Home Forums Explore Media Oil Painting Glazing skin tones

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #994193
    Tyrrhenus
    Default

        I have a portrait underpainted in grey and I want to try glazes. What is a basic mix for Caucasian (on the pale side) skin if you want to apply glazes? Can I use the mix I already use for non glazed skin (yellow ochre + Cad Red + grey and some blue for darker areas) as a glaze? Or I have to use only transparent & semi-transparent paints?
        IF needed, I can post a list of my paints (although I have a fair amount of the most common paints, so I should be covered for any suggestion)

        "The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity."
        Alberto Giacometti

        #1253363
        Delofasht
        Default

            I would use a mix of burnt sienna (or transparent oxide red) and yellow ochre (or transparent oxide yellow), they are both mostly transparent already. Any opaque paints will try to cover your underpainting, adding white (or gray) to your paint will do this as well. Good luck, have fun painting.

            - Delo Delofasht
            #1253360

            In order of greatest quantity to least: Titanium or flake white, Cadmium red light, Naples yellow or yellow ochre, cinnabar green.

            The green greys down the red…

            Forcing the waveform to collapse for two decades...
            http://www.syntheticskystudios.com
            Hilliard Gallery, Kansas City, "Small Works", December 2019

            #1253367
            Tyrrhenus
            Default

                [color=”teal]In order of greatest quantity to least: Titanium or flake white, Cadmium red light, Naples yellow or yellow ochre, cinnabar green.

                The green greys down the red…[/color]

                Cool. But I thought one doesn’t use white as a glazing colour. Am I wrong?

                "The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity."
                Alberto Giacometti

                #1253361

                You’re right; I forgot you were talking about glazing.

                For glazing, I would use Flake White (just not as much as if I were going for a more opaque application. I would still use some white, and Flake is semi-transparent.) If you don’t want to use Cad Red, and would rather start out with something that is more transparent, I would recommend Quinacridone Red, or Azo Red.

                I use a medium that moves my colours towards transparency, so if you worked with small amounts of the colours I listed, worked them into a pile of medium, you’d have a pretty good glaze. (The medium I use is a modified version of William Martin’s glazing medium. Mine is 1/3 Venice Turpentine; 1/3 Oil of Spike, Lavender; and 1/3 Linseed Stand Oil.)

                Glazes don’t have to be completely transparent, anyway…and I find they work best, if they aren’t.

                Forcing the waveform to collapse for two decades...
                http://www.syntheticskystudios.com
                Hilliard Gallery, Kansas City, "Small Works", December 2019

                #1253365
                zbunderwood
                Default

                    I would check out Japanese artist Osamu Obi. I follow him on facebook, where he shares lots of great images of his process.

                    I used to think that glazing had to be transparent colors only, but he uses lead white and cad red (in addition to ultramarine blue and yellow ochre) over a thick burnt umber + white underpainting with great results.

                    Here’s a couple of good videos:
                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyrRCGTonYQ

                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YneYoAhdE2A

                    #1253366
                    Tyrrhenus
                    Default

                        Zbunderwood. Cool videos… and the wood effect is pretty nice.

                        Well, I have decided – because the painting I’m working on its good (for a first painting, that is) – to make a few tests on canvas paper until I get the hang of it. Once I think I know what the heck I’m doing, I’ll risk it on the “good” painting :lol:

                        "The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity."
                        Alberto Giacometti

                        #1253362
                        WFMartin
                        Default

                            Skin color: White, Ivory Black,Yellow Ochre, and Venetian Red (or any sort of “earth red”).

                            Mix, and mix (probably beginning with White, unless you need a huge pile of the final color), and smear a bit of your mix onto your forearm, to compare your mixed color. When you have mixed and smeared until you cannot see the difference between your arm, and your paint mixture, you have created the most appropriate “skin color” possible.

                            These are the only 4 colors you will need, and I can nearly guarantee that.:thumbsup:

                            Of course, you must realize that this is the basic, middle value of skin color; it does not address shadows, or highlights.

                            For shadows, some Burnt, or Raw Umber and Ultramarine Blue come in handy.

                            For highlights, some Cadmium Red Light works well, when mixed with White, and a touch of the original “skin color”.

                            When glazing, I have no reason to seek out only transparent colors for glazing. If I were to handicap my operation in such a manner, I’d experience difficulty creating many of the colors that I need.

                            When shopping for a color to use for glazing, I give almost no consideration to the transparency, or opacity of the color. Instead, I seek out the color that I require, whether it be transparent, or opaque.

                            I could not glaze properly without using White of some sort.

                            wfmartin. My Blog "Creative Realism"...
                            https://williamfmartin.blogspot.com

                            #1253364
                            Anonymous

                                Different artists prefer vastly different mixes for skin, so there are lots of options.
                                I start caucasian skin with a mix of white, yellow ochre, and burnt sienna, that is my basic mix that I could tube up and label “flesh”.
                                Then I lean it as needed with mixes of burnt sienna, raw umber, ultramarine blue, etc.
                                rosy cheeks may need some crimson, lips may need a touch of red, reflected tones might need any color, ditto for shadows.
                                the skin in this closeup from a work in progress has about three layers and glazing so far:

                                same colors for pearl gurl with several glazes:

                              Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
                              • The topic ‘Glazing skin tones’ is closed to new replies.