painting caucasian faces

[mrmstwk]

i need some advice with painting caucasian faces, they come out too dark when i use the methods i have found on this site. I use the reaper paints triads, rosy skin tones, medium skin tones, and the dark skin tones.

 

I use the shadow first diluted at 3 to 1 paint to water, then use the skin diluted 1 to 2 paint to water to hit the high points. Then the skin highlights diluted even more to hit the high points again. I use this formula for each of the different types of skins but they don't come out right.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

[captenglish]

Depending on the effect I am going for, I use the rosy skintone triad caucasian fleshtones, and have been very happy. I can't speak to the exact formula you are using, or the exact problem you are having, but I have found that rosy skintone triad is the best for my money's worth. HTH

[mrmstwk]

Depending on the effect I am going for, I use the rosy skintone triad caucasian fleshtones, and have been very happy. I can't speak to the exact formula you are using, or the exact problem you are having, but I have found that rosy skintone triad is the best for my money's worth. HTH

 

would you be so kind as to tell how you do in and in what order

[Heisler]

Here's the obsessive version of how I paint skintones. (okay the slightly obsessive version, I may have more steps in there between the 50/50 mixes and occassionally other colors)

 

Base with the darkest color, I like Mahagony Brown or Ruddy Leather for this.

 

Go in with a 50/50 mix if Tanned Shadow and the base (thin, always thin layers).

 

Then straight Tanned Shadow

 

Then 50/50 mix of Tanned Shadow and the Tanned Skin

 

Then glaze with the base color

 

Then Tanned Skin

 

Then 50/50 Tanned Skin and Tanned Highlight

 

Then Tanned Highlight

 

Then glaze with the base color

 

Reapply some Tanned Highlight

 

Then 50/50 Tanned Highlight with white (or linen white) for the final highlight

 

You can replicate this with any of the skintone colors and I rarely use just straight tanned skin (its just to cold for me). I have mixed golden skin and the rosey skin tones in with the tanned skintones.

 

The triad is really just a base of colors, a starting point as it were.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Heisler

[captenglish]

Depending on the effect I am going for, I use the rosy skintone triad caucasian fleshtones, and have been very happy. I can't speak to the exact formula you are using, or the exact problem you are having, but I have found that rosy skintone triad is the best for my money's worth. HTH

 

would you be so kind as to tell how you do in and in what order

This is not exactly how I was taught, but it works for me (kinda); anyway, I base with tanned skin, than lay in a thin repeat thin (not runny) coat of rosy skin, after that is dry, I see if another thin coat or two are needed, then shade and highlight (generally with the appropriate colors from the rosy skin triad). If I want a darker look, I will stick with the tanned skin triad. In almost all cases, for the darkest shadows (nostrils, inside the bridge of the nose, etc.), I use blood black.

[dks]

Go bigger and lighter with the highlights.

With the "Medium skin tones" triad (Tanned Shadow, Tanned Skin, Tanned Highlight), the Tanned Highlight isn't light enough for the highlights that a real Caucasian face would have.

The Fair Skin triad works well as further highlights over Tanned Skin. If you don't have the Fair Skin triad, then mix some white (and maybe a little yellow or Rosy Highlight) into the Tanned Highlight, and apply that as a further highlight.

If the face still seems dark, then try applying the Tanned Skin over a larger area -- i.e. reducing the area of Tanned Shadow that remains visible.

 

Derek

 

i need some advice with painting caucasian faces, they come out too dark when i use the methods i have found on this site. I use the reaper paints triads, rosy skin tones, medium skin tones, and the dark skin tones.

 

I use the shadow first diluted at 3 to 1 paint to water, then use the skin diluted 1 to 2 paint to water to hit the high points. Then the skin highlights diluted even more to hit the high points again. I use this formula for each of the different types of skins but they don't come out right.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

[captenglish]

Go bigger and lighter with the highlights.

With the "Medium skin tones" triad (Tanned Shadow, Tanned Skin, Tanned Highlight), the Tanned Highlight isn't light enough for the highlights that a real Caucasian face would have.

The Fair Skin triad works well as further highlights over Tanned Skin. If you don't have the Fair Skin triad, then mix some white (and maybe a little yellow or Rosy Highlight) into the Tanned Highlight, and apply that as a further highlight.

If the face still seems dark, then try applying the Tanned Skin over a larger area -- i.e. reducing the area of Tanned Shadow that remains visible.

 

Derek

 

i need some advice with painting caucasian faces, they come out too dark when i use the methods i have found on this site. I use the reaper paints triads, rosy skin tones, medium skin tones, and the dark skin tones.

 

I use the shadow first diluted at 3 to 1 paint to water, then use the skin diluted 1 to 2 paint to water to hit the high points. Then the skin highlights diluted even more to hit the high points again. I use this formula for each of the different types of skins but they don't come out right.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

Agreed, actually, I like to use the Fair Skin triad with both the Rosy Skin Triad and the Tanned Skin Triad depending on the effect I am going for.

[Rastl]

Here's the obsessive version of how I paint skintones. (okay the slightly obsessive version, I may have more steps in there between the 50/50 mixes and occassionally other colors)

He's not kidding. Really. I've seen his palette when he's painting faces.

 

Then again the rest of us find it amusing to suggest that maybe another wash might make it better. That works pretty much every time regardless of what he's painting.

 

Personally I tend to stick to the triads and glazes to smooth out the transitions.

[yani]

My go-to mix for caucasian is a mix of the fair triad and the golden triad. I base with Golden skin/fair skin 1:1 and shade and highlight with the respective highlights/shadows mixed together.

[mrmstwk]

My go-to mix for caucasian is a mix of the fair triad and the golden triad. I base with Golden skin/fair skin 1:1 and shade and highlight with the respective highlights/shadows mixed together.

thank

[smithmeg]

It sounds like you are thinning your mid and highlight colours too much (and they therefore aren't covering the shadow well enough). Try going to 2 paint to 1 water, and see if it works better. Master Series Paints don't need as much thinning as lots of other paints, cause they start out thinner to begin with.

 

I tend to paint most things with the mid-tone first, then shade down to the shadow, then go back with the mid-tone if needed, and then gradually go up to the highlight. Changing to an order like that might be worth experimenting with and see if it helps.

[LunchBox]

Hi...I use a similar method to some of those mentioned, but in reverse. I start with my lightest highlight, and apply a few thinned coats. From there, half a doze successively darker washes with do a lot of the shading for you. Then, use your triads to pick out details, and finish off with the first paint you used...the lightest one. The brightest highlights should generally be the forehead, the bridge and tip of nose, the top of the cheek, and a dot on the bottom lip. The next to brightest generally goes above the upper lip, and the tips of the ears. Feel free to click n my CMON link in my signature...I paint bare heads almost exclusively.