to me there is BIG differance between full size outside painting in just the prepwork and setup to achieve that look and then doing it on scale inside lexan painting! it's an apples to oranges thing to me even though they share the same aspects.
I have been an airbrush artist for over 4 years now with a natural talent and background in art throughout all my life and im 41 now. Todd Kirbey has been my teacher and I have yet to master his art but I have along way to go and enjoy it very much.
http://www.tkcustoms.com/
I never have claimed to be the best in the business and never will but I have done my share of paint from vector to true flame and I will offer my help and guideance when ever anyone wants it.
I have suggested and will time and time again to go to CFXpaintworks.com to learn how to paint. Charlie Barnes is a fantastic guy, a skilled airbrush artist on the real and lexan bodies, a great friend and is always available to lend an ear and offer his thoughts on a subject to to guide anyone who wants to learn to paint. For the RC airbrush artist there is a tutorial that is set up for a step by step that anyone able to learn will be able to achieve the ability to airbrush with the best of them.
I will tell you first hand HOK (house of Kolor) is one of the biggest distributors as far as reaching the True Flame teaching and technique for the average airbrush artist and professional. In many hobby shops in the states here you can pretty much go to a display that sells the paints and stencils needed.
I know when you go to the Hobby shows that John and Kieth are there putting on a display and selling product which is the best I have seen for scale airbrushers. The hardest thing about painting inside out is understanding the theory of what color goes first, air pressure, humidity, and understanding and opperating a good airbrush that should spray as small as .2mm and as low as 20 P.S.I.
I honestly think that Zielke is one of the best scale guys in the business and his work says it all when it comes to makeing the true flamed shells. thats hard to say as he is my competition, but I highly respect him.
I also believe that adrcracing is another one who is also one of those specialy talented painters when it comes to the true flame art. and again another one of my competitors.
If we are gonna talk about who is the true originator and master at true flame and airbrushing., anyone in airbrushing who is a professional will tell you straight up that Mike Lavallee is the best at the art. His art has been seen on many shows and hired by the best to create his hands down designs expessialy the helicopter he did in such away that people were calling fir and resue to report a heli on fire as it landed only to find out it was only paint. Like I always say, Mike is often imitated, but never duplicated. You can see alot of his work in the link below and he is very good about helping out the fellow artist whom is serious.
http://www.killerpaint.com/
Artool currently puts out his stencils and tutorial vids. but
HOK is in conjuction with iwata where you can purchase the stencils, paint, and a DVD on the lessons.
http://www.iwata-medea.com/index.php/artool/artist_profiles_mike_lavalle/
If you are serious about learning, like I said before there are many vids on youtube, but just practicing the basic steps and doing them, understanding your airbrush tools and knowing how to control them will give you a gift you can use anytime you need it or just to make money on the side.
Hey best of luck with that flame job. Post it up when you finish."thumbsup"
