Selecting the right shade in watercolor often seems quite difficult, but it is not, and just like in other types of painting (for example, oil), it is created by mixing different colors. This also applies to how to get skin color from watercolor. In this article we will try to sort this out.
To begin with, let's mention important feature watercolors. Unlike oil, where white is used to lighten the color, in watercolor, paper is used for this purpose, which is visible through the paint layer, as well as water, which dilutes the paint. Therefore, in order to make flesh color with watercolors, it is not at all necessary to use white paint.
How to get skin color with watercolors
First, let's prepare watercolors, water and brushes. As a palette, you can use a paint lid, cardboard, or watercolor paper itself - any surface that will not immediately absorb paint.
Next, we apply red color to our palette, and then ocher (or, if it is not there, mix yellow and brown). They can be mixed in equal quantities or with a predominance of ocher, depending on the skin tone.
To make the color less saturated, dilute it a little with water (but do not make it completely pale, given that watercolor often loses its brightness when drying). We apply the resulting shade to areas of the skin - this way we will create a “tint” that will shine through the upper layers and set the overall tone.
It’s okay if at this stage you can’t exactly hit the desired shade; it’s much more important now to set the desired tone. The tone can be warm or cold; in a living person it is usually warm, even if the skin is very pale. Therefore, in order to accurately convey skin color in watercolor, it is not advisable to add cold colors at the first stage. To show the lightness of the skin, just dilute the paint with water.
Further work process (layers)
When applying further layers, you can use other colors: brown, blue, green, earthen and their various variations. Cool colors are often mixed with warm colors (brown, ocher, yellow) to create shadows, sometimes they can even be used in pure form to contrast with warm fragments. In order to paint skin more accurately, you should carefully look at the person’s face, photograph or drawing from which you are writing.
Skin tone chart
To make it easier for you to choose the right shade, we have compiled an approximate table of color relationships. Of course, there are many more shades, but using the example table you can get a general idea of the patterns of color mixing. In addition to the flesh color characteristic of Europeans, the table also includes others that are suitable for writing the skin of representatives of Asian, African and other races.
How to make skin color with watercolors
We will teach you how to properly mix watercolors to obtain flesh color when painting the skin of your hands and face. Considering all skin tones of people of different races
Good afternoon, friends and guests of my store! I want to tell you about the interesting experience of Alisa Luchinskaya, which may be useful to you. How when mixing acrylic paints from seven colors you can get 40 shades.
Russian paints were taken as a basis "Ladoga" of the Nevskaya Palitra plant.
Here are the 7 primary colors with their numbers, as they are written on the tubes: medium yellow (220), red (331), blue “FC” (500), light pink (2204335), burnt umber (2204408), black (810), titanium white (2204101 ).
1. Light colors
Light colors are obtained by mixing primary colors with titanium white.
2. Dark colors
Add a little black paint to the main colors:
3. Shades of green
They are obtained by mixing yellow medium paint with black or blue “FC”. Asterisks “*” indicate colors that are obtained as a result of mixing - and can be used further to obtain new shades.
4. Violet and purple shades
These shades are obtained when we mix red or light pink paint with blue “FC”. Adding white will give lavender or purple shades.
5. Orange shades
Here we mix red and pink light paint with yellow medium. The two lower colors are already more complex formulas, so it’s probably easier to stock up on ocher paint in advance
6. Earthy tones
All of these colors feature burnt umber. Adding white makes dark earth tones appear pastel.
Since paints are mixed “by eye”, it is quite difficult to specify the proportions to obtain one color or another. All the same, in the process of painting you will have to mix the shades, listening to your own feelings: “Is this color needed now or a little darker/lighter/greener/redder”, etc. Therefore, if you are not yet strong at mixing colors, the author recommends investing one evening in training on mixing shades, according to the above formulas, as well as in your own experiments to obtain new colors. After this, you will definitely never confuse the marsh color with emerald (as often happens), since you will remember the process of obtaining them from your own experience.
