Hello, Artist, extraordinaire, Dave Bell, could draw just about any old car, hot rod or custom to the extreme high quality art seen anywhere. So, yes, the art work is difficult to see, since most of his art is in black and white. But, his version of flames on the hot rods and customs is pretty close to “perfect flames.” In my old style flame artwork, I try to make every curve and tip swoopy to emulate real flames. Have we ever seen claw flames? In our multitude of beach bonfires and endless campouts, sitting around the campfire with different wood types brings plenty of “flame” art heading for the sky above. One can see skimpy flame patterns and then once in a while, mesmerized, a claw shoots up into the sky and “wa…la” claw flames… Jnaki For this holiday season, a red paint and highlighted flame design falls right into the Season’s Greetings… Note: The origin of flames is a storied history looked upon by many as an extended scallop design gone wrong in the painter’s back yard spray area. Those straight scallops wavered and were now, swoopy. As the years have moved on, taping has gotten better and the stylists have learned to make the intended design. Leland Kolb/Fritz Voight’s roadster from So Cal, is thought to be one of the first “claw” flames on a hot rod. Could it have been a free hand drawing of the classic scallops gone “wavy” into a claw? YRMV
Hello, As kids, we learned to start with the letter "C." The C gives off a beginning pattern and if one continues to connect those "C" patterns, you get a series of long drawn out C curves. On paper, you can use pre cut out patterns from an artist's plastic "round" holes plate. Or these days, a computer's art drawing program has pre design circle patterns and curved lines. or the ability to draw curved lines. The old days made us use a pencil to draw out the end lines to make the swoopy curve ends. These were done on a computer. draw two circles, on on top of the other. connect similar circles in a spread out pattern blue yellow design. then copy that and paste on the program screen and now use a different color to erase at the curving points. when you add in the "white" color, the original red lines disappear and the new blue flame pattern remains. Now, you can resize it to fit your drawn, finished hot rod art as the door panel, behind the front fender or where you deem it necessary. Less is more. These days, I start out with full circles and go from there to fit the drawn art. Jnaki I draw the hot rod design, first, try to finish it as much as possible. with full color, one can see how the flame color will show up in the background color. if it does not stand out, then change the colors so the flames stand out. outlining the original color flames always makes them stand out. In a real hot rod fender or door, a pinstriped outline in silver or blue is popular. But, you have to practice with your brush on a sample metal sprayed panel. I have tried many times on my friend's fenders and doors, bicycles, wagons and skateboards. I am not a painter or pinstriper, I just like flames and like drawing them. When a hot rod design calls for additional detailing I can add scallops, claw flames or swoopy flames to fit the need. Note: Too many flames ruins any hot rod, boat or family station wagon. The last full size flames on the bottom of my own adult size scooter with a handle. (black base, red flames, yellow outline and blue tip inserts at the ends.) When it was cleaned up, it looked nice. but, not show quality as we see on hot rods and station wagons. Anyone can make these for your kids or adult friends. But, today, a scooter company makes them by the millions... with two wheels... My design was several year ahead of the commercial silver two-wheeled models most see on the sidewalks. They never looked good and my pinstriping skills is relegated to marker pens, hand drawn art and now adding some computer art work as it is cleaner and easier to erase mistakes... and there will be plenty of those... YRMV
None of these flames are considered, to be perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but purely from a photographic standpoint, they caught my eye at various car shows, and I felt they have something to offer to this thread. Thanks from Dennis.
Here is my roadster that Gene owned and also had Dave Bell do the flames on in 1976. They have an unusual shape since they don't go through the louvers at all. And it was the first time Dave faded the stripes from color to color.
@bchrismer how about a picture of your ‘40. I’ve always admired the layout and presentation of the flames on your Coupe.
Thanks for the comment, Ed. I don't know if I ever told you the story behind the flames, so I will share it here. I'll preface this by saying flames are extremely subjective. Also, I can point out everything I did "wrong" in taping off the flames on my coupe. My coupe came to me via a generous uncle who had hauled it out of a garage in south St Louis for a widow who was paying garage rent for her husband's project. I was 5 years old at the time, so I had a LOT of time to dream about it. It also happened around the same time I first saw photos of Gene Sonnen's '40 coupe at Peoria, which seared into my brain that someday, my coupe would be black, flamed, and wear 5 spokes. I had been driving the coupe for a about 4 years with original Henry paint on the body, most of the hood, and rattle can primered fenders, with some moon discs on the wheels, when a kid left a note on my windshield telling me he wanted to do the body and paint on the coupe. Being a young father, and knowing what bicycle pedals do to fenders of hot rods from personal experience around dad's '34, I decided to take him up on the offer. After picking the all black '40 up from him, the "it needs flames" thing kept eating my brain, so one day I called Dale (former High School art teacher and hotrodder), who was now living in Sarasota, FL. I told him I was wanting to flame the coupe, but because I have seen so many flame jobs that looked stupid, I wanted any wisdom and tips I can get to keep it from going that way. His reply was, "Just wait, it'll come to you after a few days." Talk about bugging the crap out of me. I felt like Young Grasshopper, on Kung Fu! All I wanted was some guidance, inspiration, he goes all zen on me! Well...a few days later, a postal tube gets delivered by the mailman. Inside is rolls of butcher paper that Dale had gone out to his garage and made patterns off the flames on his '40 pickup. I felt like an idiot, but immediately went to work with a stabilo pencil and fine line tape. I called the kid who had painted the car, said I wanted to have him spray the flames, and he says something like "you tape it off, I'll spray it for $300." DONE DEAL! Unfortunately, it was LATE at night, and the painter didn't remember my request to pull all the tape before clearing, so he laid down 5 coats of clear on top of the flames, creating a hard edge that would prove impossible to hide with pinstriping. After I had the flames were painted, Geoff Carter (former SRM editor) had reached out to me and asked me if I would write an article for his Gearheader Magazine, using some Buegler Pinstriping wheels to outline the flames. I had about half the hood done and photos taken for the story when the phone rang. It was Dale, asking if I still had a spare room at the '99 Nats. He wanted to come up and stripe the flames at the Nats. I immediately went out and wiped off as much as I could possibly remove of the process blue that I had rolled out of the Buegler! If you know where to look, you can still see remnants of my crappy layout and Buegler work. (btw, now that the flames have been on the car for 25 years, it would be very difficult to ever want to repaint it, despite all the road trophies that speckle the front of the fenders and hood) Here's a shot of Dale's truck, and my coupe after the flames were painted. Dale's hood was asymmetric in the layout. I preferred his driver's side, so I used it on both sides. (I do remember that Dale's truck was featured in either SRM or R&C in the early 2000's, but have no idea which issue) Dale's truck and my newly striped flames at Lou'vul '99 Dale, laying out the process blue 1 Shot under the parking lights of the Extended Stay America in Lou'vul.
Thanks, Jim. Ed has seen my coupe go from unpainted beater to slicked up beater and used to try to buy my coupe from me every time he came down to Springfield. LOL
Great write up and pictures, Bret! I’ve always thought your flames were executed nicely! Your ‘40 definitely has the look Brother! After trying to buy your ‘40 Coupe for years (unsuccessfully). I hope you don’t mind me pestering you to purchase your ‘40 Convertible.
I still have this book and several others. I did a couple flame jobs just like this one. Got my good old paint at Betz
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