I'm not sure if this goes here as it won't post in the "How to" section. Anywho, I did a quicky on how to true fire for anyone interested. There's several ways to do the virtual flame but I figured I'd do the most basic for starters.
First, you need to cut templates to give curve flow.
The material used to do this is some plastic sheet I found at Walmart. (It's in the kniting section)
Make sure there are no edges when you cut. Even a slight angle in the plastic curve will be magnified when sprayed.
You can leave the project assembled if that's your preference, but get er all preped and sanded and wash it down with soap an water then a degreaser. Mask everything that is a hinge point or a locking tab as well as windows and stuff. True Fire can be sprayed in blue/ green/purple/whatever as well as over any base colour you choose. Personal preference is yours but I recommend it always be done over black. It's easier to repair mistakes and gives far more depth to the final product.
An important tip for those just starting with the airbrush is to never allow yourself to stop in the middle of a spray pattern or to lay it on too heavy. (Below) The upper image is an example what you don't want. It's solid and has blotches in points where the spray has stopped or changed direction. The lower one is what you're aiming for. Just start spraying "off or away" from the project and bring it in. Overspray is minimal and hardly noticeable with true fire so don't get too worried about it.
Anywho, what you're trying to do here is lace together a ghostly flow of sharper curves and whisps to create a natural fire effect. There's really no wrong way to do it.
Using various curves, just come in and lightly build each shape off the other. Just be sure to spray on the template, never directly on the project.
Here it is with the template pulled back.
To create fire stems, use the broader templates. They give the illusion of motion as the fire seems to "stretch".
....then fill in the other side with a slightly more curved and shorter pattern. Never use the same template on the same stem. Your mind will immmediately recognize the similar design and it ruins the flow.
To put a "tip" or "lick" on the flame, just use the extreme curved templates and dust it off in the direction of flow. Never push the colour to the end of the pattern as it'll highlight the actual template. If that happens, come in with you black and lighly wash it out.
Come in with one of the tiny loops and give er a dust. Again, do not spray too far. Just focus on the curve, the rest will fall into place.
That's the basics to it. Just work it down the sides and you're good. It's important not to overdo the patterns or it becomes a big ol mess. Keep it simple.
......but it doesn't hurt to throw in an "offshoot" further back.
At this point, if you so choose, you can call it "good" and go straight to clear coat.
.....if not, we'll continue by creating layers. Using the same technique learned earlier, use the vibrant yellow and build patterns within the red. (Never try to extend beyond your red pattern and do not copy directly over the red patterns)
Using an extremely transparent orange, we................
........ spray over all the flames causing them to blend together. (Do not apply a heavy coat and no more than one)
And now you're ready for clearcoat. It can be layered several times using this technique but on such a small scale, I recommend only a single yellow layer.
