Iknow there are a lot of post and magazine articales about painting flames,all pretty much tell how to tape and spray,but what about drawing the flames I don't think I got the artistic ability to make it look right.Doe's anybody make a stincel or pattern of any kind?
Pick out some flames you like and rough them out of a sheet of paper. If that doesn't work for you, take a look at cars with flames that you like and try to find a common theme. You can always map them out on your vehicle with some thin blue painters tape. If you want to match them on the opposite side get some vellum or transparent white tracing paper(obviously it's gonna be a big piece of paper). Trace the inside edges of the outlined flames with a pencil and then flip the image. You could then use a pounce wheel to perforate the "stencil" and then use a rag filled with chalk, pounce, or babypowder to create a light stencil on your car. Retrace the side with the "stencil" and presto...mirror imaged flames. Honestly the best thing is just trial by error. You can always photoshop them or just lay out half a side of taped flames and look at it for a week.
There have been a few people selling precut stencils. Some are one size fits all equally well,some are scaled to fit you car. Check the ads in the back of the high profile magazines.
there was a tech on it not to long ago as well... let me see if i can find it... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=226013&highlight=tech+flames there is even more stuff on/ through the search function... ketih
back in the 50's I used to draw flames on everything. now I can't even draw flies! but with 1/8 inch fine line tape it's easy. try it till you get something close to what you want. they are better if they are not perfect. mine look like crap. but most people like them anyway
stencils are GHAY! a stick of chalk is CHEAP....free if you know a HOTT schoolteacher works GREAT on flat black cars...but DONT press hard enough to scratch the surface. Then take plenty a snaps then start drooling be careful.....the painted flames ALWAYS 'look' much THINNER than the chalk ones did, so make em 10-20% FATTER than what looks right! ofcourse , the 1/8 line tape will make MUCH smoother, flowing curves than you can with the chalk flame a scrap panel first just to see how easy it is
Most of the people i know that can lay them out (like Scrape) ,just freehand with the tape as they go.I am not one of them i have tried it many times.I know what i want it to look like i just cant get it to the car.In my opinion its kinda like pinstriping .Practice will help anyone , but you can either do it or you cant...
I just grab a roll of 1/8" tape and lay 'em out freehand. Can't get them the same side-to-side, but fire isn't symmetrical anyway!
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