How to Mix Flesh Tones in Oils using Three Colors

Mixing flesh tones can seem daunting, but it can be one of the most rewarding parts of painting. For beginner artists, learning how to create natural skin tones opens up exciting possibilities.

This guide offers simple techniques to mix flesh colours in oil paint:

• Using the three primary colours

• Mixing dark, light, and mid-tones

• Covering colour temperature

• Understanding muted and saturated colour

  
  
  
  

Tonal Values

Creating realistic skin requires a solid understanding of tonal values. Dark, light, and mid-tones all play a key role in capturing the essence of skin.

To craft darker tones, start by mixing equal amounts Cadmium red, Ultramarine blue and Yellow ochre. This results in a cool brown base colour which can then be lightened to reach your required shade.

For lighter skin tones, gradually add more and more white, to the original base colour. White tends to cool colours down, so add extra red and ochre- this not only lightens but also warms the flesh tones. These light tones are good for producing highlights found on the forehead, bridge of the nose, and tops of the cheekbones, where light hits the face.

Mid-tone values are harder to identify when painting as they are more nuanced, neither dark nor light. It's important to have a good range of mid-tones to bridge the transitions from dark to light. Add a touch of white to your original base tone to create versatile mid-tones.

Understanding Colour Temperature

To effectively mix flesh tones, start by grasping the concept of colour temperature. Warm colours, like yellow, red, and orange, bring vibrancy to skin tones. For instance, a blend of yellow ochre and red, lightened with white, can produce warmth in areas where the flesh has more exposure to the sun like the forehead, nose and arms. Warm peach and pink-reds are also present around the ear and earlobes so always add more red to these areas.

On the other hand, cool colours such as blue, green and violets add depth and balance to your palette. When aiming for a cooler skin tone, add more of these cool colours to your mixture.

Blue with a touch of red creates violet tones, while blue with a touch of ochre produces a cool green hue

When I painted this portrait from life I was struck by the contrast of warm siennas and cool blue/violets in her skin

Mixing Saturated and Muted Colours

Saturation is the level of intensity of a colour. Bright colours are high in saturation, muted colours are low in saturation. Muted colours and bright colours have to work together and muted colours are necessary to support and enhance bright colours.

The intensity of your flesh tones can greatly influence the overall mood of your painting. Vivid flesh colours add a vibrant energy to your artwork. Using pure colours directly from the tube with a touch of white results in a brighter, more saturated appearance.

Conversely, muted colours provide a more realistic and subtle representation of skin. If you study your own flesh you'll be surprised to see how many muted grey and khaki hues there are.

Muted colours tend to be found in the shadow areas of the flesh, whereas saturated colours are found in the lit areas (see below image)

Note how the dull, greyed colours enhance the vibrant colours

Take a look at the below painting and the corresponding colour chart of how I mixed the all the colours used.

Embrace Your Artistic Journey

Mastering flesh tones using just three colours opens a world of possibilities for beginning artists. Focus on understanding the warmth and coolness in your palette, play with dark, light, and mid-tones, and explore the dynamic range of saturation and muting.

Happy Painting!