ACRYLIC PORTRAIT PAINTING SKIN

The subject is in direct light, so these locations exist in the background and on the side of the head. We'll start the painting process by addressing the strongest areas of dark value.

Making a note of these locations may take a bit of the 'guesswork' out of the painting process. If it helps, you may decide to lightly sketch out locations where the value changes drastically. We'll begin with a light sketch of the contours of the subject without any indication of shading or value. In this lesson, we complete a relatively small painting. The stretched canvas measures just 10' by 8'. Get the value right and it really doesn't matter what color you use. And while it may seem incredibly important to capture the absolute match of color that is observed, what's really most important is the value. The value, chroma, and temperature of the color changes in different locations of the face, all depending on the location and strength of the light source. It may be obvious, but I will point out that you will need to create multiple mixtures to create a convincing illusion.

ACRYLIC PORTRAIT PAINTING SKIN

Some skin tones will require darker, more intense browns, while others will require more white and yellow. The quantity of each color in the mixture will also vary depending on the skin type and color. The exact type of red, yellow, or brown will vary depending on the brand and the desired tone. Colors like green and purple can also be used to enhance the light or create additional contrast. Some blues may be used for areas of shadow and ironically some areas of highlight. While there isn't a magic formula for creating a skin tone, I've found that nearly every tone can be mixed using a combination of red, yellow, brown, and white. Flesh tones are so varied that one color cannot possibly account for every tone out there. The number of variations of tones is endless.Ī color called 'flesh tone' really shouldn't exist, even though you can buy one at the store. Artists usually find a formula that works for them based on color and the brand that they prefer. There is a common misconception that one formula will work for mixing every skin tone. Skin tones or flesh tones are just like any other mixture of colors.

Acrylic portrait painting