How to paint flame

How To Paint Fire

10 Amazing (and Easy!) Tutorials

Introduction

Painting fire or flames is quite difficult. Every time I tried painting fire, I’d always make a huge mess out of it. The main issue with my paintings was the coloring. I was not able to bring in the proper shades and lighting effects. Of course, that all changed once I went through a few tutorials on how to paint fire. If you’ve been facing similar problems with your fire paintings, you too should consider going through the tutorials I’ve tried. They’re really helpful, and might even teach you a thing or two about proper use of shades and lighting.

The best way to paint fire, is by starting from the bottom, and making your way to the top of the fire. Each layer of the fire has a separate color, and that’s why it’s important to divide these layers and proceed accordingly. Once you’re done with the initial painting, you’ll need to add lighting effects on the surrounding areas caused by the fire. This way, you’ll be able to make your fire painting look more realistic.

Sizzling Campfire on the Beach

Watch as Ryan paints a sizzling hot fire on his canvas using acrylics. This beachside camp fire painting of his is one of the hottest artworks you’ll ever see, both figuratively, and literally. If you look carefully at the finished painting below, you’ll notice how the elegant use of shades and lighting effects makes this painting look so realistic. Ryan also does an amazing job in describing his entire painting process throughout the tutorial, which will be very helpful for learners of all levels.

How to Paint Flames on Miniatures the Quick & Easy Way

I don’t often do video only tutorials but it just made sense for this particular technique. See, I’ve been experimenting with ways to paint flames on miniatures. I’ve had a lot of failures, I mean a lot. However, I finally found a method I like that looks good and is super easy to do as well.

What I’ll show you is how to paint flames on your miniatures. This technique isn’t hard, but it does take a little practice. The results are some unique and interesting.

How to Paint Flames on Miniatures

This flame technique makes use of blending but not in any hard way. What I do is lay down very thin coats of paint in rapid succession to let it all blend itself out. I’m not intentionally glazing layers out or doing anything fancy, just working fast.

It’s that fast paced painting that makes this nearly impossible to really capture in my traditional method of taking pictures of each step. By the time I took a picture, made sure it looked good, the paint would be dry.

I realize this might sound difficult, quickly painting, and it will admittedly take some practice, but it’s not hard – honestly. It’s kind of a controlled chaos as you’ll see.

The idea with this is to freehand paint some flames. If you want to put some cool flames on your miniatures armor, then this is what you’re after. If you’re looking to paint fire that’s physically on your miniature, then this isn’t exactly what you’re after. However, the colors used and basic principle remain the same. So, don’t leave yet 🙂

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I cover this in the video, but here’s the paints I’m using.

I also highly recommend using a wet palette for this. It keeps your paints workable through this process.

I’m using a Raphael 8404 Size 1 brush for this. I like it because it has a good point and a good sized belly to hold paint for a brush that small.

Oh, I do wish I zoomed in more on the tutorial, so sorry for that. I’m learning as I go with video tutorials. Also, my sinuses were being annoying so just ignore the sniffles 😉

Let’s dive in with the video, shall we?

Conclusion on Painting Flames

There are countless ways to paint flames. There’s the old-school hot rod flames we’ve all seen. You can even find tutorials on how to paint realistic flames.

My technique I feel bridges the two. It’s more real than car decal flames but not quite 100% realistic either. The thing I really like about this technique is it’s fast. In minutes you can have something that looks good.

Like I said above, I tried countless ways to paint flames prior to this. Actually, not quite countless. I’d say it’s around 12-14 techniques I tried. So, while this may not be for everyone, or exactly what you’re after, maybe it’s at least given you some ideas and that’s all I’m trying to do 🙂

Specific Painting Techniques & Tutorials

Check out these other tutorials covering specific techniques.

How to draw a Japanese style flame in 3 easy steps♪

In this article, I’ll show you how to paint flames in a decorative way with a Japanese style.
Use it to fill in the gaps and give it a strong vibe!

Preparation before drawing Applying the law of concentration lines

Use the “Law of Concentration Lines” that can be applied to all drawing tasks.
For more information, see “The Rule of Concentrated Linework! How to draw water splashes with a Japanese brush“.

