by kim@pixelbit.com

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Needed tools:

Eye Candy 4000

Open a new image 400 X 400 Transparent.

Flood your image black. This layer will change but for now we need to see what we're doing.

Make a new layer. Make this layer "candle".

Use your selection tool set to rectangle and select a rectangle about the size shown below. (The image below is resized but you can get the idea of how big the candle should be relative to the black background)

Flood with and LIGHT color of your choice. I am using white.

DO NOT DESELECT.

Apply Inner Bevel using the PILLOW preset but make the setting adjustments shown below.

CTRL + F to float.

Apply Cutout with the following settings.

Deselect, make a new later called "wax".

Zoom in so you can be accurate. Use your selection tool set to Ellipse.

Place your mouse on the area shown below. Your mouse must be exactly

on the center.

**HINT**

It usually takes me about 3 or 4 tries to get this right.

Make an ellipse the width of your candle.

Flood fill with your candle color

In your layers palette, duplicate your wax layer. Rename the duplicate "middle"

Your layer palette should look like this.

Activate your wax layer.

Apply Eye Candy 4000 > Melt using the setting shown below.

You will notice that there is an area above the candle that needs to be removed.

Activate your lasso tool set to freehand and select the top unneeded part and delete.

Apply Inner Bevel with the settings shown below.

In your layer palette, activate the layer named middle.

Use your magic wand tool and click on the ellipse in the middle layer.

Selections > Modify > Contract > 4.

Invert.

Apply drop Shadow with the following settings.

Deselect.

In your layer palette, turn off the bottom background layer. Activate one of the candle layers and merge visible. Rename your merged layer "candle1".

Make a new layer named candle2.

With your selection tool set to rectangle, make a rectangle on top of candle 1. We are doing this to insure that the width of candle 2 is the same a candle 1, you can change the height. Flood with your candle color.

Please follow all of the steps above to create your candle 2.

Create Candle 3.

When you merge visible, please keep candles 1, 2, 3 and background each on their own layers .

When you have all three of your candles made, arrange them anyway you like.

Please activate your background layer. You can flood with any pattern, solid color or gradient you like. Dark colors are best. I prefer to keep mine black.

Activate your top layer. Add a new layer named decoration

Add any Christmas tubes you like.

When you are done prettying up your candles, Merge visible layers

Make a new layer named "Flame1"

Activate your draw tool with the settings below.

In your color palette, set the foreground color to white, the background color to null.

Draw the wick in the top of each candle.

**HINT**

The longer the wicks, the higher the flames.

In your layer Palette, duplicate your flame1 layer twice. rename the new layers flame2 and flame3.

Activate your flame3 layer.

Apply Eye Candy 4000 Fire. Use the settings shown below.

Activate your flame2 layer. Apply the same fire settings but click the random speed button, click ok.

Repeat for the flame1 layer, remembering to click on the random speed button.

Save your image one last time.

Open Animation shop.

Click File > Preferences > General Program Preferences

Click on the Layered Files tab.

Please adjust your settings as shown below and click ok.

Click File > Open.

Open the image that you just saved in PSP.

You will notice that the first frame has no flame.

Please click on the first frame to be sure that it is selected, press the delete key on your keyboard.

Save your image. You're done

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at:

kim@pixelbit.com