PAINTING

FLAMES
PICTURES    
PICTURES     FROM   
FROM    THE   
THE    FROZEN   
FROZEN    CITY
CITY

Above. Giant-Blooded soldiers and a Savage Vampire.

PAINTING FLAMES IN
FROSTGRAVE
Painting flames or fire is one of those things that look a lot
harder to do than it actually is.
  Like most of the painting I
do it is a process of building up
  layers of colours one after
the other. The painting of such  an ephemeral thing as Fire
is a challenge, and it does require
  the exercise judgement
as to where to put the paint,   but experience gained in
practicing and this guide,  will hopefully lead you to
success.  

INTO THE FIRE

Firstly have a good look at flames, painted ones I mean.
Try to see what colours have  been used and how those
colours have been applied   to create the flame effect.
That’s what I did with this model,
  luckily I had a good
model to study, a figure  painted by master painter
Andrew Taylor. So I tried to  figure out what he did and
replicate in this model. It isn’t  an exact copy of course but
hopefully I have done enough  to give a convincing look of
a flaming torch. It does seem  a lot of layers to build up but
I hope you will think it is worth  experimenting with.
  Above. The first thing I did was to paint the flame area MATT
The major difference to my usual painting is, for flames I
worked from light to dark, instead
  of working from darker WHITE, another undercoat if you will, making sure I covered
shades to lighter highlights that  I use in normal painting. It the black undercoat completely, this took several coats of
is most important that some   of the lighter colours white.
underneath show through to  give the fire some glowing
life.  
All paints are from The Army Painter. matter if the yellow is a bit weak, the white will help to
boost the yellow.  
UNDERCOAT
The first thing I did was to paint the flame area MATT
PAINTING FLAMES
WHITE, another undercoat  if you will, making sure I 1. The first real stage is painting a 50/50 mix  of
covered the black undercoat  completely, this took several DEMONIC YELLOW  and MATT  WHITE, over all of, the
coats of white. In theory you  could paint the base colours now white undercoated flame  area. This too may take a
for the flames straight onto the
  black, but light yellow paint few coats before it looks solid  enough. It’s best to do this
is notoriously difficult to get  to cover over black, so I in a few thinner coats rather than
  trying to get coverage by
recommend that you use white   first and then it doesn’t putting on a blobby thick coat  
 
Above. 1. The first real stage is painting DEMONIC YELLOW Above. 2. That is the easy bit done. The second colour is
mixed with MATT WHITE, over all of the now white DEMONIC YELLOW mixed with MATT WHITE plus some
undercoated flame area. FIRE LIZARD, which is a nice fiery orange. This next stage
does require a bit of judgement.

2. That is the easy bit done. The second colour is of the first layer showing in the depressions of the flames;
DEMONIC YELLOW mixed with   MATT WHITE  plus if it were material that you were
  painting it would be like
some FIRE LIZARD,  which  is a nice fiery orange. This the darker shades showing.  The better the sculpting the
next stage does require a bit   of judgement as to how easier this is to do (I used one
  of my older more worn-out
much of this next coat to apply.
  You’ll need to apply this good brushes, not one of the  top flight detail brushes, so
layer a bit roughly, with some  jagged edges, leaving some that the coat is not even or smooth).
 
   

Above. 3. The next layer is pure FIRE LIZARD. And you Above. 4. This next layer makes the flame pop, but you should
follow a similar process as the last layer, painting this on to be careful not to over do it. It is a layer of PURE RED
the higher points, leaving some of the previous two layers painted on the higher points again as if it were a highlight.
showing. 

3. The next layer is pure FIRE LIZARD. And you 4. This next layer makes the flame pop, but you
follow a similar process as the last
  layer, painting this on should be careful not to over do  it. It is a layer of PURE
to the higher points, leaving  some of the previous two RED  painted on the higher  points again as if it were a
layers showing. You could leave
  the flaming torch at this highlight but making sure you   leave a good lot of the
point and call it finished.   previous layers showing. Again  apply in a rough manner,
it’s not dry-brushed but it’s  a similar technique with bit
more wet paint on the brush.  
 

Above. 5. The last of the fire layers proper is a darker red, a light touch of DRAGON RED. Be very sparing with this layer,
catching the extremities of the flames.

5. The last of the fire layers proper is a darker red, a back to the original yellow/white base mix if needed. You
light touch of DRAGON RED. Be   very sparing with this could leave the flame at this point
  and call it finished. 
layer, catching the extremities   of the flames. Don’t worry
6. The last little flourish is a bit of smoke, just a touch
however if you overdo a layer   as you can always paint
in MATT BLACK. Again be very   sparing with the black,
back in some of the previous   layer and or layers right
less really is more here. Remember   you are going for an
 
inner light effect, so don’t lose  those lighter undertones. 
 
Above. 6. The last little flourish is a bit of smoke, just a touch in MATT BLACK.  Again be very sparing with the black, less
really is more here. Remember you are going for an inner light effect, so don’t lose those lighter undertones.

Above. 7. I couldn’t resist a final bit on the flaming torch, a tiny bit of ash, extremely lightly dry-brushed on to the black smoke
in ASH GREY appropriately. 

7. I couldn’t resist a final bit on the flaming torch, a And that’s flames, seems weird I’ve not set it down before
tiny bit of ash, extremely lightly   dry-brushed on to the but I was inspired to write it down
  now by seeing Andrew’s
black smoke in ASH GREY.   wonderful flaming torch, he was   on fire!
   
Above. The finished Giant-Blooded soldier with his flaming brand.