Creating a realistic skin tone is a useful skill for portrait painters and all aspiring painters. Over time you will develop your own mixing colors that you can work with. Mixing paint is an art in itself. Everyone uses a different color for the skin. Once you've mastered realistic skin tones, experiment with surreal colors and situations in your art.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Creating light skin tones
Step 1. Collect a range of paint colors
You should experiment with different colors of paint. For a light base color for the skin, collect the following colors:
- Red
- Yellow
- Blue
- White
Step 2. Compose your colors
Use a mixing palette or any surface. A good alternative to a mixing palette is a sturdy piece of cardboard. Put a dollop of each color on your palette.
Step 3. Mix an equal part of each
With your brush, mix an equal amount of red, yellow and blue. Clean your brush in a cup of water after collecting each color. Mix the three primary colors to create the base.
The result should be dark, and that's what you're aiming for. It's easier to lighten the tone
Step 4. Compare colors
Have a sample of the skin tone you're trying to create on hand. Compare the foundation you've created with the tone you want to go to. If you're using a photo, consider the lighting of the photo.
Step 5. Lighten the color
If you need to make adjustments to lighten your base, use a combination of yellow and white. White makes your base lighter and yellow creates a warmer hue. Add small portions of paint to the mixture. Mix the colors together completely before adding more colors.
Step 6. Add reddish shades
Use the same process of lightening the base, but this time with red. If you have already achieved the desired color, skip this step. Be aware of the red tones in the skin tone you want to create. Red occurs sporadically in skin tones.
Don't add too much unless you want to create the idea of a sunburn
Step 7. Continue making adjustments
Pay attention to the color you are trying to achieve. Adjust the color in small steps. You may have to start over if the color deviates too far. If it gets too light, add red and blue little by little.
Create multiple skin tones and use the one that most closely resembles your painting
Method 2 of 3: Creating the midtones
Step 1. Collect a range of paint colors
You will have to experiment with more combinations because the skin in the midtone has more color variations. Have the following colors handy:
- Red
- Yellow
- Blue
- White
- burnt umber
- raw sienna
Step 2. Compose your colors
Use a mixing palette or any surface. A good alternative to a mixing palette is a sturdy piece of cardboard. On your palette, apply a dollop of each color.
Step 3. Mix red and yellow
Make an orange color by mixing equal parts red and yellow. Clean your brush after collecting each color in a cup of water.
Step 4. Add blue to it
Slowly mix in blue paint, in small steps. Depending on how dark you want your skin to be, consider using a very small amount of black paint.
Step 5. Compare colors
Have a sample of the skin tone you're trying to create on hand. Compare the foundation you've created with the tone you want to go to. If you're using a photo, consider the lighting of the photo.
Step 6. Add red where necessary
Add small amounts of red, if needed at all. It is always easier to add small amounts than to start from scratch.
Step 7. Create a dark olive shade
Mix equal parts burnt umber to raw sienna. This combination creates a darker concentrate. Slowly add this mixture to your base as needed. Use these combinations as an alternative to blue. For a stronger olive effect, add a very small amount of yellow mixed with green.
Step 8. Experiment until you are satisfied
Keep creating different colors until you have about five different skin tones that you like. It might be easier for you to pick a few colors and limit yourself to one color.
Step 9. Start painting
Use the color or colors you created for a skin tone in your painting.
Method 3 of 3: Creating dark skin tones
Step 1. Collect a range of paint colors
You will have to experiment a bit to create the most realistic color. Collect the following colors for your palette:
- burnt umber
- raw sienna
- Yellow
- Red
- Purple
Step 2. Compose your colors
Use a mixing palette or any surface. A good alternative to a mixing palette is a sturdy piece of cardboard. On your palette, apply a dollop of each color.
Step 3. Create your base color
Mix equal parts burnt umber and raw sienna. Mix equal parts red and yellow separately. Then slowly add your red and yellow mixing color to the other mixing color.
Step 4. Compare colors
Have the skin color you're trying to emulate handy. Compare the base you have created with the tone you are trying to create. If you're mixing to a photo, keep the exposure of the photo in mind.
Step 5. Create a darker skin tone
For darker skin, add small amounts of purple. It is best to use dark purple. To create a dark purple, add small amounts of dark gray or black to the purple. Mix until you are satisfied.
Black paint can quickly mess up your base color. Use black paint in very small amounts. Experiment to find the best mixing color
Step 6. Create a warmer shade
For a darker skin tone that feels warmer, mix burnt umber instead of purple. Use small amounts of the mixture to determine which color to work with.
Step 7. Lighten it up a bit if necessary
You can make the color lighter by adding orange. Orange keeps the realistic tone while also lightening the color. You can mix yellow and red to create orange. White paint fades the colors too much.
Step 8. Paint your image
After creating the desired skin tone, paint your image. Keep gray handy to adjust shadows and lighting. It's also helpful to keep multiple skin tones available for your painting.
Tips
- Adding red makes the color look more pink.
- Adding yellow makes the color look warmer.
- Red + yellow makes orange
- Do not use black paint to darken the paint mixture; it makes the color muddy and unpleasant.
- For shadows, use a shade of green/blue/purple - the complementary color of the skin tone. Shadows look better this way than shadows with black.
- Do not use cardboard as a palette as this will soak up the paint, which is inconvenient. A board, lacquered piece of wood, or plastic wrap is easier to work with and clean.