Drawing is a hobby that I have loved since childhood. You can draw landscapes, still lifes, portraits, etc. But the hardest thing is to draw people. And the main problem when drawing a person is how to get flesh color. Let's talk about it.
flesh color
Flesh is a color that has the hue of human skin. This usually refers to the skin of representatives of the white race. Flesh is considered one of the most difficult to reproduce in painting.
Getting flesh color
If you don't know how to make a flesh color, then mix ocher with white, yellow and red. Moreover, there should be the most ocher, very little red, and depending on the quantity white depends on the tone. You can also mix white and pink, adding yellow or beige to them. Or you can use white to dilute brown paint until you get the desired shade or to a mixture of yellow and purple flowers add white, the amount of which will determine how much lighter the color will be. In any case, body paint can only be obtained experimentally.
Shades of flesh color on different parts of the body
On different parts bodies and skin color varies greatly from person to person. Men's skin is usually depicted as darker than women's. The main color is in the chest area, and below the tones are darker and ruddy. The skin on the arms, legs, elbows and knees is darker and redder than in the very center of the chest. Fleshy areas of the body have warmer tones than bony areas. Dark skin contains more blue than light skin. And in the sun it has more red shades than blue. Ruddy skin has many purple tones. Medium-tone skin contains a lot of gold. The face is usually divided into 3 zones: from the chin to the nose - cool tones, from the nose to the eyebrows - red tones, from the eyebrows to the hair - golden tones.
Now that you know how to get flesh color, you can safely paint pictures with people present.
Instructions
Flesh color represents a whole group of human skin tones. Therefore, in each specific case you may need your own version of the flesh tone. You need to clearly understand what color you need to get or see the model in front of you. It is quite difficult to reproduce this blow, but it is possible.
Prepare a palette for applying paint and a clean brush. First, build on the base to create a nude color. To do this, mix a small amount of yellow gouache and red. Red paint must be added very little at a time to achieve a bright orange color.
To get the color of very light skin, put a small amount of white gouache on the palette and add just a little orange base prepared in advance. Add base until desired shade is achieved. If you add a little more base, you can get a flesh color suitable for medium skin tones.
Place some base on the palette. Add some red gouache, turning the orange into a reddish color. Dip the tip of the brush into blue paint and add to the color you received earlier. After thoroughly mixing the paints, you should get a dark flesh-colored skin color.
To get the color dark skin, mix the base color with even more red gouache than in the previous step. Add a drop of black paint and mix the gouache thoroughly.
Flesh color on French sounds like "carnation". Later, this unusual term began to refer to painting techniques aimed at obtaining a shade suitable for depicting human skin. In this case, receiving desired color occurs not only by mixing paints on the palette, but also by multi-layer application various shades on top of each other to obtain the desired color.
If you are taking your first steps in working with color, then mixing different colors may raise questions for you. However, everything is not so difficult if you have a basic understanding of the color spectrum and its three main components. These primary colors are impossible by mixing any other colors in the palette. Having at your disposal art materials of only three colors (yellow, blue and red), you can get any colors and shades that exist in nature.
You will need
- Palette for mixing paints; yellow and red paints or pastels; work surface (pastel paper, watercolor paper, canvas, etc.), brushes and thinners (if necessary).
Instructions
How to make orange if you need it, but don't have it in your arsenal? You should go back to the basics of painting and color palette. You can make orange using the two colors yellow and red, which are the base of the palette's "color wheel". Squeeze yellow and red paint onto your palette and then mix them using a brush or palette knife. If the colors are taken in equal proportions, then, when shifted, we will become the owners of the classic orange color. If you take yellow color more than red, we get a yellow-orange or golden-orange color. If you take more red, the orange will turn out more saturated and red. To make the orange color softer and more muted, it is better to add white to it. To make the color darker, it is better to mix it with dark gray color. Black color is worse in this sense, since it not only darkens, but also steals part of the color spectrum.
If you need a color in dry pastel, then you can mix the same two colors. Apply them in layers on top of each other, and then rub. The shade of orange will depend entirely on what color was in the top layer. If upper layer was red, then you will get a red-orange color. If the top layer was yellow, then the orange will be a light yellow-orange.
It took a long time to realize my mistake and understand that white will never be the decisive color when mixing flesh tones. In fact, over time, I've learned several ways to bring portraits to life - and none of them involved Jaune Brilliant, Burnt Umber, or White paint, which I have valued so much over the years.
If you want to achieve a Caucasian skin tone:
- Cadmium Red
- Yellow Ocher
- Cerulean Blue
The flesh tones are much more complex than the pink tones I thought I could get out of the Jaune Brilliant paint. In fact, the creation of skin tones is based on a combination of red and yellow pigments. Mixing Cadmium Red and Permanent Rose together creates a gorgeous flesh tone that can be used for highlights, while shadows deepen when added with Yellow Ocher. If you find the resulting shades are too warm for your taste, you can always add a drop of Cerulean Blue to make it a little cooler.
As an alternative...
- Cadmium Red Light
- Cadmium Yellow Medium
- Dioxazine Mauve
Mixing Cadmium Red Light and Cadmium Yellow Medium also helps create an elegant base shade. To create shades, add Dioxazine Mauve.
If you need to depict skin dark shades:
The last palette used mostly colors in the orange/violet spectrum and it produced some really great results, I think the first palette which mixed Cadmium Red and Permanent Rose is much more versatile . Moreover, it is precisely this that can be easily turned into dark shades.
