How to Paint Skin Tones: Learn How to Capture Lifelike and Colorful Skintones in Oil, ...

by James Horton

Book Overview

Problem solving instruction and practical color mixing charts help artists in all mediums master one of painting's most basic and troublesome elements. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0891346708
• ISBN13: 9780891346708
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Northlight
• Length: 143 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.9" x 11.3"

Customer Reviews

Always By My Side

This book is always on my workbench. As stated by another reviwer, the "Suggested Tonal Charts" section has been invaluable, and has inspired me to experiment with colors not on the list. By step-by-step examples, and by showing works of various artists, you really get a sense of color technique. I also recommend this book to model figure painters; after studying this book, the skin tones on my figures have started to look more natural instead of having that "exaggerated theatrical make-up" look!

Brilliant

This book is brilliant. Although it won't teach you how to paint, it will give you the greatest insight into how to mix colours for a near perfect image. Whether you are an amature or a professional, a book like this and at such a small cost is worth having on your shelf as an anytime reference.

Indispensable guide to a difficult subject

I admit it: I bought this book for myself for a Christmas present, and it was well worth the price paid. Here is information I have never gotten in art school. Though it is probably entirely possible to learn to paint the face and figure by being presented with a model in a crowded and badly lit room, there has to be a better way, and I think this book is it. Through a clever system of charts using a palette of only 12 basic colors, author James Horton shows you how to create an infinite array of skin tones for people of pale, mid-tone and dark coloring. Specific modifications for pastellists are included, and though I'm just a beginner, I was amazed what I could do following his directions when I was only about a fourth of the way through the book. I recommend this very highly for all students, whether you're enrolled in an art course somewhere or just slugging it out on your own at home. I intend to finish every exercise in the book before I go back to art school at the end of January. Highly recommended!!!

especially good for beginners

This book, with its charts of sample mixes and color tones in various media, is a great asset if you are just begining to paint portraits or people. It will give you a good basic understanding of color mixing for skin tones. ( no need to buy premixed colors! Be able to paint the nuance of people, not reduce everyone to the same "skin tones.") In addition, it discussed the effects of shadow and reflected color. Nice illustrations, photos and color charts.

A Great Book For All Artists!

I found this book to be very helpful. Not only did it go in depth about tecniques for creating realistic paintings and portraits, but it also had a complete color guide for creating specific skin tones! I also enjoyed the step by step demonstrations, which again proved useful. I'd recommend this book to artists of all media, whether you work with oils, watercolors, acrylics, gouache, or pastel, this book will be a valuble resource.