Hello everyone! This is a much-requested video and I've finally made it! In this watercolour tutorial I teach you how to make any skin tone with watercolours by using a trio of primary colours (red, blue and yellow).
It's essential that you practise these mixtures and experiment with all of the colours in your palette to really get to grips with tweaking the primaries to achieve natural, realistic skin tones.
TIME STAMPS
Important Colour Theory Crash-Course [00:39]
How To Mix A Skin Tone [02:54]
Mixing Light Through To Dark Skin Tones [06:29]
Variations Of Skin Tones [09:42]
Experimenting With Different Primary Colours [14:05]
I hope you enjoy it, find it useful and learn loads, and as always if you have any questions fire them off in the comments, J
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AFFILIATE LINKS
I am delighted to be a brand ambassador for Betty Hayways brushes (since November 2020). They are an independent vegan paint brush maker based in the UK and I used one of their brushes in this video.
Being an affiliate means that I am sponsored by the company to promote their products.
They have been my go-to brushes long before I became affiliated with the company and I highly recommend them for watercolourists of all levels.
If you would like to purchase Betty Hayways paint brushes, and you use the link below, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you: thechelseapapercompany.com/?r...
ART SUPPLIES
- Daniel Smith Watercolours [French Ultramarine, Pyrrole Red & Hansa Yellow Medium]
- Winsor & Newton Watercolours [Indanthrene Blue, Winsor Blue, Winsor Red, Magenta, Alizarin Crimson, Winsor Yellow]
- Betty Hayways Watercolour Brush [Size 11]
- Arteza Watercolour Paper (cellulose)
MUSIC [From Chillhop]
- Sleepy Fish - Witch Hat chll.to/3f29d768
- Sleepy Fish - The Noise in Pictures chll.to/0e9226fc
- Sleepy Fish - Way Away chll.to/bdb438e7
- Aarigod - Splendour chll.to/109b6c20
- Aarigod - Evenfall chll.to/d1559b67
- Sleepy Fish - Colors Fade chll.to/cf5cd1bb
- Aarigod - Coda chll.to/434d541f
- Sleepy Fish - Backyard Puddles chll.to/0e9bc07d
People who know their colours and colour theory is ✨THE BEST✨
Love your brush btw 🥸
Hey Mesii Desk! I have a lot more to learn I’m sure but glad you enjoyed hearing about what I know so far 🤗
I used to use different diluted burnt sienna washes with pink, but I recently started experimenting with primary colors and it really is fascinating
For myself it’s not the mixing but putting them into faces but need to practice. Tyvm! Ty for color names
I remember years ago trying to figure out how to paint my relatives and friends (who are black) and looking up resources I was appalled to see that most of the "professionals" who painted black people seem to think there was only one dark skin tone (and it was often a dull, mutated brown). But when I was trying to paint my friend and her dad they were 2 completely different browns and were not mutated or dull in tone. So thank you for this! Even showing that darker skin tones come in different 'warmth'.
I LOVE how you achieved those deep skin tones. You showed such a white range of skin tones.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🤗🖤
@@Finelinernerd WIDE** that’s embarrassing 😳
I knew what you meant, autocorrect’s my arch nemesis almost daily 🙈
I expected a war in the reply section of this comment.
@@harishrangra8096 same! I don't know if I'm relieved or disappointed 😂
FYI: If you don't get the same mixing results in this video, be sure to check the pigment numbers on your tubes, NOT the marketing names, because they can vary widely! From what I can tell, the three main pigments used in this video were: 1) PR 254 -- "Pyrrol Red" in Daniel Smith, but also known as "Winsor Red" in Winsor Newton or "Scarlet Red" in Schminke, etc. 2) PY 97 -- "Hansa Yellow Medium" in Daniel Smith, but also called "Arylide Yellow FGL" in Da Vinci or "Hansa Yellow Deep" in M. Graham, etc. 3) PB29 -- "French Ultramarine Blue" in Daniel Smith, but also named "Ultramarine Deep" in Sennelier, or "Permanent Blue" by Rowney, etc. Happy mixing, -- L
ive been crying searching for a REALLY beginner painting skintones and then i found you! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! OMFG YOURE A GOD SEND
This video is fantastic!! I love how you've covered the topic so thoroughly and shown so much variation. ❤❤❤
Thanks Arlee! What a lovely thing to say, it’s made my night 🤗🖤
Ummmm excuse me... you dropped this 👑
After 28 years of being too scared to give into my artistic impulses, I’ve decided to take up watercolors. Something about the free flowing nature of the process with water resonates with me for why I want to nurture the artistic side of myself. For now, what interests me in watercolor above acrylic, oil, pencil, ect. Is that sometimes a mistake can be made that turns out to make the painting even better/unique in the end. Something about watercolor happens that even at the end of a painting if it looks like a preschool photo, the process and interactions with the water and pigment still created a process that was fulfilling. I’m sure that other mediums have similar aspects. But something about the carefree, yet intentional approach to watercolor is fascinating. Something sort of like you are intentionally allowing randomness. I find a lot of similarities to this in every day life as well as an outlet for unhealthy emotions that are caused by a lack of control in the world. Anyways, I just wanted to say that your videos have helped me a lot. There is a lot of self doubt when creating something it seems. But your videos have kept me consistent because you explain things very clearly. Thanks a lot!