Now, let’s prepare an illustration to draw the flames.
You can get it from the Internet, or if you don’t have it, you can use a plain background as an exercise.
In this case, I used this one.

Step 1: Underdraw the clouds

Avoid the main part of the illustration and underdraw the cloud shape where you want to add the flames.
You can use a pen tool to draw it in an easily recognizable color other than black.
Don’t get hung up on the details, just draw quickly.

(The background color has been changed for clarity.

Step 2: Transform the clouds

Change the tool to “Fingertip”.
If it’s not in the brush tool, add it from “Add Brush” and “Save”.
Trace a few places as shown in the picture and draw a swirling pattern on the clouds.
It’s easier to do this if you increase the size of the “fingertips”.

Next, take the edge of the cloud and pull it upwards, making it flickering and steamy.
This will create a flickering flame.

Step 3: Make a line drawing with an ink brush

Replace the tool with a “brush (ink)”.
If you don’t have it, you can “save” it by step 2.
Change the color to black, and adjust the size, rotation, drawing interval, etc. to your liking.
It’s good to try to draw a few times.

After setting up the image, create a new layer, and draw thick lines around the swirling parts of the clouds and curves.
As in the case of calligraphy, apply pressure to the beginning, middle, and end of the line.

Draw quickly, not slowly, and follow the flow quickly.
(I’ve hidden the person layer once to make it easier to draw).

Add more flickering flames.
Reduce the size of the black brush and trace the lines, keeping in mind the soft lines.

Drawing a small, moderate “slice of flame” will add to the reality of the situation….

Summary

Now, the three steps are complete.
Here’s a colored layer underneath this line drawing layer, and then a layer of the original image.

What do you think?
I could easily draw a Japanese style flame!
In this illustration, the coloring is done with a watercolor brush to give it a more Japanese feel.

If you want to focus on the flames, try making the background a contrasting or dark color.

You can use it more and more to express weirdness, passion, and character!
Please practice and improve your skills…

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Tutorial: How to Paint the Scions of the Flame Warband

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In today’s post I’ll share a step by step photo tutorial guide on how to paint Scions of the Flame. More after the jump!

This tutorial assumes you have a basic understanding of how to paint. For the beginners, I will explain the techniques as I go along. Each picture below shows four chronological steps. Underneath each picture are the corresponding instructions. Each step shows the paint I used during that step.

Paints you will need for this tutorial:

1. Undercoat the miniature black with a primer.
2. Paint the armour with Word Bearers Red.
3. Mix four parts Lahmian Medium with one part Evil Sunz Scarlett and wash it over the armour.
4. Drybrush the armour with Corvus Black. Wipe almost all of the paint off brush onto a tissue and then quickly brush back and forth over the armour.

5. Thin Trollslayer with a little Lahmian Medium and using a small brush line the shapes of the armour with orange.
6. Paint the skin with Catachan Flesh.
7. Wash over the skin with Wyldwood Contrast Paint.
8. Paint over the skin with Catachan Flesh leaving the previous Wyldwood step showing through in the creases and recesses to represent shading.

9. Highlight the skin with Bloodreaver Flesh.
10. Add some final thin highlights of Knight-Questor Flesh to the skin.
11. Paint the belt and pouches with Mournfang Brown.
12. Wash the belt and pouches with Contrast Wyldwood.

13. Edge highlight the belt and pouches with Skrag Brown.
14. Highlight the black cloth and rope areas with Mechanicus Standard Grey. Several thin coats to help blend the the grey into the black.
15. Edge highlight the the black cloth and rope with Dawnstone.
16. Base coat the robes with Stormvermin Fur.

17. Highlight the raised areas of the robe with Dawnstone.
18. Edge highlight the robes with Administratum Grey.
19. Base coat the scaley hide all over with Incubi Darkness.
20. Wash the scaley hide with Contrast Akhelian Green.

21. Pick out each individual scale with Thunderhawk Blue.
22. Edge highlight the top edge of each scale with Celestra Grey.
23.Base coat the the weapon shafts, helmet horns, belt trim and belt decoration with Brass Scorpion.
24. Wash the brass areas with Reikland Fleshshade Gloss.