- Cadmium Red
- Permanent Rose
- Burnt Sienna
- Raw Umber
Instead of Yellow Ocher or Blue Cerulean, use Burnt Sienna to create darker skin tones. If a dark pigment is desired, add Raw Umber until you are happy with the final result.
Adviсe:
- There is no place for white when it comes to drawing a portrait! If you think the color is too dark, you may be tempted to add a little white to lighten the tone. It is the addition of white that results in uneven color and makes the portrait look flat. It is much better to add a little water until the desired shade is on the paper. If you have already applied paint to your brush and suddenly feel that the tone is too dark, take water, a brush and a cloth towel to gently remove the paint from the sheet.
- Use a piece of testing paper to avoid unwanted color. Cadmium Pink mixed with Permanent Pink looks quite dark on the palette, but on paper it looks like a completely natural tone. It is not difficult to forget that watercolor paints become lighter as they dry. It is for this reason that it is very useful to have a sheet of test paper on hand. Make sure the test paper is exactly the same quality as the one you are painting on, as the quality of the paper plays a major role in the final color.
- Work on your painting in layers. Skin is made up of many colors, rather than one color for the shadows, another for creating the undertones, and another for the highlights. The power of watercolor lies in its ability to create almost transparent layers, giving the opportunity to create layers of deeper shade. Gradually layering the colors will also save you from ruining the entire design, which you spent about two hours on to apply a thick layer to the paper, which you may later regret.
- Don't forget to add white when drawing the eyes. When you start painting the first translucent base coat of the portrait, don't be afraid to apply white in the eye area. There is no such thing as a pure white eye - in fact, it only appears that way in photographs. The contrast between the eyes and skin can be increased when undertones and details are added later.
- Be aware of your surroundings. If you draw an image of someone near a red wall, then there is a chance that the skin will be redder than that wall. Why? The light illuminating the depicted object is likely reflected from the red wall, absorbing the color. Try it yourself; Find a piece of colored paper or a piece of plastic and stand in front of a mirror in direct sunlight. The closer a colored object is, the more of its pigment is reflected on your skin.
Every aspiring artist or portrait photographer should learn how to create realistic skin tones. As you gain experience, you will be able to develop your own color mixing technique that is convenient for you. In general, the ability to correctly select and mix colors is a real art, since each person has his own unique shade skin. Once you learn how to create realistic skin tones, you can experiment with surreal shades and looks.
Steps
Create a lighter skin tone
- You don't want to add too much red paint unless you're going for a shade that will match sunburned skin.
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Adjust the shade. Again, compare the shade you get with the one you want to achieve. Try to correct it further. If the shade is very different from the desired one, it is better to mix the paints again. If it turns out too light, add a little red and blue.
- You can create several shade options and then choose the most suitable one for your painting.
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Add blue color. Gradually add paint to the base little by little. of blue color. If you want to achieve a darker shade, you can try adding a little black paint.
Compare shades. You should have the skin tone you want to copy in front of your eyes. Compare the resulting base to the shade you are trying to achieve. If you are copying from a photograph, consider the lighting.
Add red. If you need to add red, add it a little at a time. It’s better to add paint gradually so that you don’t have to redo the base later.
Create a darker olive shade. Mix equal amounts of burnt umber and natural sienna. You will end up with a dark, concentrated mixture. Gradually add the required amount of this mixture to the base. This mixture can be used instead of blue. For a more olive tone, add a little yellow mixed with green.
Try mixing until you get the perfect one. Mix colors until you have at least five shades that you are happy with. From them you can choose the ideal option.
Now you can start drawing. Use one or more options for the painting that most closely resemble a realistic skin tone.
You will need to try mixing several colors. In order to succeed bright skin, prepare the following colors:
Mix these colors. The most convenient way to mix paints is on a special palette. If you don't have one, any other work surface will do. For example, you can use a piece of thick cardboard. Apply a drop of each color of paint to your palette.
Mix paints in equal quantities. Using a brush, mix equal amounts of red, yellow and blue paint. Be sure to rinse your brush in a bowl of water before dipping it into a different color of paint. By mixing three primary colors you will create a base.
Compare shades. You should have the skin tone you want to copy in front of your eyes. Compare the resulting base to the shade you are trying to achieve. If you are copying from a photograph, consider its lighting.
Lighten the shade. If you want to achieve a lighter shade, add yellow and white paint. Yellow paint will give you a warmer shade, while white paint will give you a lighter shade. Add paint a little at a time and mix the colors thoroughly before adding more.
Add red. If you've already got enough light tone, but haven’t achieved a realistic shade, you can add a little red. Consider how red changes your skin tone. Sometimes there needs to be more red in your skin tone.
Creating dark skin tones
- burnt umber;
- natural sienna;
- yellow;
- red;
- purple.
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Mix colors. The most convenient way to mix paints is on a special palette. If there is no palette, then any other work surface will do. For example, you can use a piece of thick cardboard. Apply a drop of each color of paint to your palette.
Make the base. Mix equal amounts of burnt umber and natural sienna. Also mix equal amounts of red and yellow paint. Then gradually add the red and yellow mixture to the first mixture.
Choose paints in the colors you need. You will have to experiment a bit to achieve the most realistic shade. Prepare paints of the following colors:
