Alchemists 6a colour

Another one for the mini. I'm really not happy with the way the fire turned out... I seem to have forgotten how to make it ("Bang two rocks together" will not be accepted as an answer). I used to be better at colouring fire. But then I didn't use to do it in Photoshop but in other art software which, while inferior in many ways, did let me paint fire more easily. Let's hope I have the opportunity to redo it before the minicomic is due to go to the printer. Please advise, y'all.

Line art from 1992; translation + digital lettering, word balloons, colour and crappy fire done in late March, 2006. Posted in Digital art because, dude, it's got Photoshopped fire in it, even if it sucks.