How to Draw a Candle Flame

Candle flames use bright, illuminating colors.

To capture the bright appearance of a candle flame, the artist must use warm and intense colors. Unlike images of large fires, a candle flame should not display a large amount of vivid reds and deep oranges. Since the candle flame is a very small fire, you should employ yellow, soft orange and a hint of red to suggest its glow. Keep your fire narrow and tapered at the tip give your flame added realism.

Things You'll Need

• Yellow colored pencil
• Black colored pencil
• Light orange colored pencil
• Red colored pencil

Instructions

1. Draw a short, thin black line to form the burning wick of the candle.

2. Draw a long teardrop shape over the top half of the wick in light orange colored pencil. Extend this shape vertically, and curl its top to the left side.

3. Draw a larger tear drop shape that mirrors form of the first one. Draw this shape around the first teardrop. Make its bottom touch the end of the black line. Make this shape in yellow colored pencil

4. Color in the small teardrop shape with orange colored pencil. Fill the entire shape with intense color by applying pressure to your pencil.

5. Color in the area between the small and large teardrop shapes with yellow colored pencil. Make this coloration vivid by applying pressure to your pencil.

6. Draw over the edges where the orange and yellow colors meet with the yellow colored pencil. Working in tight, vertical strokes, blend these two colors by shading up and down with the yellow pencil.

7. Draw a thin red line around the outside of the yellow teardrop.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that your red colored pencil is sharp in order to keep the outline of the flame thin and delicate.

References

• Easy Drawings and Sketches: How to Draw Flames
• Drawing How to Draw: How to Draw Flames and Fire