Flaming "How to"

Hi to all,

some people wanted to know how the flaming was done on the Beetle-F150.
What I explain here is the way my friend used to paint his car. There are lots of ways to paint flamings, this one isn't probably the best but it works very well. If you have other tips and tricks to paint flamings, please share your experience with us.

All texts, pictures and explanations are copyright of Guillaume Lefèvre aka maquettedecox.
Maquette de Cox (http://maquettedecox.free.fr/)

Here is how it was done.
1: the shape of the car is drawn on paper (blue lines). Put a layer of adhesive-film on clear plastic and put these up to the paper. You can see thru the plastic the shapes of the car and draw your flames on the adhesive film. It's easier to work on something flat than on the car.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/451267xavhuy-flam1.jpg

2: The adhesive film is cut with X-acto and some car-lines are kept to adjust the film on the body. The green line is the hood of the newbeetle.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/544868xavhuy-flam2.jpg

3: The entire car is painted silver because the flames will be silver. In fact, you don't paint the flames but hide them and then paint the final coat. Put your "masks" on the car very carefully.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/391660xavhuy-flam3.jpg
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/292875xavhuy-flam4.jpg

4: Paint the entire car with your final coat, wait 5 minutes and remove your "masks" very carefully.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/923085xavhuy-flam6.jpg

5: The flames are surrounded in orange with a pen and clear-coat is applied.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/287468xavhuy-flam8.jpg
It's done.

I hope you understood my bad english and hope it will be usefull to some of us.

Deedlit

WOW!

The Beetle looks great, I'll have to apply that method sometime.

Thanks for the tip

This is very good tip!
Thanx for sharing.

great way of doing it. seems very simple and straight forward. well as simple as it could be. id like to see a better way of doing it kuz right now this seems to be the best

-GTi-VR6_A3

Wow, that is an awesome way to do flames. Thankyou alot for posting this up, as I will definatly be needing this soon!
If anyone wants different types of flames, let me know. My brother is a soon to be sign writer and a very good artist, so I can get him to draw out some different flame designs, like Tribal, classic or streetrod style flames (the rough ones). It will take me a week or so to post them as he is very busy with a sign writign job at the moment & a TAFE course.

Originally posted by Lowryda
Wow, that is an awesome way to do flames. Thankyou alot for posting this up, as I will definatly be needing this soon!
If anyone wants different types of flames, let me know. My brother is a soon to be sign writer and a very good artist, so I can get him to draw out some different flame designs, like Tribal, classic or streetrod style flames (the rough ones). It will take me a week or so to post them as he is very busy with a sign writign job at the moment & a TAFE course.

i may eventually have to take you up on that one sir

-GTi-VR6_A3

Thanks for sharing that technique Deedlit. Awesome results you've achieved there.

No problems with you English it makes perfect sense. Although the title of the thread threw me a bit!

Just added to the FAQ :cool:

THANKS....GOOD STUFF :cool:

I was wondering how you did that! thanks for sharing your wisdom! and taking the time to take pictures of it too

great how to:sun:

Nice flames-

BUT I do them the oppisite way. I cut out my flame masks with automotive masking tape or vinal tape. I do a reverse flame or what yours is. Instead of masking of the accual flame I make a outline mask.

Here is what I do-
I paint my body color first, then after the paint is dry I lay some tape over the body of where I want the flames and sketch out the outline of the flames on the body itself to figure out where the curves and whatnot will be in coraspondence with the flame licks. Next I cut them out on a piece of glass from a picture frame. This gives me the best surface to use since my masking tape wil stick to the glass firm enough to cut out the design yet I can still peel it off with no problems.
I leave the accual "flames" on the glass and take the surrounding tape that I cut the flames from. Sort of a negitive in stead of a positive. I carefully lay this back on my car and tape off the rest of the car to where the only thing exposed is the area where the flames will be. You get the same effect as mentioned before but now the flames can be painted more realistic with colors added and so on.
I paint on light coat of the body color over the flame area first to seal off any small creases I might have missed, then paint my flames. Once dry (about 30 min. using oil based paint-lacquer will take about 5 minutes) I remove the tape and its done-clear coat and polish!!

I wish I had some photos to show you guys what I mean, maybe this weekend when the weather is nice I will do a flame job andd take some photos.

