Flames are one of the most enduring forms of paint embellishments on hot rods. They were popularized in the 1950s and ’60s, have seen a wide range of style treatments through the decades, and still capture a lot of attention today. Nothing quite says “hot rod” like a set of colorful yellow, orange, and red licks on a black paint job.
We had a little more space flexibility for the Paint Tips column this month, so I thought it would be a good time to show a basic step-by-step process for painting flames. For ease of illustration, I used an old surfboard as a demonstration surface – it was large enough to allow for design versatility, but small enough to quickly prep, lay out, and paint. If you’re a first-time flame painter, it’s a good idea to practice on something like this, or possibly a spare fender or hood.
There are many styles when it comes to flame shape, length, and color. I thought the classic combination of yellow-to-orange-to-red on a black surface seemed fitting for this quick tutorial. Follow along for some basic flame tips, and then start thinking about where you might want to add some heat!
I used an old surfboard to demonstrate this flame-painting technique. The board was first painted with a basic black basecoat, clearcoat finish. Once dry, I wet sanded the paint using 1000-grit paper and a rigid sanding pad to smooth the surface and prep it for additional paint.
I used 1/8-inch masking tape to mark my centerline. On most surfaces, it’s best to work from the center outward.
Most flames are done freehand. Learning shape and design is an acquired skill, but there are many examples you can find for inspiration and direction. I used 1/8-inch masking tape for initial layout. There are a lot of specialty tapes out there – it doesn’t hurt to try a few to find what works well for you. Basic masking tape works well with my layout techniques, so I have always stuck with it.
With one side done, you can make a template and transfer it to the other side of your centerline to create a mirror image…
…or you can do a non-symmetrical pattern, as I did here.
With the flame pattern established, I went back over the 1/8-inch tape using ½-inch tape to make more of an outline. The wider tape overlaps the narrower outline, which will allow for easier trimming.
There will be some areas where the wider tape overlaps the flame pattern. A careful, delicate approach with a straight-edge razor blade allows excess tape to be trimmed away.
Wider 1.5-inch masking tape was used to mask any remaining areas that would not get painted.
Again, a careful touch with the razor blade allowed me to trim off excess tape. I always trim where there are multiple layers of tape to avoid nicking the actual paint surface.
With everything masked, the surface was cleaned with wax and grease remover.
When doing lighter flames over black, I always start with a solid white sealer as a base coat. This helps the other colors to pop brighter without having to add multiple coats and build up surface thickness.
Next came the first color for the flames – bright yellow.
I went back over the yellow using orange, which was fogged into the tips, along the edges, and inside crescent shapes of the flames.
The red paint came next. It was applied more heavily to the flame tips, with a lighter overspray technique used to get a blending effect with the orange and yellow. Again, this is a learned skill – it’s good to practice and develop your technique before trying it on an actual car.
Once the flame colors were painted, I topped them with a coat and a half of clear.
Peeling off the tape reveals our hot new licks! To finish off this flame job, I will apply additional clear over the entire board, and then carefully sand the clear to reduce the “edge,” or excess surface thickness buildup from the flames. Then, I’ll have a pinstriper outline the flames in a contrasting color before adding more clear, and then ultimately sanding and polishing everything to create a flat, uniform surface.