| Author |
Message |
 
marie
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 8:07 am: |  |
The Charles Reid formula is a good one. The ease of mixing yellow ochre is one reason I suggested yellow ochre pale as a possibility. W/N yellow ochre is usually my base yellow for skin tones, but sometimes I kick it up a notch -- to a cad yellow pale -- when the subject is very young and fair-skinned. Stay away from the deep earth yellows for fair skin.
If you choose a cadmium red light, make sure it leans toward the red side instead of the orange side. I have found the M. Graham Cadmium Red Light to be extremely versatile for flesh tones. Even if you choose cad. red light, I would be prepared to add a little permanent rose into the mix. |
rekha
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 3:00 am: | |
As an extension to marie's thread, specifically Reid uses cadmium yellow lemon with cadmium red light.
He also swaps cadmium yellow with yellow ochre at times because 'it's is easier to handle' but prefers cadmium yellow to give 'fresh complexion tone'.
He suggests to start with very little yellow.
For shadows he adds cerulean blue to the mixure.
Jenny Rodwell, on the other hand, uses raw sienna + venetian red + ivory black for shadows and winsor violet + venetian red + burnt sienna for the reflected light.
I can't add any comments about my own experience of this; I'm a beginner and haven't moved to the more difficult subject of portraits. |
Joanna
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 9:41 pm: | |
Have you checked out Charles Reid's work? He uses dabs of all kinds of colors for flesh, including some sappy greens, even for the shadows. Dabs of rose, definitely. Worth checking out his work. |
marie
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 7:31 pm: | |
Kristen, when I do fair-skinned subjects I usually lean toward a permanent rose, a yellow lighter than yellow ochre or raw sienna, and cobalt or cerulean blue. The yellow can range anywhere from naples yellow (the lighter variety) to W/N cadmium yellow pale. I haven't tried W/N's yellow ochre pale, but it may be a good choice as well. A little burnt sienna is okay, but I would use it only in the darks and only if you have to; too much burnt sienna will make the skin look ruddy. French ultramarine is going to be a little on the harsh side if you're looking at very delicate skin.
You're right. Permanent rose is an incredibly strong pigment -- a little goes a long way, but it's a real workhorse for mixing.
I would love to hear ideas from other folks. |
Kristen
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 6:05 pm: | |
Any suggestions re: pigments for portraits of fair-skinned subjects (specifically blond, blue-eyed children). Using FUM, yellows and burnt sienna as mixes don't seem feasible, but the reds seem so overwhelmingly strong in any combinations I try. I've tried Perm. Aliz. Crimson and Perm. Rose so far. Talk about a little dab will do ya!
Thanks! |
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