Draw a floating candle with shubornaartist

Lit candles bring a calming presence already, but ones floating atop a gentle bed of seashells beckons ultimate relaxation. Follow along with this tutorial by shubornaartist, and earn a badge when you submit a floating candle of your very own!

Step 1: Sketch the glass 

Start with a basic cylinder to define the body of the candle glass.

Step 2: Add the water and floating candle

Position the water level inside the glass and place the floating candle. Note that the water line inside mirrors the oval of the opening and is slightly smaller to represent the thickness of the glass.

Step 3: Add the decorative shells

Draw the shells at the bottom of the glass and add a flame to complete the layout. This type of seashell is an oval with tapered ends, stripes along the whorl, and one includes another tapered oval on the body to signify the aperture (opening). 

Step 4: Add the flame

Flames are typically two concentric ovals, with a base slightly below where the wick meets wax. The top of the flame tapers off after 2-3 lengths of the wick.

Step 5: Color the flame

Start with a bright yellow base, then layer in orange for a warm glowing effect.

Step 6: Paint the background

Apply dark tones to the upper background to make the candlelight really pop.

Step 7: Color the lower half

Create the surface the candle is sitting on. Here, dark green was chosen. Don't forget that you can "see" the background through the water inside the cylinder.

Step 8: Deepen the shadows

Add deeper shadows throughout the background and define the edges inside of the glass.

Step 9: Refine the wax and glass

Work on the wax inside the glass and add light reflections on the glass surface to bring it to life.

Step 10: Finish the highlights

Add final highlights to the flame and smooth out all the details for the finished look. 🕯️

Finished your candle? Upload it as a deviation with the tag #FloatingCandle and earn a brand-new badge!

Q+A with @shubornaartist

Wondering how to nail that glow, or get your glass reflections just right? Drop your questions in the comments before July 13th at 10AM PST and shubornaartist will get to answering!

Note: If you have off-topic comments on other areas of DeviantArt, find the corresponding forum thread here. Please follow our Etiquette policy and Forum rules.