The EXACT Recipes to Mix Skin Tones for Oil Painting (with the Warm-Cool Palette), by Anna Wakitsch on YouTube. 8 min 39 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 39 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Squeeze out Ivory Black, Titanium White and Transparent Red Oxide on your palette. Keep them apart so you can pull small amounts with the knife.
Mix black and white into a warm grey for value 5, then add a touch of Transparent Red Oxide to warm it. This is your medium skin tone base.
Make a lighter warm grey for value 7 by adding more white to the value 5 mix. Keep the red oxide small so it stays skin-like.
Use the palette knife to fold and scrape the paint rather than stirring. A clean knife keeps the mixture even and stops muddy streaks.
Mix the lightest warm value 9 with mostly white and a tiny amount of the grey and red oxide. Save it for highlights on skin.
Build the dark warm value 3 by adding more black and red oxide to the medium mix. Use it for shadows and deep creases.
Test each mix on a scrap of canvas or board next to the others. Compare the values side by side before you commit to the painting.
Adjust each tone with a little white to lighten or black to darken. Add red oxide only in small dabs to shift the warmth.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the red oxide amount tiny, since it is strong and can turn skin orange fast.
Mix more paint than you think you need so the tone stays consistent across an area.
Clean the palette knife between mixes to avoid dragging dark paint into light tones.
Work in good light and check your values against a grey scale.
Questions
Do I need the exact three paints named?
The palette relies on Ivory Black, Titanium White and Transparent Red Oxide. Similar blacks and red earths can work, but the results will shift slightly.
Can I use this palette for acrylics?
The mixing logic carries over, but acrylics dry fast. Use a stay-wet palette or a spray bottle to keep the mixes workable.
Why mix greys first?
The warm and cool greys are the base for every skin tone. Building them first makes the later light and dark values easier to control.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
