This custom tutorial was contributed by superarticulated

We will be using wire, aluminum foil,a sculpting compound, and hot glue(Caution:HOT!)
1. Take a good look at some references of explosions, envison the flowing curvature of energy.
2. Take a wire and haphazardly glue or sculpt onto it.
3. for an ENERGY BLAST, wrap the ends of wire tightly around an action figure fist, leaving a ball at the other end. Apply aluminum foil, and then sculpey or plasti-dip. Press the action figure fist deep into sculpey, remove, and let it set. You may have to redo this several times so that the fist imprint is deep enough for the fist to support the blast. If the figure has a open hand, dig a slit for the hand to slide into.
4. For an EXPLOSION, glue the ball of wire to a base and leave the ends sticking up. Sculpt over this; plasti-dip will drip. You may choose to sculpt or glue on fine sand, chucks of 'concrete' or other things around the explosion to emphasize its force.
5. For a BEAM, attach long, stiff, wires to an EXPLOSION and sculpt over it, focusing on a spiraling, sleek, flow TOWARD the explosion.
6. Paint.

TIPS
*When a special effect reaches a hand, sink the arm into sculpey and pull it out, widening the hole. When this dries, you will be able to slide the arm back in.
*This is also good for lightning kicks or eye beams, simply shape the wire/sculpey so that it fits around the desired part. This works for those cool skids on the ground when a character is pushed backward, or parting waves as a character flies over a body of water at high speeds.