How to Paint Skin Tones

by James Horton, Hazel Harrison

Problem solving instruction and practical color mixing charts help artists in all mediums master one of painting's most basic and troublesome elements.

Genres: Art

143 pages, Hardcover

First published August 5, 1995

Reviews

[Roddy Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, very practical book which, above all else, provides charts of suggested colour mixes (for oil, acrylic, watercolour and pastel) for pale, medium and dark skin. This is, in the main, using something like Raw Sienna, adding white to make a basic mix, and then additional colours to vary the tone. This may seem pretty basic, but the charts show the colours and tones derived from various mixes and give suggestions for eye and lip colour mixes. It is made clear that this is a starting point, and that one should should learn to develop one's own mixes. I have used these techniques and recipes in oils and acrylics with a great deal of success. The rest of the book deals with various portrait strategies and techniques in the selected media and includes a section by one of my university illustration tutors.
I've had this book over 13 years now and still refer to it for reference and inspiration.

[Sylvia Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent