How to Mix Skin Tone Colors with Enamel Paint
A lot of people have requested videos of my pallet while I paint. So, here is quick video showing how I mix each skin tone color. The color mixing seen in this video can also be applied loosely to oil paints and acrylic paints. Like most of my Grammie’s recipes for baking, which call for a “pinch” of this or a “scoop” of that—- This video is not a precise tutorial revealing how much of each color to use; Rather, a visual, simplistic overview. BUT, stay tuned to the end where I’ve created a chart that shows what colors I used to get each skin tone. Don’t hesitate to experiment by adding green or blue to see how that shifts the tone of your color mixes!
Here’s the supply list for this lesson:
- Primary paint color set (white,black,red,yellow,blue): https://alpha6corporation.com/product…
- Thinner: https://alpha6corporation.com/product…
- Dixie Cups
- Magazine pages for a pallet
(Please note, some of these links are associated with my affiliate partners, which means that if you click on one of them and purchase that product, I’ll receive a small commission. This allows me to continue creating helpful content for you! Don’t worry – I ONLY recommend quality products that I use and love. I understand and respect that there are a lot of different ways to get these affects, but these are my go-to’s and have yet to let me down!)
I’m sharing with you how I create three different skin tones and their highlights and shadows using five different colors. I know a lot of us would prefer going straight to that bottle of brown paint and just adding white or black to shade the color. However, using a mixture of white, yellow, black, and red will give your paintings more depth and ultimately a more realistic look. A bonus is that the shading you see in this video can be applied to any medium, including oils and acrylics. By the end of this video you’ll be able to mix and create three different shades of skin color!
As you work down each column, you’ll just be adding color to your brush, however, in between each column – be sure to wash your brush thoroughly! It’s important to note that every paint company makes the same basic colors using different pigments. This means that although every company makes black paint, the undertone of the color may be cool blue or a more warm red. In the case of Alpha 6 Enamels I have noticed that their black has a warm undertone to it. Another good reminder as we mix skin tone colors, is that no matter what shade you are creating, we all have red blood under the surface.
I encourage you to create this little skin tone chart which features three generic skin tones that you can use in your paintings. In each of the three columns, start by making the darkest shade first and then add white and other light colors as you move from the darkest to the lightest shade in each skin tone category. It will take practice but it’s so worth it!! In the majority of my figure paintings, I use a collection of all three columns for just one figure.
If you have any questions or you would like to share your own work with me please do so by dropping down in the comments or find me on social media at @asphaltcanvasart. For future inspiration and helpful painting tips, please be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
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