That ultramarine blue on your palette is begging for mercy !
This video was randomly recommended to me and I'm so glad, because I've been having trouble figuring out how to mix different skin tones and this is super helpful, definitely going to have to sit down and try it all out! Thank you! And your channel and art is beautiful, so glad to have found all this!
Hi Mei! Firstly welcome to the channel 🤗 I hope you enjoy playing with your watercolours and I’m so glad you found this useful 🖤🖤
Such a comprehensive video! All the swatches are so juicy and satisfying!
Thanks lovey! 🖤🖤
I found you at the right time. Trying to make a birthday card for my granddaughter. Thank you.
Oh I bet she loved it ❤️ I wish my grandmother had learnt to paint, I think she would love to and I'd love to have hand-painted cards, even if only small details are painted!
This has got to be the most helpful video I have ever watched!
Nobody that I've watched has explained the color wheel so well where I understood. I'm gonna make my own color wheel and see how it goes
ive always had such a hard time explaining this to people and your tutorial condenses it so well! thank you, i can show this to my friends when they ask me about painting skin tones!
Hey Brenda! I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear that you felt this was organised well, it makes it all worth it 🖤🖤🖤
I have never truly understood color theory and every color wheel has been so overwhelming to me. Your circles color wheel MADE THE LIGHTBULB COME ON! THANK YOU!!!!!
This was sooooo helpful! I’m a beginner and I feel like I have a better grasp on mixing skin tones now. Thank you!!!
Im so excited for this video! I’ve recently gotten back into painting, so this came at the right time. ❤️
I’m glad to hear you’re getting back into painting, and I hope you enjoy your journey with it 🖤🖤
You have simplified this for me. Love the tones. Thank you so much!!!
Thank you! This is my first skin tone tutorial and I loved how you simplified it and shown the different swatches based on what we have in our pallets
This is exactly what I was searching for. Finelinernerd your explanations and demonstrations are excellent! Thank you! 👍👍
I agree, French Ultramarine is the most beautiful blue - dare I say, the most beautiful color, period. Your method of mixing skin colors is the most intuitive one I've learned so far, and it's probably the one I'll be using from now on.
It absolutely contests for the top spot of most beautiful colours doesn’t it! Let me know how you get on with trying this method, and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to comment here or email me 🤗
Lovley demo!😎
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This was the perfect tutorial at the perfect time. I'm just getting started with watercolors, so I really appreciate that you showed the mixing palette so I could see the consistency of your mixes as well as how the colors are combined. I just did a test a couple days ago to see if I could mix my own skin colors with the little Daniel Smith "Sketcher" palette. Now I know why the ones I made using Cerulean Blue got so funky. lol
Definitely the best skin tones tutorial on KZhead so far for watercolours and I've seen lots of them. Thank you for this tutorial. 🤗
Thank you for taking some of the mystery out of skin tone colors, I could cry from gratitude.
Brilliant one of the best tutorials on colour mix, simple, well explained and rewarding. Thank you
Absolutely helpful! Very satisfying indeed! Kudos!
Absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Betty Hayways brushes. They are all I use for just about everything. ❤️❤️❤️
I'm always so amazed by how well you do skin tones! 💕 Awesome video!
So interesting to watch the blending possibilities to make a skin tone. Thanks for sharing!
im in the mood for watercoloring skintone, but I also need to learn the color whele! this video is a gem! ty
Thank-you for explaining this! I have had such a difficult time figuring out skin tones… turns out I just needed to go back to basics!
Very nice! Helpful instruction! Thanks for video!
This was the best demonstration I have watched on mixing skin tones.
Super interesting information! Thank you very much!
Very interesting! Never thought that the color wheel would be so useful for this! Thank you for sharing!
Ive watched a bunch of videos about skin tone with watercolor and yours is by far the best. Thank you
I have honestly learned more from your videos than I've learned from any watercolor books I've read. Thank you so much for all you've shared❤
Thank you for explaining this so well!!!!! I'm excited to try this
I appreciate this a lot!!! I just got a new water color pallet, and i wanted to know how to make skin tones!! Thank you!!!
