i got a freind wanting ghost flames and the whloe roof done the same way....... im a flake guy and have never done ghost anything... any suggestions? what to use? any tricks?
im no pro painter but i have messed around alittle.after the car is primed and ready to go tape off your flames ect.spray a coat or two.remove and spray the whole car.the flames will be alittle darker because of the extra coats.i have only done this on a boat,and the side of my wifes washing machine{yeah she doesnt like it}.im sure there are some people that can give you some better info.have fun and let us know how it turns out.
I just finished ghost flames on a maverick , I taped out my flames and I mixed prism powder in my clear and just shot it very light , the more coats you put on the more the flames will show . I went heavier in the turns and on the flames tails to make it look better and then cleared it all . The prism powder I got from ebay. Fairly easy and I'm no pro, trust me. Rocky
There are several versions of "ghost" graphics that people talk about. Some are more "ghosty" than others. First version: paint the base color, tape flames and then mix the original color with a little extra silver, black, flake or pearl, and shoot the whole flame area, or just the edges. Done right, they are not really ghost, just a slightly different color flame, but subtle. Next version: shoot the flames with some clear, mixed with flip flop pearl. This is a true ghost flame, if done right. You can't see them some times, and then if viewing it at the correct angle, or the light hits it 'just right'. they glow a different color. Just be sure to do test panels to get the mix right. Too little, you might not see them at all. Too much, and you get a permanent effect, and the color might be "milky" or cloudy. I've also heard guys call doing different color basecoats under candy, called ghosting. Soemtimes, if the colors are pretty close, they can appear and disappear, but usually they are there all the time, so not truly ghosts, IMHO.
Chopolds has it, that's the correct way to do ghost flames. Just make sure you do some test panels first.
Haven't done any on a car yet, but here's a pictorial on a bike I did. Base and intercoat clear, wetsanded and then flame layout... Masked, for such a small area to paint, the "ghosting" here was done with an airbrush...followed around the perimeter.... unmasked, and then cleared.. Fresh out of the booth.. Assembled.... This was using H/K apple red kandy basecoat for the flames. For a more ghostly (hidden) flames, I use dry pearl mixed in intercoat clear. Depends on how much the customer wants to see them. As ChopOlds said, not really ghost flames in the true sense of the word, but it's what the man wanted. When he pays the bill he can call them anything he likes
I painted my first ghost flames on a sportster in '72. A light coat of blue/green Murano pearl over black, then clear over the whole thing. Flames were nearly invisible till the sunlight hit them...then they came alive. The point of "Ghost" flames is to be...well, ghosty....not visible til the sun hits the highlights....So, whatever system you use....be conservative when applying the material for the best results
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