And to make it easier for you: print out this blank for yourself on A4 sheet:
On it you will sign with a pencil all the colors used and the resulting shades.
Mixing acrylic paints (40 shades out of 7), adaptation
Good afternoon, friends and guests of my store! I want to tell you about the interesting experience of Alisa Luchinskaya, which may be useful to you. How when mixing acrylic paints from seven colors you can get 40 shades.
An artist will be able to draw a natural portrait of a person only when he general rules will produce its own unique recipe for achievement natural color faces on canvas. The article addresses the question of how to obtain flesh color from paints and in what proportions to mix them.
General rules for obtaining flesh color
In order to understand how to make a flesh color and paint a portrait in oil, you should look for white in the bins, which is then gradually diluted with other paints.
Science classifies a person’s color type into 4 types according to the seasons (depending on the color of the skin, eyes and hair).
On paper healthy skin- this is a gentle warm beige. Even people with the most fair skin cannot claim that their face is white: it is enough to compare it with a blank sheet of paper - the difference will become obvious.
In addition to white, the palette will include ocher, yellow and red cadmium, possibly sienna and umber (only for the purpose of shading, apply extremely carefully). You will need to put a small amount of white on the palette, dilute it with a solvent, then add ocher with red and yellow. In the latter components, the proportion of ocher in relation to other dyes is higher.
Aspects to consider
There is no ideal recipe for a particular shade - the result directly depends on the artist’s vision and the sitter’s complexion.
Primary aspects to consider:
- women's skin is paler and silkier than men's,
- the body, arms and legs are darker than the complexion,
- The reflection of a spot of color located near the object is depicted on the canvas (for example, the reflection of a hat falls on the face).
Color combinations
Flesh color when painting with watercolors
With watercolors things are simpler, but sometimes it may seem that the material is more difficult to work with than oil. An alternative to white when working with watercolors is a paper background that will show through the strokes.
The order of color composition:
- Take a plastic palette and put a few drops of water on it.
- Use the tip of a soft squirrel brush to smear red watercolor.
- Mixing a small amount of red with water results in a faint pink tint.
- After receiving the mixture, add a little yellow.
The consistency is ready to start painting the portrait.
One of the recipes for mixing flesh color
The following combination of colors is present in the theoretical works of contemporary artists.
- Mix 6 parts yellow paint with 1 part red paint, stir until smooth yellow-orange consistency.
- Add ½ part blue. After manipulation, a red-brown tint will appear.
- Add white dye to the resulting mixture. The proportion is not universal - the amount is directly proportional to the desired color: dark or light.
Examples of ideal complexion portraits in painting
Many Russian artists have found a unique balance for depicting the face in a natural manner. Their names are known in the world of painting: Bryullov, Levitsky and Rokotov, as well as many of their colleagues. In reproductions of their works, the master’s hand in depicting the most complex skin tones is clearly visible.
For example, the handiwork of V.L. Borovikovsky “Portrait of Maria Lopukhina”. The artist managed to depict the girl’s youth on paper, with her radiant, fresh skin. Experimental artists of our day will be able to repeat the result only by choosing a flower combination with their own hands.
Getting flesh color by mixing paints
To obtain a flesh color, it is necessary to observe the optimal proportions of other paints. You will need to apply white, dilute with a solvent, and add ocher.
There are several ways to create flesh tones by mixing watercolor paints. Unfortunately, when I first started drawing portraits, I was not aware of these possibilities. I thought I knew exactly how to achieve a flesh tone using just Jaune Brilliant No. 1 and No. 2, but I was always unhappy with the results. The Burnt Umber I used to create dark and deep shades and mixed with white paint made the final look dull and lifeless. I reached a dead end and didn't know why.
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. By mixing Cadmium Red and Permanent Rose together you can create a stunning flesh tone, which can be used to depict highlights, and the shadows will become deeper when adding 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 dark skin tones:
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 sheet 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.
How to Achieve Skin Tones Using Watercolors
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—none of which involve the Jaune Brilliant, Burnt Umber, or white paint that I've come to value so much over the years. If you want to achieve a Caucasian skin tone.
