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Hi guys n girls.
I've recently started painting the Necromunda special character 'The Redeemer', which, in my opinion, is one of GW's best models.
Naturally with such a model I want to get it to look just right.
I've finished the entire model except for his burning crown/flaming head. So my question to you, the fine people of this
fantastic forum, is how does one paint flames properly?
I'm by no means a master painter, I'd say my attempts are amature at best, so if anyone knows of a tutorial or step by step with
photos on how to paint flames/fire properly I would greatly appreciate it :-)
(I did do a quick seach of these forums unfotrunately couldn't find anything :-S )
Cheers

This may help.

http://hot-lead.org/advance/fire_theory.htm

I second the article posted above.

It would help to see an image of your model, as I find painting flat flames (like on an Ork Trukk) to be very different from painting 3d flames (such as a fire elemental).

I assume you're looking at essentially a 3d flame (although if the crown were flat and cylindrical, it would be painted using 2d techniques). What I would do is:

Base - Mechrite Red
Highlight 1 - Mechrite Red + Blood Red
Highlight 2 - Blood Red
Highlight 3 - Blood Red + Blazing Orange
Highlight 4 - Blazing Orange
Highlight 5 - 2x Blazing Orange + Skull White (1:1 gets too bright)
Highlight 6 - Blazing Orange + Skull White
Final Highlight - Skull White (very thinly only at very raised areas)
Wash 1 - Gryphon Sepia - normal wash
Wash 2 - Yellow (not sure of the GW color, I mix my own) - light wash

I'm at work, so don't have any examples right now, but what it does is create a transition from dark red to white flames, then adds back in medium tone with a bright yellow base the flames are coming out of. It gives the illusion of the fire source being very hot and cooling as you get further away, with the natural look of sparks such you would get with a fire.

If you have an airbrush then follow that meothod, if not, you can allways use that method but by using a brush.

I bought a Hordes pyre troll just to see if I can paint fire. I remember using sunburst yellow and then working up, the fire at the tip was red gore and it came out looking really good, that article is spot on.

The flames from that youtube vid arent that great in my opinion and the first article really helps

The key to painting flames, of any color, is to start with the brightest tone as the base coat apply successive layers of darker and darker highlights. Essentially its the reverse of the normal painting process.

As long as you remember that key point, start bright and layer up to dark, you do flames of any color -- green, blue, purple, etc.

For example, I love doing "eldritch flames" on magic swords and the like. Using Reaper Master Series paint, I go with:
Base: Pure White
First Highlight: Pure White + Jade Green
Second Highlight: Jade Green
Third Highlight: Leaf Green
Forth Highlight: Grass Green