{"id":1352,"date":"2013-07-31T21:58:19","date_gmt":"2013-08-01T01:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/?p=1352"},"modified":"2019-07-16T09:18:09","modified_gmt":"2019-07-16T13:18:09","slug":"how-to-mix-skin-tones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/how-to-mix-skin-tones","title":{"rendered":"How to Mix Skin Tones"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mixing Skin Tones<\/b><\/h2>\n

Why is it that mixing skin tones is so darn difficult?\u00a0 Mixing beautiful greens for grass is easy enough.\u00a0 Mixing realistic blues for skies and water is easy enough, but skin tones – that\u2019s a different story.\u00a0 So, why are they are hard to mix and how can we make it easier on us all?<\/p>\n

The truth of the matter is that skin tones are complex colors.\u00a0 Simply mixing two colors with equal parts is not going to get the job done.\u00a0 It will take several colors to get the color \u201cright\u201d. \u00a0 The complexity deepens when you consider that a range of values and color temperatures can exist on one face.\u00a0 And let\u2019s not forget that no two skin tones are exactly the same.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy to want to reach for that pre-made \u201cflesh tone\u201d at this point, but resist the temptation!<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s step back for a moment and simplify things a bit.\u00a0 But before we do, let me make this disclaimer – Portrait artists approach painting in different ways, so the way of mixing I present here may not be best for you, it\u2019s simply how I approach mixing skin tones.<\/p>\n

Establishing Your Base Tone<\/h2>\n

The first color that should be mixed will establish a base tone for the face.\u00a0 This color should be the general tone of the subject and will be the foundation on which we build the values and temperatures in the portrait.\u00a0 While all skin tones are different, a blend of the colors red, yellow, brown, and white will result in a suitable foundation color.\u00a0 Some skin tones will require more red, while others will require more white and so on.\u00a0 But for most subjects, a mixture of these four colors works nicely.<\/p>\n

A little saying that I use to help my students remember the colors used for base skin tone mixing is… \u201cRed, yellow, brown, and white – that\u2019s how to mix your skin tones right.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Getting the Values Right<\/h3>\n

Just like with painting or drawing any other subject, light will react on the surface of the face.\u00a0 The light will affect the values and color temperatures that should be found in your painting or drawing. \u00a0 We can create these values and temperatures by adjusting the base tone that we created.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Let\u2019s start with the values.\u00a0 The first suggestion is to throw out your tube of black.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need it.\u00a0 Mixing black with your skin tone will just muddy the color, making it look gray.\u00a0 Instead, the colors that should be used to make values darker are brown (burnt umber, raw umber) and blue (phthalo).\u00a0 A mixture of blue and brown will create a \u201cnatural black\u201d that will produce natural looking tones.\u00a0 An added benefit is control over the temperature.\u00a0 If you need shadows that are cooler in temperature, mix your darker values with more blue.\u00a0 If a warmer shadow is what you are after, add more brown.<\/p>\n

Lighter values should be mixed by adding white with the base tones.\u00a0 However, be cautious.\u00a0 White can mute colors when over-used and \u201cwash out\u201d natural tones.\u00a0 Seldom is an area on a face \u201cwhite\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Color Temperature<\/h2>\n

Color temperature is the warmth or coolness of the color.\u00a0 It doesn’t have to be complicated.\u00a0 The more that you add a warm color to your base tone, the warmer it gets.\u00a0 The more that you add a cooler color to your base tone, the cooler it gets.\u00a0 The trick is recognizing whether a color is cool or warm, and it all starts with your light.<\/p>\n

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Not all light is warm.\u00a0 And not all highlights are warm.\u00a0 You may find areas on your subject where the light is very light, but slightly cool in temperature. \u00a0 For most highlights, the color temperature will be warm.\u00a0 For shadows, the color temperature varies from warm to cool.<\/p>\n

Areas of the face will change in color temperature.\u00a0 For example, areas around the nose\u00a0 and checks tend to be more red, making the temperature warmer.\u00a0 Pay close attention to subtle changes in color, value, and temperature and include them in your work.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be afraid to be bold with contrasting these areas.\u00a0 It\u2019s the contrast in value, color, and temperature that leads to the illusion of form.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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