How to Use the Skin Triads

[shadefoundry]

Hey all,

So I picked up the Golden Skin triad recently and I'm not really sure how to go about using it. Most of my flesh painting experience has been with the Citadel method of basecoat, wash with Reikland Flesh Shade and highlight up from there, and I'm not really sure what I'm doing when it comes to something like using a triad. Should I be using the same method I've always been, just subbing out the paints? Should I not use a wash at all and highlight up/down from the midtone? I don't know what I'm doing here! Any advice would be appreciated.

[Chris Palmer]

There are two ways the triads are meant to be used I believe, you can base with the shadow, then work up through the mid-tone color, and finally apply the highlights; or base with the mid-tone, then paint in the shadows and then the highlights.

 

That all being said, they're yours to use as you wish.  I like to cut corners, so i usually base with the mid-tone, then apply a wash with Reikland Flesh Shade as you mention, and when dry, apply the highlight color.  I use the shadow color to fix mistakes, or areas the Reikland Flesh Shade didn't darken enough if necessary; but usually I just skip it.

 

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by Chris Palmer

[shadefoundry]

1 hour ago, Chris Palmer said:

There are two ways the triads are meant to be used I believe, you can base with the shadow, then work up through the mid-tone color, and finally apply the highlights; or base with the mid-tone, then paint in the shadows and then the highlights.

 

That all being said, they're yours to use as you wish.  I like to cut corners, so i usually base with the mid-tone, then apply a wash with Reikland Flesh Shade as you mention, and when dry, apply the highlight color.  I use the shadow color to fix mistakes, or areas the Reikland Flesh Shade didn't darken enough if necessary; but usually I just skip it.

Thanks for the tips. Just knowing how they're intended to be used helps a lot with figuring out how I should use them. I played around a bit and found that Reikland Flesh Shade applied to the midtone gives a pretty nice effect, so I'll be using that to start to figure out what works best for me.

[Cyradis]

The Reaper Triads are a great starting point to shading an area, but are by no mean the end (at least if you want more than basic tabletop stuff).

The Golden Skin triad is one of the better triads; it has a nice range to it (the Tanned Skin - may as well just get the midtone, the others are too similar). You can go shadow, then highlight up. Can go midtone, then shadow, then highlight. Can add in washes if you want - all options.

 

I do not personally use washes on skin tones, although things like Flesh Shade I'd use as a glaze for blush. For most of the triads, I would recommend adding at least one or two darker colors on the shadow end, and one or two highlight colors on the bright end. With skin I would also add some pinks/purples/oranges (depending on what you are going for) to make it more lively.

 

There is no rule that you have to use any one group of paint. Mix and match to see what you like. I did 1st Nations skin tones on Captain Canada recently with a walnut brown (s75), golden highlight (reaper), malefic flesh (vallejo), tan flesh (pro acryl), and orange leather (s75). A Caucasian skin one recently was tan flesh and shadow flesh (pro acryl), golden highlight and bruised purple (reaper), malefic flesh and pale flesh (vallejo), and magenta (kimera).

 

Triads are a stepping stone to start with. Expand on them and have fun :)

[Highlander]

The triads are great ... for, as others have pointed out, for a start.  I use them, but expand them to a pentad.  I add a compatible shade darker than the triad shadow; then I add a compatible shade lighter than the triad highlight.  And that's my starting point.