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. 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.
Every aspiring portrait painter or artist should definitely learn how to create a realistic shade of human skin. As you gain experience, you will develop your own color mixing technique that is convenient for you.
In general, the ability to correctly select and mix colors is an entire art, because each person has their own individual skin tone. Once you learn how to create realistic skin colors, you can experiment with surreal looks and shades. Let's consider options for how to make skin color.
How to make skin color with gouache?
By mixing various shades You can make your skin color perfectly accurate. But first you need to determine which shade you need, since one or another combination of colors will be used to recreate them.
Create a light skin tone:
- Selection of colors – you will need to try mixing several colors. In order to receive light color leather, prepare the following colors:
- White;
- Blue;
- Yellow;
- Red.
- Mixing colors – it is most convenient to mix paints 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 to your palette.
- Mix all the paints in equal quantities - using a brush, mix the same amount of blue, yellow and red paint. By mixing three primary colors, you will get a dark base - this is how it should be, because then you will lighten it.
Important! Before dipping your brush into a different color of paint, be sure to rinse it in a container of water.
- Compare shades - there should be a shade in front of your eyes that you would like to copy. Compare your foundation with the shade you want to achieve. If you are copying from a photo, then take into account its lighting.
- Lightening - if you need to achieve a lighter shade, then add yellow and white paint. Using yellow paint you will get a warmer shade, and using white paint you will get a cooler one.
Important! Add paint a little at a time and mix the colors well before adding more.
- Add red paint. If you've already had enough light tone, but there is no realistic shade yet, then you can add a little bit of red paint, but not too much, unless you are trying to achieve a sunburned skin tone.
- Adjust the color - again compare the color you get with the one you want to get. If the shade is too light, you can add a little blue and red. But, if the shade is too different from the desired one, it is better to mix everything again.
Important! You can mix several color options and then choose the one that suits your painting.
Create a medium skin tone:
- Selection of paints in the right shades. To create a medium skin tone, mix more colors. Prepare the following paints:
- Yellow;
- Red;
- White;
- Blue;
- Natural sienna;
- Burnt umber.
- Mixing colors - similar to the previous instructions, apply a drop of paint of each color to the palette.
- Mix yellow and red. By combining equal amounts of yellow and red paint, you get orange.
- Add blue color. Little by little and gradually add blue paint to the base. If you want a darker shade, try adding a little black paint.
- Compare shades. The skin tone you want to copy should be in front of you. Compare the foundation you received with the shade you want.
- Add red paint - add red very little at a time. It is better to add paint little by little and gradually so that you do not have to redo the base.
- To create a darker olive color, mix equal amounts of natural sienna and burnt umber. You should have a dark, concentrated mixture. Add the required amount of this mixture little by little to the base.
Important! This mixture can be used instead of blue color. To achieve a darker olive color, add a little yellow mixed with green.
- Mix until you get the desired tone - combine colors until you have at least five shades that you are happy with. From them you can choose one option that suits you.
Important! It is better to use one or two shades.
Creating dark skin tones:
- Selection of colors the right colors– to achieve a truly realistic shade, here you will have to experiment a little. Prepare the following paints:
- Natural sienna;
- Burnt Umber;
- Red;
- Yellow;
- Purple.
- Mixing colors follows the same principle as before.
- Let's make the base. Mix equal amounts of natural sienna and burnt umber. Also mix equal amounts of yellow and red paint. Then add the yellow-red mixture little by little to the first mixture.
- Comparing shades - compare the base you received with the shade you need to achieve.
- Create a dark skin tone. To make the skin color richer and darker, you can add a little purple. Dark purple is suitable here, which can be obtained by mixing dark gray or black with purple. You need to mix until you get the perfect version.
Important! Black paint can ruin the base, so you should add it very little and gradually. Try mixing until you achieve the perfect result.
- We create more light shade. To lighten it a little too dark color, instead of violet, use burnt umber. Take a small amount of mix and see what color you come up with.
