In Search of the Perfect
Flame
written by Nika
Normally when I think of flames - I think of two things: Hot Rods and Mom's cooking. Not going into detail about the latter, let's look into the icon of speed and performance: the Hot Rod Flame.
Now flames have been a part of the "muscle car" since the early days of street machines. As the automotive industry expanded and cars become more affordable in the 30's and 40's, the start of local racing Southern California "hot rod" organizations were noticing flames painted on the hoods of the cars. Unlike lightening bolts or wings, both graphics that could represent speed, it was the idea of "FLAMES" that literally caught on. Theory has it representing the combustion of the engine - a Gargoyle of sorts to ward off the volatility of fuel and not to mention, downright intimidating
 look, that led to this being more than a passing fad but an actual trend that has survived more than 70 years. The automobile is one of the best examples of personal expression - in fact nine cars out of ten have some "after-market" accessory - some thing as trivial as an air freshener to as elaborate as a complete new body kit...obviously the most noticeable is the exterior of the car.
How this artistic expression evolved has been debated amongst car people for years.
 The change from the realistic flame look to the present day retro flame could easily be viewed as the gradual development or as the introduction of personal artistic renditions - color not representative of a real flame is the most noticeable change. - but there has to be more. We spoke with Craig Fraser, author of the book Automotive Cheap Tricks & Special F/X about his ideas and observations.
"Of all the graphics - the flame is most recognizable. It is the only graphic to hold it's own throughout the decades. While graphics were
originally introduced to individualize cars in racing, the flame has
remained a timeless design since it was first seen on the tracks in the
early 30's. It's repetitive pattern allows it to stand on it's own, without
being wholly dependent on a vehicles body-lines to define it's look. Yet at
the same time, a flame properly laid out on a car can elaborate, and accent
these same body lines. Technically there are no "rules of thumb" in
designing the perfect flame. Proportion, balance of negative, and positive
space, color  theory:
These are all
important considerations when designing, and laying out flames, yet there are no set rules you can apply to all flame
designs. With flames, the "End justifies the means". If it looks good, the
client likes it, and the viewing public doesn't run screaming, you've done
your job. To put it simply, there really is no such thing as the perfect
flame. It's like trying to describe the perfect car: At a certain level it
all becomes personal preference. Nobody is right, nobody is wrong, as long
as they are all in the same ballpark. As for meaning - the flame means
something different to everyone - there isn't a
definitive answer. What I
can say is that the flame is as popular now as its' ever
been.
The current
retro movement, and reintroduction of the Kustom Kulture Art form has given
the "Old School" Style, and retro versions some new life blood, but you can
also see a current explosion of tribal styles, and new hybrids of flames
popping up in the mags every month. To put it simply, Flames kick ass."
I
couldn't put it any better, Craig Such is
life! The search for the "perfect
flame" is as futile as the search for
Noah's Ark. It all boils down to
individual choice and just think of what a
boring world it would be if we didn't have
that.
:o) Nika: nika@racerchicks.com
or AOL IM: "racernika"
We
thank Craig Fraser, noted artist and author of
the book: Automotive Cheap Tricks & Special F/X,
for his time. Look out for some of his
fabulous artwork in major magazines.
For more information and to buy a copy of Craig Fraser's book - please contact: Kal
Koncepts/Air Syndicate - 3951 South "H" Street #E, Bakersfield, California 93304 - (661)-836-3084 -
www.gotpaint.com -
fraser@gotpaint.com
|
