| Creating realistic flesh tones in your oil paintings | | | | Beginning with lighter skin tones, take a little of |
| can often run the gamut from a little difficult to | | | | the cadmium red light and mix it with yellow |
| downright maddening. Unfortunately, there is no | | | | ochre. Then compare the bright orange mixture |
| one-size-fits-all when it comes to rendering human | | | | with the skin tone of your subject, adding more |
| flesh. However, there are a few tricks you can | | | | red or yellow as needed. Next, add the titanium |
| learn to make the job a little easier. | | | | white until you arrive at a color comparable to |
| For starters, keep in mind that human skin is | | | | that of the inside of the arm or the lower portion |
| composed of reds, yellows, and blues, also known | | | | of the cheek. What you will end up with will more |
| as the primary colors. When you mix these three | | | | than likely be too bright, so add a touch of |
| colors in the right proportions, you get a nice | | | | ultramarine blue, just enough to make your |
| shade of brown. Add some titanium white to bring | | | | mixture look more natural. |
| out the contours and highlights and you are on | | | | If the skin tone you are painting is darker, try the |
| your way to creating realistic looking flesh tones. I | | | | above mixture, but add ultramarine blue instead of |
| say on your way, because you are not quite | | | | white. You could also try experimenting with burnt |
| there yet. There is still the issue of which reds, | | | | umber or raw umber. Whichever color you |
| yellows and blues you should use. | | | | choose, start adding it until you have a color near |
| Blues: A nice, warm blue like ultramarine blue helps | | | | the value of the skin tone you are painting. At this |
| to dull the brilliance of the red and yellow, keeping | | | | point, the titanium white is added, giving you a |
| your skin color from looking unnatural. | | | | more natural skin tone. |
| Reds: Cadmium red light will give your flesh a | | | | One caveat to the above: do not rely solely on |
| ruddy complexion, while alizarin crimson is perfect | | | | white to lighten the color. Rather than a natural |
| for darker skin tones. | | | | skin tone, you could end up with one looking pale |
| Yellows: Throughout the history of western art, | | | | and unhealthy. If that is not the look you are |
| not too many palettes have lacked yellow ochre | | | | going for, try adding in some of the cadmium red |
| for use in skin tones. To make it darker, try | | | | light/yellow ochre mix and breathe a little life back |
| adding raw umber or burnt umber. | | | | into it. |