25. Using Leadbelcher paint the weapon blades. You might want to giver this two coats to get a good coverage.
26. Wash the metal, black cloth, black cords and scaly cape with 1 part Nuln Oil and 1 part Lahmian Medium. Once dry, do this again on the weapon to add dark shading reflections to the blade.
27. Edge highlight the metals and brass with Stormhost Silver.
28. Paint the rope on the belt with Morghast Bone.

29. Wash the rope with Contrast Skeleton Horde to shade it.

For the fire, this will be covered in a separate tutorial.

Paint it’s base to match your army. I painted the sand on my base White and then washed it with Agrax Earthshade, then Basilicanum Grey, then drybrushed it with Celestra Grey. The base rim is Steel Legion Drab. Used Gamer’s Grass Tufts to decorate the bases.

Tutorial: How to paint Necron Flayed Ones

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This website uses affiliate links.

In this post, I’ll show you how to paint Necron Flayed Ones from Pariah Nexus in 19 easy to follow steps. You’ll learn how to thin and blend washes, paint blood effects and more. Find out how in this tutorial.

This tutorial assumes you have a good understanding of how to paint Warhammer miniatures. With each picture is the corresponding instruction. Each step shows the Citadel paint(s) I used. You’ll find a list of all the paints used in this tutorial at the end of the post.

Undercoat the model black. You can use Chaos Black spray, I used Vallejo Surface Primer and my airbrush.

Basecoat the model with Brass Scorpion. A little Lahmian Medium mixed in helps smooth the paint and it applies really nicely.

Paint the armour panels and claws with Leadbelcher. Thin with Lahmian Medium and apply two light coats allowing the first coat to dry before applying the second.

Mix equal parts Nuln Oil with Lahmian Medium and wash the entire model with the mix.

Mix equal parts Agrax Earthshade with Lahmian Medium and wash the entire model with the mix.

Repaint the armour with Leadbelcher. Leave the dark shading showing where the dents are.

Repaint the skeletal frame with Brass Scorpion leaving the dark shading in the dents and recesses.

Highlight the edges of the brass and metal with thin lines of Stormhost Silver.

Paint all flayed skin with Rakarth Flesh. This might take a couple of coats to ensure it’s a solid coat.

Mix 5 parts Lahmian Medium with 1 part Contrast Graph-Charger Grey and wash over the skin to give it a lifeless look.

Highlight the raised areas of the skin with Kislev Flesh, leaving plenty of the shaded areas showing through.

Highlight the edges of the skin with Pallid Which Flesh.

Water down some Corax White and apply two coats to the face and central chest coffin shape.

Paint the face and central coffin shape with Wraithbone. You may need a second coat to get an even finish.

Wash the face and central coffin shape with Skeleton Horde. Be wary of the Contrast Paint pooling. If it does just wick it away with another brush.

Now for the blood effects, paint the edges of the skin with uneven, splotchy patterns of Carroburg Cromson. Repeat this step once dry to increase the intensity. This will be matte and look like dried blood.

Repaint the edges of the skin this time with Blood for the Blood God. Leave some of the previous Carroburg Crimson showing through. Blood for the Blood God is gloss and will look like fresh wet blood that hasn’t dried yet.

Paint the eyes and eye sockets with Temple Guard Blue. There is an icon on the chest, I paint that blue as well.

Dot the eyes with White Scar.

To paint the base I painted the rocks with Eshin Grey, the sand was painted with Steel Legion Drab then the sand and rocks were washed with Agrax Earthshade all over. The rocks were dry brushed with Dawnstone and then Celestra Grey. The sand was dry brushed with Baneblade and then Karak Stone. I used some GW Grass tufts for decoration.

Paints you will need for this tutorial:

Paints you’ll need for the base:

If you need to expand your paint collection to follow the tutorial, check out our partner stores Wayland Games and Element Games, which offer an amazing range of paints at a discount.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If so, leave a comment or reaction below, and if you got any questions, leave them here so I can answer them for you.