Next, using the Magic Wand tool with Tolerance and Feather set to 0, highlight the candle shape. Click on “image” then “Effects” and “buttonize” and set height to 1, slide the “width” slider right across to the right and set opacity to 60 and Edge to transparent. Click on OK and your “candle” should look curved (diagram 3) – right-click on the background to get rid of the dotted line.

Open another layer and name it “wick.” Select colour #884422 (brown) and the paintbrush tool width 5 and draw a freehand “wick” in the top of your candle. Highlight it with the Magic Wand tool then go to Image / effects / texture and select texture 6, depth 20, ambience –33, shininess and smoothness both 0 and angle 0. then click OK. Leaving the wick highlighted, go to Image / effects / inner bevel and “preselects” Pillow then click OK again – deselect by right-clicking on the background.

Open a new layer and name it “wax.” Use the paintbrush set to width 1 and colour #C00000 to draw some drips of wax down the side of your candle on the opposite side to the raised bit - fill and then highlight them one by one and shape with the magic wand / image / effects / inner bevel / pillow process. Draw a pile of “melted wax” at the bottom of your candle in the same way (diagram 4.)		Diagram 4
Diagram 5	Open a new layer and name it “base.” This is the bit where you can decorate your candle however you like; I have used the Holly tube which comes with PSP6, scale 5 and with each sprig of holly leaves on a separate layer so I can move them around to get the best effect and even put some of them behind the candle. (drag their layer names or numbers so they are BELOW the name of the candle layer.) When you are COMPLETELY satisfied with your candle, “switch off” the background layer by clicking on the spectacles icon next to its name : it should be replaced by a grey checkerboard effect, with your candle etc. still visible. Now go to Layers in the top tool bar, click on it then on “Merge” then “Merge Visible.” Your Layers palette will now display just two layers – background and merged : rename “merged” to “candle” (diagram 5.)
Make two more layers above the background layer but below the candle layer : name them “flame1” and “flame2.” Click on “flame1” on the layers palette. Now use the Selection tool (dotted rectangle on the toolbar) and set it to circle, feather 20, antialias on, and draw a circle centred on the end of the candle wick., stopping just below the top edge of your image. Flood-fill this highlighted circle with pale yellow, #FFFFC0. Repeat on the layer Flame2 with a smaller circle flood filled with pale orange #FFBB66 – diagram 6.		Diagram 6
Create another layer – main flame – and, using the brush and darker orange #FF9313, draw a “flame” shape on the end of the wick and fill it with the orange. Change the colour to red #FF0000 and draw a smaller flame shape at the end of the wick. “Switch off” the candle and background layers and click Merge / merge visible and rename this “merged” layer as “flame.” Switch the “flame” layer off too then switch the “background” layer back on again and make sure it is highlighted in the Layer Palette. Now you need to decide what background you want your candle on : I have used the same background as the rest of the page but you can use anything you like – a pattern, solid colour or even transparent. If you are using a background gif or jpg, open it into PSP too and then click on the “pouring paint pot” fill tool and in the options window click Fill style “pattern” then click on the cross-hatched tab and select New Pattern Source – “name of your gif/jpg” from the list and fill the background of your candle image. Switch the candle and the flame back “on” by clicking the red crosses next to the layer names. Save this complete image as “candleA.gif” (it MUST be a gif image.)
Now switch OFF the candle and background, leaving just the flame visible and its layer highlighted. Click on “Image” and “mirror” and the flame should flip over sideways. Switch the candle and background back on, and if necessary adjust the flame position slightly (use the four-headed arrow icon) so that it still is on the wick – try not to move it too much. Save this version of the candle as “candleB.gif.”

Open the Animation Shop – click on “File” and scroll down to “Run Animation Shop.” Click on Animation Wizard in the new window. Click “Next” in all the next 3 windows to confirm the default settings, then set the display time to 15 and click “yes, repeat indefinitely” and OK. In the next window open both images – it doesn’t matter in which order – and then “next” and “finish.” You will then be shown the 2 animation frames. Click on “View” and “Animation” – you will see your candle with a flickering flame. If you are happy with it click on “File” and “Save As” – give it a name and click “save.” Click on “Next,” “Next” and “Finish” to complete saving your animated candle.

You can use this method to produce candles of any colour and size you want, singly or in groups – have fun creating your very own Christmas candles!

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