Hey Guys,

I'm having real trouble getting to grips with selecting skin tones for my paintings.  Everything I do seems to turn out either way too pale or way to orange with shadows looking desperately muddy.

I've read some good tuts in the mag (Martha's especially) and there is a great article on colour generally by a guy called Niklas Jansson (here http://www.itchstudios.com/psg/art_tut.htm) which talks a lot about saturation etc etc.

I'm just not getting it at the moment! 

If anyone has any tips on how to select skin tones and skin tone shadows that would be cool.

 

i think everyone struggles with skin tones, it's just something that has to be done time & time again, frustrating as it is! i can sometimes get it right but often not, have you seen Marta's palette? she gives midtone highlight & shadow tones for a few different skin types? i use that as a basis now & it helps me, i think it's a download on the home page? if it's not there i can upload it for you if you haven't got it. I'm sure Marta wouldn't mind.

---

we have a whole discussion about that over at pixelbrush, i think after reading this my skin tone improved.   this is by a great artist, Lauren Canon, who is a regular instructor now on IFX.  

http://www.pixelbrush.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=467

check it out, and read the rest of the discussion if you have time cause there is alot of good info in there too.. not just in her initial post.  

---

Myspace | FaceBook | opendora | Art

Thanks Kazky - I've checked through the downloads and I can't see Marta's skintones palette you mention - do you reckon you might be able to upload it?

Thanks pixmaker - I'll check out the link.

Skin tones are just sooo tricky! I'm going to try and get it right in this WIP and pretty sure these should be a major help!

http://community.imaginefx.com/forums/thread/229010.aspx

Cheers...

I just tried to tackle skin tones head on in a recent pic, somewhat succesful.  I leave obvious brush strokes and dirty it up a bit, I try not to blend too much.  I don't want to throw my computer through a window so I don't go for ultra realistic. 

---

Don't stop till my eyes bleed.

sorry far-scry i forgot to upload, i'll do it now - Marta if you check in, i hope you don't mind!

Marta Dahlig's skin tone guide... 

 

---

Hmmmm. Interesting.

<Tiptoes in and steals that palette>

<Quickly sneaks out before anyone notices>

who the bloody hell just took the palette? did anyone see anything?

*sigh* gonna have to upload again for far-scry before she comes back now......

this place is full of ninja's!  

---

lol...thanks kazky!

And Valence, you would make a rubbish ninja - you just can't go round telling everyone when you steal stuff! Far better to sneak in, take what you need, come up with some ingenious way of killing everyone in the room without waking them (probably involving smoke, shuriken and a small domestic animal) and then leaving before the local samurai get home for breakfast...

Thank You , Kazky  You Rock !!!!

hee hee, very welcome hansvon, but it's Marta's work i just uploaded.

---

True ,  but i didn't know  this  tone guild existed  til You posted it    Thank You again  !!!

you're quire right, i am a legend hansvon i guess if you missed the issue it was in you missed a gem so glad it helped you.

---