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SKIN: a tutorial - Part 2
Published: 2009-11-29 15:21:22 +0000 UTC; Views: 480699; Favourites: 17888; Downloads: 17292
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Whewβ¦ okay. This section is very long, and a little intense. I realize I am simultaneously telling you to choose a unified palette, AND throw color all over the place. Itβs definitely the most difficult and advanced section of the entire tutorial.
DOWNLOAD THE SUPPLEMENT CHART HERE 
Import it into a program with a color picker, and go nuts. Compare the swatches, look at how the colors, saturation, and values changes. It will help, promise.
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IN THIS SECTION: Skin tones: how to achieve a range of skin tones (light, medium, dark, and fantasy) using the basic formula laid out in Section I.
This tutorial is very extensive and will be publish in four parts. If you just found it, please be sure to start with Section I!
SECTION I: Skin Basics . Expanding beyond the usual shadow-midtone-highlight formula, and how to use each tonal range most effectively. COMING SOON:
SECTION III: Background color and ambient light. How surrounding colors affect skin. SECTION IV: Building a skin tone, blending and texturing. The technical section showing how to paint skin start to finish._
This tutorial uses mostly digital work as examples, but the theory behind it should apply to ALL mediums. But of course it goes without saying that this is hardly the end-all-be-all of skin painting tutorials. Just my way of thinking about it.
Also-- this should go without saying, but I will say it anyway: the ONLY WAY to learn how to paint/draw anything well, let alone realistically, is to STUDY COLOR THEORY AND FORM. All the stuff I blather on about in this tutorial is meaningless unless you take the initiative to learn the fundamentals of color and figure drawing.
You can find color theory resources here in my journal. Please, any questions, concerns, criticisms, etc: comment below.
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Comments: 781
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You are amazing! What a lot of work you have gone to just to help others like me and I am extremely grateful that you did, 
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Disappointed that after 8 years part 3 and 4 aren't completed. :< Part 4 is what I was looking forward to!
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Me too! If you are eager for the next part please help fund the tutorial on Patreon. I am working on it now.Β I have never made a single cent on these original two parts, despite the intensive hours and work I did to create them.Β The chief reason for the delay initially was I cannot afford to work for free. The current reason for the delay is I am chronically ill, and my illness capsized my career and made it almost impossible to paint at all for several years.Β I am doing better but still deal with daily, unpredictable symptoms that make it difficult and sometimes physically impossible to work.Β So I REALLY can't afford to work for free.Β I want nothing more than to be healthy again, able to work normal hours, but that is not my current situation.Β I hope you can understand that. <3Β
With crowdfunding, I finally have a way to be paid for the work required to create tutorials.Β And I look at this 8 year gap as a good thing: I'm a hell of a better artist now than I was when I originally made these.Β I have a lot of extra things to teach.Β I miss doing tutorials and am excited to return to them!Β I plan on doing many other tutorials beyond my original plans for this skin tutorial.
You can help fund the tutorials by pledging on Patreon.Β More Patreon supporters => more reliable income => I'll be able to take fewer commissions => more time to work on tutorials and personal work => the sooner they get done!
patreon.com/navate
Thanks for understanding. I hope the new tutorials will be worth the wait.
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I'm sorry to hear that you've been unwell! I hope you recover swiftly. It sounds like you are motivated though, and that's great! I think that's the hardest part of getting started.
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I am mostly unemployed at the moment and doing freelance illustration to compensate, so unfortunately I'm limited on the funds I can spend every month, but I hope that once I get paid a few more times I'll be able to make a pledge. I'd really love to be able see your tutorials and the extra goodies you are offering!
Thanks for getting back to me. Good luck!!
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Thank you so much for sharing this! It's hard to find a more detailed explanation on how to paint different types of skintones, so this tutorial is very appreciated.
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This is so amazing.. I wanna say thanks for sharing this.
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Thanks for this awesome tutorial, it helps a ton
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Wow, you really covered it all! Thanks <3
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one of the only people who also made one for different dark shades and not just white skin and olive tones. thank you so much
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This is seriously so useful and great for me right now, you have no idea how much this helped me!
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Thank you very much for the tutorial, it explained lots!
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So helpful! Up until now my skins looked bland and flat. Ton of help! Thanks!
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thank you, thank you, thank you- so much!! Β This is what I was looking for to help me past a plateau.
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I created the first two parts as a gift to my fans while I was in college. Β Now, I cannot afford to do free work, so while I plan to finish this series I need to set up some sort of crowdfunding to make it happen.Β
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wonderful work! thank you so much for this!
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thank you for the information, it is very helpful. but how do i utilize this on a real canvas? Like, do i put the base color first and add mid tones and other stuff from there, or something else?
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This a great resource! Thanks.... (new to digital painting)
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This is so helpful, thanks! Question, what paint brush are you using in Photoshop?Β
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Several custom brushes; mostly a hard round with jagged edges and a spackled brush (a brush made up of dots/dashes that creates a painterly stroke). Β I also finish up all my work in Corel Painter.
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thank you thank you thank you. I can use this to paint my shoes "NUDE" yeap I'm snatching the word nude from its standard beige to include my dark skinned African-American counterparts. Just y'all wait. I'll use this as a base for my own skintone and match it exact. Ill be sure to post pics when I do it friends.
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This is an incredible useful tutorial! I always struggle with skin tones and seem to start anew with each drawing. I will take your lessons to heart, thanks so much for sharing.
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Thanks soooo much for the amazing tutorial!!!!!!!!! I can't wait for the next one and I especially can't wait to try it out!!!Β Β
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This is so beyond helpful! Thank you so much for making these, you're a wonderful artist! I'm sorry if this has already been asked, but do you have any tips for making skin tones other than porcelain look flushed, or will you cover that at some point?
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Add stronger warmth colors.Β
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Hey Lauren, thanks for writing such a detailed and helpful tutorial. I have one question regarding the colours. Do you premix the four mid-tones and apply as a single tone like base or apply them separately?Β
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I apply everything separately. Β Blending comes from sort of cross-hatching with low opacity. Β Skin isn't a uniform color, even if it's evenly lit. Β That's why the numerous mid-tones in the first place. Β
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Thank you so muchΒ for the clarification. That cleared my doubt regarding, painting skin tones.Β
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Amazing, thanks for this, its a great help
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Thank you for taking the time to help others like this <3
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don't know how to say thank you. It help me much much!!!
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