Fireball
Start a new document 600x200 and fill the background with the color you will eventually want to have your fireball on. This technique will not look good if you decide to change the background color later. Im using a dark black to blue gradient. |
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Press "D" to reset your colors
to default black and white  Then create a new layer. No go to Filter->Render->Clouds  |
| Now go to Filter->Pixelate->Mosaic
and enter 20 Then Filter->Sharpen->Sharpen, do this 2 more times.  |
Now choose the eliptical marquee tool
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| Now go to Filter->Distort->Spherize.
and enter 100 for amount. Then Filter->Sharpen->Sharpen. Do this 2 more times 
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Now Select->Inverse
then hit "delete". then
CTRL+D to deselect.
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| Now Image->Adjustment->Color
Balance (or CTRL+B). For each Shadows, Midtones and Highlights, set its Color Levels as: [+72] [0] [-72]  |
Now select the smudge tool  ,
set the brush size to soft brush, size 35.
Now start and the right edge of the ball and smudge it
over to the right about midway. Do this from top to bottom,
all around the right edge.
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Now duplicate this layer by draging the
layer into the "new layer" icon at the bottom
of the layer's pallete. (or just press CTRL+J). Then go
to Filter->Blur->Motion Blur. Set distance=30. |
Now select the smudge tool again,
this time, set the brush to about 45. then smudge the
top layer and create a long smudge from the ball to
the right edge of the image. |
Now set the top layer's blending mode
to "Lighten" Here is mine: |
and
while holding the shift button, click and drag to make
a circle towards the left at a size similar to below
