, comic ink uses bold brush lines and solid black in the darkest areas, and graphite glow uses soft shading for the glow and the density of smoke.

Are these photographs?

No. Each sheet is a flat drawing on a plain white sheet, with no text and no labels.

Can I ask for a different fire?

Yes. Type a direction such as magic fire or bonfire, and it is a request for that, not a promised result.

About toile

This page is a showcase and a starting point: nine samples already rendered, three readings of the pack crossed with three styles, each shown at the size and ratio it was made for. Take any of them further on the wall with a few words, or ask for all nine again under your own direction; a sign-in keeps what you make, and it is free while Toile is new. The recipe behind each sample — the subject, the style, the palette, the framing — travels with the image rather than staying private to the render: it is in the alt text of every sample and in the page's own structured data, so a search engine reads the same handles a person would.