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Painting Beautiful Skin Tones with Color & Light: Oil, Pastel and Watercolor
You can paint realistic skin tones that glow with life! Learning how to capture such quality has never been easier. Inside you'll find guidelines for rendering accurate skin tones in a variety of media, including watercolor, oil and pastel. You'll begin with a review of the five essential painting elements (drawing, value, color, composition and edges), then learn how light and color influence the appearance of skin tones. Artist Chris Saper provides the advice and examples that make every lesson and technique easy to understand—immediately improving the quality of your work. You'll discover how You'll also find seven step-by-step demonstrations and an appendix of sample color charts for each major skin type under a range of lighting variations. It's all you need to bring your portraits to life!
- GenresArtNonfictionReference
128 pages, Hardcover
First published August 26, 2001
27 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Chris Saper
16 books6 followersChris Saper is a portrait painter, teacher and author.
Author of North Light Book's, Painting Beautiful Skin Tones with Color & Light and For Love or Money: A Business Handbook for Portrait Painters, Mostly Monochrome.
Saper has also been published in The Best of Portrait Painting, American Artist Magazine, Artist's Magazine, Pastel Journal, and Pastel Artist International and International Artist Magazines.
Her work is also featured in
North Light Books' Strokes of Genius: The Best of Drawing; and
Drawing & Painting People: The Essential Guide,
Strokes of Genius 2: The Best of Light and Shadow.
Saper has two instructional DVDs available: "Painting Oil Portraits in Warm Light", and "Capturing the Beauty of Monochrome Oil Portraits", both available through North Light Books' www.artistsnetwork.com.
Since becoming a faculty member of the Portrait Society of America in 2006, Chris has participated at the PSA's annual meeting, "The Art of the Portrait", in the capacity of demonstrator, panelist on topics of interest, portfolio critiques, and book signings. In the fall of 2007, Chris conducted a demo and workshop for the Society's Academy, held at the San Francisco Academy of Art University.
Saper is a contributor to John Howard Sanden's World of Portrait Painting, writing a regular column, "Portraiture and the Pursuit of Excellence."
In addition to her full-time commissioned portrait practice, Saper is an active speaker, demonstrator and instructor, teaching regularly at both the Scottsdale Artists' School and at the Mountain Artists' Guild in Prescott AZ.
Chris Saper has studied with noted portraitists including Bettina Steinke, Burton Silverman, Harley Brown, William Whitaker, Daniel Greene, Phil Beck and Dan Gerhartz. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts and a Master's Degree in Health Care Administration.
Author of North Light Book's, Painting Beautiful Skin Tones with Color & Light and For Love or Money: A Business Handbook for Portrait Painters, Mostly Monochrome.
Saper has also been published in The Best of Portrait Painting, American Artist Magazine, Artist's Magazine, Pastel Journal, and Pastel Artist International and International Artist Magazines.
Her work is also featured in
North Light Books' Strokes of Genius: The Best of Drawing; and
Drawing & Painting People: The Essential Guide,
Strokes of Genius 2: The Best of Light and Shadow.
Saper has two instructional DVDs available: "Painting Oil Portraits in Warm Light", and "Capturing the Beauty of Monochrome Oil Portraits", both available through North Light Books' www.artistsnetwork.com.
Since becoming a faculty member of the Portrait Society of America in 2006, Chris has participated at the PSA's annual meeting, "The Art of the Portrait", in the capacity of demonstrator, panelist on topics of interest, portfolio critiques, and book signings. In the fall of 2007, Chris conducted a demo and workshop for the Society's Academy, held at the San Francisco Academy of Art University.
Saper is a contributor to John Howard Sanden's World of Portrait Painting, writing a regular column, "Portraiture and the Pursuit of Excellence."
In addition to her full-time commissioned portrait practice, Saper is an active speaker, demonstrator and instructor, teaching regularly at both the Scottsdale Artists' School and at the Mountain Artists' Guild in Prescott AZ.
Chris Saper has studied with noted portraitists including Bettina Steinke, Burton Silverman, Harley Brown, William Whitaker, Daniel Greene, Phil Beck and Dan Gerhartz. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts and a Master's Degree in Health Care Administration.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 3, 2011
This was a very goo book to decide on skin tones. It explains everything easily and shows diagrams of the colors they use to help you make choices later on without the book.
It also teaches you in a non-specific medium way. So you can apply the knowledge to whichever medium you use, rather than just being stuck in the one they pick.
It also teaches you in a non-specific medium way. So you can apply the knowledge to whichever medium you use, rather than just being stuck in the one they pick.
Read
May 2, 2021Kinda just skimmed this one. :P
May 27, 2021
excellent book from the library. worth purchasing. good examples of values. works with limited palette and gives paint colors used.
September 6, 2015
Good beginning
This is a good basic beginning for portrait artist. The information about color, light, hue, shadow, etc. are helpful and definitely worth the time to learn and absorb the information. The examples are beautiful work. They are also helpful in determining what's necessary to be aware of in creating a portrait and in rendering your subject in the best possible light. This is one I would definitely suggest for for artist just beginning and for intermediate artist who want to be more aware of their materials and light and subject matter.
This is a good basic beginning for portrait artist. The information about color, light, hue, shadow, etc. are helpful and definitely worth the time to learn and absorb the information. The examples are beautiful work. They are also helpful in determining what's necessary to be aware of in creating a portrait and in rendering your subject in the best possible light. This is one I would definitely suggest for for artist just beginning and for intermediate artist who want to be more aware of their materials and light and subject matter.
January 3, 2014
Covers the basics of painting differing skin tones in oil, pastels and watercolors. Concise, accurate, easy to understand and filled with Saper's beautiful light filled portraits. Helpful chats and step by step photos. Covers the importance of painting from life and how to take good reference photos. Highly recommended.
June 27, 2012
Very practical advice inside on a variety of topics (within the context of painting portraits) - edge handling, color (of course), light and color behavior in different situations etc. I thought the color shifts were overemphasized in some of the sample artwork.
March 23, 2009
Surprisingly good book.
My favorite artist Dan Gerhartz is mentioned.
My favorite artist Dan Gerhartz is mentioned.
August 9, 2012
A useful reference for begining painters. The book gives exact "recipes" on how to achieve realistic skin tones.
September 8, 2014
excellent….
January 2, 2018
Great reference book for portrait artists. I highly recommend it.
October 26, 2018
got it from the library and i'm considering buying a copy because this is excellent. Not only does it show you colors your forgot existed but it gives you the formula for how to mix it yourself. And if you don't have the exact colors they show you it still gives you a starting point for achieving the colors you want.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews