Airbrush Tutorial: Realistic Fire with Candy2o 

Awesome! Thank you for the kind words!

Thank you! I'm glad you found it helpful!

Should learn who Mike Lavallee is lol has hour+ video going into this and is thee master of flames

I completely understand. Initially, I never intended to make a living with my airbrushes either. The opposite eventually turned out to be the case and looking back, I wouldn't change how it all happened and worked out. However, I haven't depended on airbrushing to pay the bills now for quite some time. It took me a while to realize it, but I enjoy painting a lot more again now that I'm not wrapped up in the commercial side of it. I still do some work for clients from time to time, but most of my time is spent teaching others these days. Thank you for watching!

Thank you!

Thank you my friend!

It's funny, I never intended to do a video dealing with realistic fire for the same reason you mentioned in your first sentence. Part of that was out of respect for Mike. Mike Lavallee was, and will forever be, the master of his technique. The down side is, Mike used a solvent based paint system. Painting realistic fire with water-based paint requires a little bit different approach and I was getting a lot of request to create this video. In the end, I obviously made the video. I too have no formal art training. I am 100 percent self taught through a lot of trial and error. My goal is to help others avoid some of those errors and improve their own artwork. Compliments like yours are reassuring that I must be doing something right! I greatly appreciate your kind words! Thank you for watching and thank you for taking the time to leave your comment!

Thank you so much!

Thank you!

I'm glad my video helped you! There are many methods to approach painting fire, none of which are necessarily right or wrong. This method works well for me, but I make changes frequently too. Sometimes I get an idea that may or may not result in a better end product. Sometimes things happen accidentally and the result winds up better. Don't be afraid to change the process up or try something different. Find what works for you!

Wow, thanks!

Hey Andrew! First, thank you for the kind words! Second, I agree painting fire is not easy. I have struggled with it (a lot), and I've watched other seasoned artists struggle with it as well. From a teaching perspective, this is one of the hardest techniques for most people to grasp. I don't know why that is, but you are not alone my friend!

That's part of the reason I initially didn't plan to make this video... There are already so many RU-vid videos available on the subject and many of the videos I found were done with water-based paint. Unfortunately, the viewer is just watching someone else paint in the vast majority of the videos I found. There was no instruction, steps are left out, or prior knowledge is assumed as you mentioned. Don't get me wrong, you can pick up a few things by watching those types of videos, but I wanted to offer a little bit more. It's worth the effort when I know someone has found it useful! I appreciate the kind words and thank you for continuing to watch my channel Simon!

Thank you for the kind words!

Terima kasih!

I'm glad to help and appreciate the kind words! Painting realistic fire isn't easy and requires practice just like everything else. Keep at it and you'll get there my friend!

Thank you. To put things in perspective, I've been an airbrush artist for nearly 30 years now. I may make it look easy because of my level of experience. I had to try airbrushing for the very first time at one point too. We all have to start from the beginning. Keep practicing and you'll be making it look easy as well!

I appreciate the kind words and I'm glad you got something out of it!

Thanks Guy!

Thanks Doug!

I'm glad you found my video helpful! And trust me, you are not alone. Throughout all the years that I've been custom painting, I have never seen a technique that took the industry by, well... wildfire, like true fire did. It got popular very fast and I was getting requests for it in my shop. So, I had to learn how to pull it off too. And I also struggled with it at first. Just watching someone else painting the effect makes it look deceivingly easy. Most quickly realize there is a lot more involved when they actually try it themselves. It does get a lot easier once you get the process and techniques figured out though.

Thank you! I'm glad you found it helpful!

¡Gracias por mirar y tomarse el tiempo para dejar un comentario!

I very much appreciate the kind words, thank you!

Color shifting is part of what makes the effect work so well. You just have to understand how to control it. Thanks for the kind words!

Thanks man! Like it not, water-based is the future of our industry. I chose to get ahead of the curve rather than try and catch up later.

Wicked Art Airbrush Studio I’m about to order a water base paint kit and wanted to know what kit would be the best and where do you order your paints from? I usually purchase everything from tcpglobal but they changed up there site and its no longer user friendly. I will be be painting mostly on helmets, motorcycles and aluminum panels. Also what was the name of that water base clear? Im looking to set up a little booth in a shopping center and I know I can’t spray urethane paints in that type of environment. Like you said. Like it or not it is the future. Thanks in advance.

There are numerous Createx kits available. Each kit is s a little different. I don't generally purchase kits. I prefer to order what I need in order to replace existing stock which is usually only a few bottles. So, it's difficult to recommend one of the kits. I usually purchase all of my product from local paint distributors. If I need something my local vendors don't have,or can't get, I use coastairbrush.com I've done business with Coast for probably 20 years now. Their customer service is fantastic and their prices are very reasonable. Hobby Lobby normally carries a decent selection of the Createx, Illustration, Wicked and Candy2o 2 ounce bottles as well. If there's a Hobby Lobby in your area, that would be an easy way to pick up a small selection to play with. Just FYI, I've had better luck using the 4011 reducer rather than the more aggressive 4012 reducer. The clear I mentioned in a previous video is called Scenix and it's also a Createx product. It's designed more for industrial use from what I understand and is not necessarily recommended for automotive type work at this point. I'm testing it on some small stuff to see how it holds up, but knowing it exists means the technology isn't far away for automotive use either.

Wicked Art Airbrush Studio thanks My next project I paint will be in water base. I’m also working on my 🔥 👍

Thank you!

Thank you!

Je vous remercie!

Thanks man! I appreciate your support!

Thank you!

I never thought of it from that perspective before, but you are absolutely correct!

@@wickedartstudio Truthfully your videos have helped me a lot... I'm very scared of fire.. My house burned down when I was 16 I have been in 3 Forrest Fires in Lincoln County New Mexico... I have a lot of respect for Fire... I feel if I can paint "Fire" it will help me not be so afraid of it.

I'm glad to know my videos have helped you! Experiencing that many fires must have been terrifying. Painting fire is challenging, but it's a lot like painting anything else in that it just takes practice. If you have further questions please don't hesitate to ask.

@@wickedartstudio Thank YOU so much...

Thank you!

Thank you David. I'm doing my best to get regular content uploaded.

I appreciate the kind words! I agree with the initial coverage being problematic. I used urethane for a very long time before switching to water-based. There are pros and cons to both, but there are some new water-based products out now with much better coverage. Those products have changed the way I approach painting fire. I plan to create a new video showing my refined process soon.

@@wickedartstudio thanks very much would be keen to see the refined version I only just noticed this video was created a year ago so will be definitely looking out for that one it's like anything there are many ways to achieve the same results but I really like your stylised flames and am keen to see the refined process always good getting someone else's perspective on things cheers and keep up the good work 👍

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment!

Thank you and you are welcome!

Thank you!

Hi David! First, thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment! I actually need to create a video showing how I do some different colored realistic fire. I'll add some more instruction related to your question in that video as well.

Thank you!

Hi Mike. You can learn a lot from RU-vid and plain old trial and error; however, there is no real replacement for one-on-one instruction. Real time feedback in a class environment is invaluable. Unfortunately, I don't know any instructors in the NE part of Oklahoma. Where exactly are you located? I teach one-on-one classes from time to time if you're interested. And thank you for the kind words!

@@wickedartstudio awsome. fella. Hopefully one of these days I could get with ya when we are both free. I'm in the claremore area.

I didn't plan to clear this panel and I won't promise I'll change my mind, but yours is the second request to show it cleared. So, I'll give it some more thought. Thank you for the compliment!

Thank you! Coverage can be probelematic when using colors straight out of the bottle. You can tweak the colors with a little bit of white (and I usually use a couple of other colors in the mix too to get rid of the pastel, or chalky color) in order to make them more opaque for faster coverage. I thought about adding custom mixed colors in the video. In the end, I didn't want to throw too much information out there at once and overload anyone. Like I said in the video, water-based just takes a little bit different approach compared to urethane.

@@wickedartstudio might I mention, which is not a knock in anyway the flames look more like "shreds" I feel they need a little more fluidity. Just my .02.

Thanks Nick. There are two types of artists, those who accept criticism well and those who don't. While I have a lot of experience, I don't consider myself an expert or a master at anything. I'm still learning and trying to improve my own skills while sharing what I've learned with others. True fire took the custom paint industry like, well... wildfire. There were so many people painting this stuff when it was really popular that some of us tried to stylize the effect by putting our own spin on it. What you see in the video is my own spin on the effect. To be honest, until I made this video I hadn't painted this effect in a few years because it's just not quite as popular as it once was. Rendering true fire is one of those effects that is a perishable skill in my opinion. If you don't practice regularly, you get rusty and I'm no doubt a little rusty.

Hi Yuri! Thank you for the kind words! I do intend to make a video covering blue fire. I'm not certain when I will have the time to produce it, but it is on my list.

Thanks for the kind words Bill! I plan to do some more videos showing how I paint other colors of fire (blue is definitely on that list), including backgrounds other than black. I'll definitely add a silver background to the video with blue flames.

@@wickedartstudio Thank you so much!!

You're very welcome!

Thank you Pete! I thought I replied to your comment earlier, but I'm not seeing it posted for some reason. I use 100 percent water-based paint in my shop/studio. The only exception is the clear coat. Until a suitable water-based clear is developed for automotive use I will continue using solvent based clear. So, the answer to your question is I would still use water-based paint on a larger project. I did decide to clear this panel this morning, so I'll put a video together in order to show you guys the finished product.