Scott

great, now post a tutorial about making a Beetle-pickup :D

Simply amazing!

Originally posted by deedlit

5: The flames are surrounded in orange with a pen and clear-coat is applied.

What kind of pen do you use?? Is it a paint pen?

What type of Adhesive film are you using on this project? Where sis you get it? Who makes it?

I'm definately going to try this after seeing your results. Thanks for the help. :sun:

damn ... that really looks nice :cool:

Awesome tutorial! You the man!:ylsuper :ylsuper :ylsuper :ylsuper :ylsuper :ylsuper :ylsuper :ylsuper

thanx for sharing, great how to!!!:cool:

WOW thats goin on my ITR

r u sure kev?
the ITR needs somethign cooler
but this will look good on ur 96 Mustang~:ylsuper :ylsuper

just wanted to add that this could be used for any graphic desgin, not just flames. You could print some desgin then follow the steps.

Great how to deedlit. it will help me for sure, not sure that i will make flames though.

Thanks for sharing - great tute!!

wow is all i can say :D

Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle? Where can i see this beetle?

Nice how to! One of the guys in my club uses his flat bed scanner to scan the actual model, side and top view. Then he scales it so it is the correct size, opens in Photoshop and goes about designing the graphics. Once you get something you like you just copy and flip the image for the other side , print it and transfers it to a vinyl sheet.
:bigthumb:

Yeah i know thats a way that i've made custom decals however... i'd liek to know where i can buy the decal paper, any have any idea?

For the film, you can use something called FRISKET. It is usually used to mask off parts for airbrushing and an be found at major art supply stores ( i.e. Pearl in U.S. ).

I'm not quite sure i follow you... I'm talking about the stuff that you can print up your own decals on and put on your car.

I have seen it advertised in Scale Auto magazine and Model Cars Mag

Originally posted by 454SS
Where can i see this beetle?

Check this:
Beetle truck (http://maquettedecox.free.fr/flonbpu.html)

thanx towel boy... wish it were in english tho.

Ok, sorry for the long delay but I'm juste come back after 3 weeks of holidays. :cool: :biggrin: :sunglasse

Towelboy has already answered about where to find this Beetle.

There are still other questions waiting:

What kind of pen was used to surround the flames?
Drawing pen, Rotring.

Which paper can be used to do decals?
Studio27 makes sheets of white and clear decals. You can find them on Hlj. All you have to do is to print your design, cut and apply on your model.

Now, after 3 weeks I have tons of threads to read. After, lots of new pics of my two current projects.

Deedlit

Great how to!

It looks like the adhesive film is "frisket film", available at any decent art supply store. I buy mine at Hobby Lobby. Look in the "artist" section.

The technique is about the same whether you paint the flames first, or last. The "reverse flame" technique has another face as well. It makes ghost flames really easy! You paint the base color, mask off the flames, paint another color and topcoat everything - after removing the masks. Just use a transparent color for the topcoat - BAM - everything is the color of the topcoat, but the flames are a different shade!

Just as an example, Tamiya Clear red for the top coat with, say, silver flames and gold over everything else. The car is red, the flames are red, but they are 2 different shades. It also makes a great effect with scallops or even stripes.

Hope this makes sense - I may just have to do it and take pics.

Tim D.
http://modelcartech.com

thanx towel boy... wish it were in english tho.
i speak french and the text says its metal...nice job anyways

hey lets see the rest of that car it looks like its a bug with the backend of a ford lightning it looks awsome

Towlboy has already given the link to more pics

Check this:
Beetle truck (http://maquettedecox.free.fr/flonbpu.html)

Im lost and have a couple of questions.

1st. How do you mask out the flames? I studyed the picture but couldnt figure out how you done it. Im very new to painting and masking so bare with a n00b here :)

2. What kind of pen is that your using for marking the lines? Is it just a general pen or what? Where can I get it if its a special pen? Is this special pen really needed?

3. What brand paper is the adhesive-film/and the clear plastic? Where can I buy it in the USA?

4. After painting the car silver. Do you apply the flames and tape them onto the car if not tape it onto the car do you hold the flame pattern to the car? Then put down your final base coat? Or how exactly do you do that?

5. Sinse your using the adhesive paper does the flames stick to the car while you are applying the final coats of paint?

Sorry for the questions. Im new and im learning lol