Just, i’ve started to learn painting and mixing colours, so I feel satisfied after this video. I mixed an amazing collection of colours🧚🏼 Thanks❤
Wonderful visuals & explanations.
This is probably the best tutorial I've found for making many kinds of shin in for watercolors, it's so helpful. I'm sure many may agree! And you demonstrate many ideas questioning people(like me) think up here! Thank you so much, it seems like such a nice easy technique to learn from!
I feel so grateful for you. Thank you for putting in the time to share this knowledge with us
Great video! I tend to stay away from cerulean in my skin tones as well! I go with transparent/semi-transparent colours for my skin tone mixes. A staple in my palette though is Trans red oxide it's really a beautiful natural red that mixes well with so many other colours to make a wide variety of skin tones.
Best example I've seen yet. Thoroughly explained in a simple way.
Really glad I found your channel, your approach really aligns with my style and have learned a lot already. Keep up the good work.
I have seen quite a few videos on skin tones with watercolor, and this is the best video that I have seen!! Thanks a lot!
You’ve taught me more information in 22 minutes than my professor could in one year. Thank you for this, seriously.
Wow! Thank you for this!
Superb tutorial
Good video! I'm a silk painter now, but I began as a watercolorist. When I was doing watercolor portraits one of the recipes I used was: Alizarin Crimson + Yellow Ochre + Ultramarine Blue. These 3 colors were so versatile! Now, because I have to use the CMYK colors due to using dyes on the silk and then steam setting.
Very helpful! Thank you so much for your time and effort sharing this!
Thank you so much for adding the colour wheel theory
Thanks for the tips!
Fantastic lesson thank you so much!
Just started getting into water color yesterday litteraly . It seems that your channel is one of the best at teaching.
I can’t praise this vid enough. Really clear, excellent info. Thanks
Wonderful tutorial. You helped me a lot. Thank you
Pretty impressive! Great for beginners like me ,thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing
wow!!! this was so helpful! thanks!
This was SUPER helpful. Thank you!
Finally, someone doing a video just on skin tones! Thank you!
I'm beginner in watercolours and that will help me a lot. Just what i needed to learn for mixing skin tones. Thanks for sharing, great video ❤❤❤
I've been watching ton of videos on watercolor skintones and this was easily the most helpful. Easy to follow and understand. Clear examples of actual range of skintones. And helpful hints. Bookmarking this for future reference. Thank you!
Hey Simone! I’m delighted that you enjoyed it and found it helpful 🖤🖤
Super helpful! Thanks!
You are a great at teaching...not just a great artist...very natural and honest .... especially when you laugh ❤️
I have to say that is the best skin tone mixing Tutorial I have ever seen thank you. I have really been Struggling to learn mixing skin tone
This was a fantastic tip! Thanks!
Very good explanations and demonstration. So glad I came across this video!
This video is so beautifully helpful. ❤
That was amazing. About to start portraits and that was tremendously helpful
Thank you! Needed this!
thank you!! really appreciate your work
Finally someone, who was able to explain me this so easily! ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you very much, it really helped me and saved my time! 🙏
This was amazingly helpful. Thank you
What a great video. Thank you!
This is such a fantastic video! So informative!
Brilliant!
Very helpful!👏👏. You have explained it so well.
This video is amazing, 10/10 for the explanation!! Thank you so much!
Just awesome info about skin tone
I've just started doing watercolors and I read books, video's, and I've learned so much from your expertise. I know this is old hat for you, but this is just what I needed to fire me up again. TY🤩
Thanks! Excellent video! I was struggling now I will give this a try!
This is the most helpful video I have ever seen on skin tones, thank you!!
Well explained with theory .Thanks !!
Amazing - so helpful and easy to understand! Keep on truckin' with things like this :)
Great tutorial 😊
Your explanation is so well done. I usually have a hard time understanding peoples tutorials because of the way they explain, but this was just so clean and clear. This really helped out a beginner like me.
Very informative and great resource Thank you 🙏🏻
This is the best video I’ve seen to help me understand skin tone! Fantastic, thank you!
Great video - very relaxing and super informative. Thank you so much.
This is so helpful. Thank you!!
Thank you for sharing!
Excellent video, so informative and easy to learn from!
This was an awesome video!!! I learned A LOT!!! Thank you!!!
This was sooo helpful. Thank you so much!!
Okay wow 😮 I learned quite a lot about making skin tones from your video. I am going to have to give it a try with my palette of colors. Thanks for sharing this with us.