Fire Painting FAQ?

Hi all,

Some of you may have caught my post a few weeks back about this subject. Im interested in getting into some light painting and transfers, and I've heard that when done properly, its not a dangerous as some of the other fire arts...

Does anyone know of any sites that deal with this subject with tutorials, general information etc? I want to get someone to show me properly but would also like to be informed beforehand.

Thanks
JD

Very good read Pele, thanks for the link

Ah, I was actually trying to politely say that its less dangerous than Fire Breathing without getting my head ripped off by advocates of this art and its safety when done properly, and then on the flip side when everyone else jumps on the bandwagon or soap box, or whatever elevated structure is closest at hand, saying how dangerous it is, no matter what other guys say.... Really common theme on this forum. Anyway, yes, I know this is a forum about playing with fire, both literally and metaphorically, and yes, I know that Fire Breathing/painting/transfers/poi/staff/matches/zippos are all dangerous to a certain degree. Thanks for the heads-up.

JD

Edit: And just so there's no chance of misunderstanding, as most of you probably would have picked up, what I ment to write was "not as dangerous" not "not a dangerous".

Hmmm...well, that came across rather rude to me JD.

I offered help, even a link to help you get what you wanted (glad you enjoyed it Lurch! ) and I did not lecture. You'd know one of my lectures because it doesn't really end. When people lecture on here they do so on here because they care. They do so because they do not want to see another HoPper die, or be seriously, or even moderately injured. There is no way around it here. It's what we do and who we are and I think it is very fortuitous for anyone wanting to learn to find a group that is blatantly honest (too many will say..."Oh it's easy and harmless...) as well as caring.

You are dealing in touchy topics where people have tons of passion. Even the most seasonned of us still get lectured. I know I do.

However, you still got the answer you were looking for. A simple thanks would have sufficed.

And for the record, anyone who says anything we do is not dangerous shouldn't be doing anything with fire, let alone speaking about it.

Well, if thats the way it came across then I owe you an apology Pele. It was more a jab at those who 'debate' the issue mentioned rather than yourself. I was not saying that you ripped my head off or got on a soapbox or gave me a lecture, that was a comment directed at another issue. I dunno, maybe I'm just annoyed at the whole attitude towards newbies here. Once again, I wasnt saying its not dangerous and thanks for the link.

JD

Thanks for the link Pele. I've been painting for a little while but the link helped a lot and the trick with the backwards cigarette really is fantastic at parties.

Typhon: Not wanting to turn this thread into a 'noob bashing: good or bad' thread, not all of us have a bad attitude towards newer members. It seems to be a select few who are picking on them and therefore everyone gets tarred with the same brush.



Right back to painting. I've found that a good way to practice is to build a spare wick and use it with water to get an idea of the right amount of pressure and therefore fuel to apply to the skin to get a trail. Correct me if I'm wrong but I've found that if to wet the corner of a towel, squeeze it off and then run it up your arm so than you can only just feel that there is water on your skin is about the right amount. Start with a towel and water, then a spare wick and water, then fuel (not lighting it) and then light it but only when you're comfortable with what you're doing. So far I've had no accidents with it but thats only because I practiced for about three months before even thinking about lighting up.

Stay safe and only do things with fire when you're completely comfortable with it. Rushing things is the best way to get horrendously burned. In my view this is just as dangerous as Fire Breathing but for different reasons. A severe burn can cause problems for the rest of your life.

Yeah, thats a great idea with the practice wick, I'l have to give it a go. Does the viscosity of the fuel change the pressure needed? Is water much different to shellite etc?

Well, just finished reading through the site which, as Lurch said, is pretty damn good. However, there's still one quite basic question that isnt really answered. It has to do with extinguishing flames - he says you can start by touching your palm and 'leaving a small pool of flames' but when you're doing a longer draw up the arm, do you then need to put out the flames with your other hand? Letting them burn out by themselves on the skin would be pretty dangerous I would have thought. By the same token, when he talk about 'smothering' a flame in your mouth, is this referring to pressing it against the tongue (or if the tongue is lit, against the roof of the mouth), or simply closing your mouth to starve it of oxygen?

It depends on how long your fuel burns for. I've heard people talk about a three or five second window where you can have burning fuel on your skin before it actually burns you but I don't tend to believe in this. I work by feel. If it feels too hot then put it out with your hand or a towel but you can just let the fuel burn its self out as, if you've got your technique nailed before you start, there shouldn't be enough fuel on your arm to burn for long enough to damage the skin. That being said, when you're just starting always put it out with your hand and gradually build it up, leaving the flames burning for a little longer each time. This will allow you to get a feel for your limits which, once you've found, you should never break.

As for smothering the flame in your mouth: personally I make sure I have a lot of saliva in my mouth and use that to put the wick out using that but I do know other people who do simply starve it of oxygen. I'm not experienced enough to do that yet. As for having your tongue lit, yes, you do press that against the roof of your mouth to put it out.

Awesome. Thanks for the info everyone.

I think we should have an article on this similar to the Fire Breathing one. Although it might not be asked about as often it seems like more people are willing to try it and might be more likely to make mistakes. It might just be me being daft but it seems like a good idea especially when threads like this:

http://www.homeofpoi.com/ubbthreads/show...5/o/all/fpart/1

are posted. No offence razza but you did make me seriously think about the dangers of fire painting for beginners when you suggested using kero as a fuel. Thats not to say that I didn't think of the risks before but knowing what you should and should not do and having that in one place seems more important and intellegent than simply telling someone to 'do a search'.

Typhon: I tried simply letting the trail burn out on my arm last night and I've got a few pointers for it. To do it without running as much risk of burning yourself put less fuel on your arm than you would for a normal trail. This should shorten the length of time that the trail burns for so that it is safer. Also be prepared to wipe the flame out at any time because you never truly know what is going to happen. Other than that just be safe and work within your limits.

Yep, been experimenting with trailing water with the kevlar wicks on my staff, but I reckon that the cotton or material heads detailed on Mephistos site might give a more even fuel distribution, due to what we in the business call 'spongeyness'. Any ideas?

JD

I always use homemade wicks. I have one set made from kevlar and another from cotton. The cotton ones are imho better. Plus they are much cheaper to replace. Just follow Mephisto's designs and you can't really go wrong They are slightly different to using kevlar though due to the spongeyness but thats all part of the fun.

Thank you all for this post.

I have a freind that is interested in Fire Fleshing/Painting and this thread has alot of usefull Ideas I can pass on to her to help with her training

Just a few pic from our fire eater.. I have seen him hold two wicks on his tounge for 20 seconds or more ! Crazy !!

http://www.firetricks.net/photo/Alhambra/26.10.06/2.jpg

http://www.firetricks.net/photo/Alhambra/26.10.06/7.jpg

http://www.firetricks.net/photo/Alhambra/26.10.06/9.jpg

Nice pics shion !

I have looked and looked and I can't find anything on the website link about fire! unhappy times...