- Lighten the shade. This can be achieved by adding orange to the base. Orange will lighten the base well, giving it a natural look, while white can dilute it too much.
- If you have achieved desired result, start drawing.
Important! To add shadows and chiaroscuro, use grey colour. When drawing skin, it is advisable to use several shades at once.
How to get skin color from plasticine?
In clay animation, live characters are often animated, so to create their hands, faces and other body parts, they need a color that is similar to the color of human skin. Making leather color from plasticine is actually not that difficult, you just need to show a little patience.
If you couldn’t find plasticine of the color you already need in the store, then it can be obtained by mixing other colors. To get the skin color we need the following colors:
- White – the whole piece;
- Dark pink – 3-4% of the whole piece;
- Other colors – 5% each.
When you knead these colors into a homogeneous mass, you will approximately be able to see what color you get.
Selecting the right shade in watercolor often seems quite difficult, but it is not, and just like in other types of painting (for example, oil), it is created by mixing different colors. This also applies to how to get skin color from watercolor. In this article we will try to sort this out.
To begin with, let's mention an important feature of watercolor. Unlike oil, where white is used to lighten the color, in watercolor, paper is used for this purpose, which is visible through the paint layer, as well as water, which dilutes the paint. Therefore, in order to make flesh color with watercolors, it is not at all necessary to use white paint.
How to get skin color with watercolors
First, let's prepare watercolors, water and brushes. As a palette, you can use a paint lid, cardboard, or watercolor paper itself - any surface that will not immediately absorb paint.
Next, we apply red color to our palette, and then ocher (or, if it is not there, mix yellow and brown). They can be mixed in equal quantities or with a predominance of ocher, depending on the skin tone.
To make the color less saturated, dilute it a little with water (but do not make it completely pale, given that watercolor often loses its brightness when drying). We apply the resulting shade to areas of the skin - this way we will create a “tint” that will shine through the upper layers and set the overall tone.
It’s okay if at this stage you can’t exactly hit the desired shade; it’s much more important now to set the desired tone. The tone can be warm or cold; in a living person it is usually warm, even if the skin is very pale. Therefore, in order to accurately convey skin color in watercolor, it is not advisable to add cold colors at the first stage. To show the lightness of the skin, just dilute the paint with water.
Further work process (layers)
When applying further layers, you can use other colors: brown, blue, green, earthen and their various variations. Cool colors are often mixed with warm colors (brown, ocher, yellow) to create shadows, sometimes they can even be used alone to contrast with warm fragments. In order to paint skin more accurately, you should carefully look at the person’s face, photograph or drawing from which you are writing.
Skin tone chart
To make it easier for you to choose the right shade, we have compiled an approximate table of color relationships. Of course, there are many more shades, but using the example table you can get a general idea of the patterns of color mixing. In addition to the flesh color characteristic of Europeans, the table also includes others that are suitable for writing the skin of representatives of Asian, African and other races.
 |
20% brown/ocher (can be orange) diluted with 80% water |
 |
20% red 80% water |
 |
20% - brown, blue and mixed in equal proportions yellow colors 80% - water |
 |
80% - brown and yellow mixed in proportions 1 to 1 20% - blue |
 |
100% - brown and yellow (1:1) |
 |
60% - brown and yellow 40% - blue |
 |
60% red 40% brown |
 |
50% brown 30% blue 20% yellow |
 |
80% - brown and red (1:1) 20% - blue |
 |
40% brown, you can add a little ocher or yellow 60% blue |
 |
20-30% brown 70-80% blue |
 |
100% - red and blue (1:1), you can add a little brown or ocher |
 |
30% red 70% blue |
| 100% - blue and brown (1:1) |
As we can see, to obtain a warmer shade, colors such as red, brown, yellow, ocher should predominate; for a cool shade, blue is most often used.
We hope this article has given you a good enough idea of how to create skin color in watercolor. Good luck with your creativity!
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 involve the Jaune Brilliant, Burnt Umber, or white paint that I've come to value 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 to highlight 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 dark skin tones:
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.
