Painting Skin Tones, by MIN CHEN on YouTube. 11 min 10 s.
- Video length
- 11 min 10 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick a printed reference photo with clear light and shadow areas on the face. Study the lightest, middle and darkest patches before you mix anything.
Set out a limited palette. Start with a warm red, a yellow, a blue, white and one earth tone such as burnt sienna or yellow ochre.
Mix a base skin tone from white, yellow and a little red. Add a touch of blue or earth tone to dull it if the mix looks too pink or orange.
Hold your value finder or grayscale card next to the reference and to your mix. Compare the lightness first, then the warmth.
Adjust the mix in small amounts. Add white to lighten, earth tone or blue to darken and cool, and red or yellow to warm it.
Mix a lighter version for highlights and a darker, cooler version for shadows. Keep them separate on the palette.
Test each mix on a scrap of canvas or paper next to the reference. Let it dry slightly, since paint shifts as it dries.
Label or note the ratios that worked so you can repeat the same skin tone later in the painting.
Tips and common mistakes
Mix small batches first so you do not waste paint while matching.
Skin is rarely a single flat color, so plan at least three values: light, mid and shadow.
Keep your mixes slightly duller than you think, since pure orange or pink reads as plastic on a face.
Clean your brush between mixes so leftover color does not muddy the next tone.
Questions
Can I use this method with acrylic paint instead of oil?
Yes. The same mixing and matching steps work with acrylics, but they dry faster, so mist the palette or use a stay-wet tray.
Do I need the exact palette the artist uses?
No. A limited set of red, yellow, blue, white and one earth tone is enough to start. Add colors only when a mix needs them.
What is a value finder?
It is a card with gray or tonal steps that you hold next to a color to judge its lightness. You can also use a printed grayscale strip.
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.