I appreciate the kind words! Yes, I will do a video covering the water drop effect!

@@wickedartstudio awesome! Thankyou so much!

Do you have specific questions?

I’m a grey black pencil drawer jumpin from that to airbrush,(needed a challenge lol) and like it’s difficult for me to “pick” and choose shapes/licks and them flow. I over think and over compensate something that shouldn’t be as difficult as I make it. Also have a issue in “laying out” my flames. I draw a blank.

@@benblankenship5892 Got it. I agree that painting true fire seems like it shouldn't be very difficult; however, the vast majority of people find it very difficult in my experience (me included). This is one of those techniques that is a perishable skill in my opinion. It requires a lot of practice to really pull it off nicely. Your request has been added to my growing list though!

Yes, all the Auto Air paints need to be reduced prior to spraying through an airbrush. Glad to have you as a subscriber! Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave a comment!

You are correct. The opaque colors didn't exist when I produced this video. I would definitely recommend using the opaque colors for this purpose now.

Gonna try it and see, loved the video by the way. Great information

@@claytonkokotailo6337 I appreciate the kind words!

Bleed Checker only exists in water-based applications to my knowledge. Generally speaking, a catalyzed clear coat is needed to prevent candy bleed in a solvent based paint system. Spraying a clear coat before adding additional layers requires more time, labor and expense which normally isn't the best decision. Mike used solvent based paint. So no, he didn't use Bleed Checker. Yes, some candy bleed does enhance true fire in my opinion and using Bleed Checker isn't 100 percent necessary. You can control where you spray your candy layers in order to control where the bleed may occur. Time was a factor for the sake of making this video. Rather than taking extra time to strategically spray each candy layer, I chose to essentially cover everything on the panel instead. Does that make sense?

lol. Thank you!

I'm not sure about using color shift colors for this effect (I would recommend trying it on something else first to be sure you achieve the effect you're looking for), but you can absolutely paint this effect on very small projects too, you just need to use small strokes and small stencils. The rest of the techniques are the same. I don't always paint fire over a black background either. Black is the easiest color to work over for this effect and the techniques do change somewhat when working over different colors.

Hi Chris! I don't currently have any classes scheduled, but I can find room in my schedule if you're interested. Shoot me an email at wickedartstudio@gmail.com for more information.

Glad to have you my friend! I used an Iwata HP-CS Eclipse airbrush in that video and my air pressure was probably set around 30 to 35 psi (I don't recall what it was exactly, but that's the range I'm generally in when painting fire).

@@wickedartstudio thank you that's one of the best truefire videos I've seen can you do a video on how you thinning your paint

@@sll-tt6bj I appreciate the kind words! I have created a few videos on that subject. You can find them here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_sg48yHf1Mk.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nnk4H0F1saA.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RHBVX3tLSyA.html If you have further questions please don't hesitate to ask!

I personally have no experience using ChromaAir paint. Based on the fact both products are acrylic urethane, I wouldn't expect any compatibility or adhesion issues, but I would recommend testing on something other than your project first to be sure. Createx has opaque colors available now that cover extremely well. I have a newer fire video uploaded on the channel using the opaque colors. You can find it here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Dru9Sc3SXe0.html if you're interested.

Hi Scott! I had to step away for a while, so I apologize for the late reply. That is an option, but I personally don't like to use white as a base layer. The colors just don't "pop" as much in my opinion. When Createx released the opaque colors, that really changed the game!

The 4030 balancing clear (or intercoat clear) was originally designed as a carrier for Candy2o. Candies have been around for many, many years in solvent based paint systems. A true candy is manufactured using a dye as opposed to a pigment. The dye in candy colors is a concentrate. It's very strong and should never be sprayed straight out of the bottle (doing so will create a lot of issues). Dye based candy colors need to be mixed with an intercoat clear (or balancing clear), as well as reduced with the proper reducer before they are sprayed. The 4030 balancing clear is the carrier that needs to be mixed with Candy2o. So if you use Candy2o, yes you need it. 4030 can also be used with any of the other paint lines offered by Createx. As I mentioned above, 4030 was originally designed as the carrier for Candy2o. However, it has also proved to improve spray performance when mixed with other pigment based paints (I usually add about 10 to 20 percent 4030). The colors spray out better and they lay down smoother. It makes the water-based paint perform more like a solvent based urethane (if you're familiar with, or have ever been involved with automotive refinishing). The caveat to that is the difference is only noticeable with a full size or mini spray gun when painting large areas (like a vehicle) in my opinion. For general airbrush work, you're not going to see a noticeable difference and probably don't need it. 4030 is also exceptional at removing moisture from paint as it cures. Adding 4030 to any Createx paint actually dehydrates the paint as it cures (better than any of the Createx reducers can). The result is a very durable finish that makes scratching and erasing techniques very difficult once the coat is cured. With that in mind, you can use a coat of two of 4030 (as an intercoat clear) to protect underlying artwork before adding additional layers. The 4030 coats must be allowed to cure in order to protect the underlying art though. 24 hours or so, depending on the environmental conditions you are painting in, should be enough time to allow the 4030 to cure. If a mistake is made while adding additional layers over artwork that has been protected with a couple coats of 4030, it is much easier to repair without damaging the artwork underneath if that makes sense. These are primarily tricks used in the custom automotive painting industry, but they can be used in general airbrush art as well. Hopefully that answers your question. If not, please let me know.

That would depend on the size of the needle and nozzle in your airbrush and the size of the glitter. They would have to be very fine to spray through an airbrush.

Stillwater, Oklahoma.

I'm generally spraying at around 25 to 30 psi.

The cool thing about painting fire is it can be stylized however the artist sees fit. There aren't really any rules. I was going for a realistic look, not photorealism. I appreciate the compliment, thank you!

@@wickedartstudio i am no critic or in any way as good as you. I took some house of kolor painting classes and did some real fire on the mailbox project. Looking back I went to far overboard with the flames. Plus I used house of kolor candy apple red and candy lime green so my flames have a green tint to them. I really like your vkdeos. I need to get back to airbrushing again.

@@tenbears1648 I didn't take your comment as criticism. Even if it was, I have no problem with constructive criticism. We don't always see things that can be improved in our own artwork when looking through our own eyes. Another viewpoint can be a good thing. And I'm definitely not an expert when it comes to painting realistic fire, but I appreciate the kind words my friend! I would also agree you need to get back to airbrushing again! 🙂

@@wickedartstudio I know you didn't take it as criticism, and I didn't mean my reply that you did. I was sharing my experience in attempting real fire for the first time. I have watched some of your other videos, and you are an amazing artist. I wish I would have started early in my life airbrushing, but my situations in life didn't allow that. At 60 years old I could probaly never get to be a reaaly good artist.

@@tenbears1648 I can understand life getting in the way of things, but I would disagree with your last sentence. Anyone can learn to airbrush and become very good at it! It just takes practice. If you can spare the time and are willing to put in the work, I see no reason why you can't reach that goal! I'm more than willing to help if you ever have questions. So, please don't hesitate to ask.

Agreed. Mike was well known for his true fire, but he was an exceptional wildlife and portrait artist as well! Everything he did was exceptional!

Yea he is the whole reason for ANY truefire/real fire and to this day his style,shapes, and the way it flowed is yet to be matched. I used to watch him on Open Mike Night Live on Thursdays. And he amazed me how quick he works, not to mention carrying on conversations and not paintin for full 2 1/2- 3 hours. Probably only 1 1/2 hours of actually paintin. Amazed me how also how creative he was. And super cool dude! I wish I could’ve had his help for just 1 hour and he could’ve straightened my mess up lol I’m goin on almost 3 months of only attempting true fire but I can’t get the shapes/flow like it should be. It’s whippin my tail!! Lol but if you go to his FB page you can watch hours upon hours of him doin what he loved!

@@benblankenship5892 Yep. Mike is the founder and master of the true fire technique, no question. I still remember the first time I saw it on an episode of Overhaulin years ago (It was the Chevy truck for a firefighter). I remember thinking I've got to figure out how to do that. I also remember thinking it didn't look that difficult... I was wrong, lol. It's one of those perishable techniques. It takes some time to get a half decent system figured out, but I've found if I don't use it regularly I kind of find myself trying to learn it again. I became a huge fan of all of his work immediately! He's a huge inspiration for all of us and unfortunately taken from us much too soon.

I remember the first time that I saw him was also on overhauling, it was way before he did the true fire. He did a meroul of a eagle but it was in all blue candy. Then I seen one in spanish, when he did the car for Jack Osborn . that was sick. And he did a blue guitar with Gwyn stufoni's face on it. And there was a show where he went head to head with a girl artist , painting a whole car . And those awesome paintings of actors that he made half zombies. Amazing. I love his personality even if he was pretty good at painting, his personality was one of a kind but he was the master. I know there's a lot of amazing artist out there but in my eyes Mike was the best and he explained what he was doing so well and very funny. Gone way to early. Man just keep doing your art, Mike would say, be yourself come up with your own style. No one is going to be Mike. But yours will be a canvas of your work and when people see it they will know who's it is.

@@scottmcbride2237 Well put Scott!

I showed it. :)

Thank you!

Why would I be addressing RU-vid rather than my viewers?