Most Realistic Acrylic Flesh Tones

[Larsen E. Whipsnade]

I've only been doing this for 35 years so you'd think I'd know the answer to this. Who, in your opinion, makes the most realistic flesh tones? I've been using Vallejo like forever but the colors, especially the lighter skin tones, are always chalky. I've hit a stone wall on my current project and just can't seem to get the Vallejo tones to look lifelike. It's driving me nuts.

Any suggestions for alternatives would be appreciated. Thanks.
Rick

 

[Tecumsea]

Try using oils for faces-much easier.

Keith

 

[Banjer]

Try using oils for faces-much easier.

Keith

I agree, I am trying to master acrylics but am sticking to oils for flesh.

Bill

 

[Larsen E. Whipsnade]

Thanks for the input, guys. I think I'm going to give oils a try.. can't be worse than what I have right now. Have either of you used the flesh tone oils from Abteilung?

Rick

 

[Tecumsea]

I only have 6 abteilung colours which were thrown in with a job lot of oils I bought some time ago-they seemed very oiley/Runny and more suitable for washes than serious oil painting.

Suggest Winsor & Newton artists oils, (not the winton student range) the colours you need to start are all in the lower price range and will last forever.

Keith

 

[Banjer]

Rick,
I always mix my own flesh tones as the tube ones are far too pink. That said I haven't tried Abteilung.
If you can get some small tubes of Yellow ochre, white, red and viridian or blue you can mix a nice shade of Caucasian skin. shade with burnt sienna,
There are many tutorials on the web. It's a bit a learning curve but I think it's worthwhile.

Bill

 

[Gary D]

I totally agree with Keith on this. You can do alot with Titanium White, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre. Shade with Raw Umber. For cheeks, lips etc. I add a touch of Venetian Red. A tube of each of these will last you for many years.

 

[MCPWilk]

Titanium White and Burnt Sienna are the mainstay of my paints for flesh.

Mike

 

[theBaron]

I use Schminke-Mussini oils, myself. I got them at Blick's (we have a local store here in Allentown) and they work well, I find.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Tecumsea]

I use Schminke-Mussini oils, myself. I got them at Blick's (we have a local store here in Allentown) and they work well, I find.

Prost!
Brad

Agree they are a good alternative to Winsor and Newton, also Rembrandt among the lower cost brands.

 

[Wayneb]

I've only been doing this for 35 years so you'd think I'd know the answer to this. Who, in your opinion, makes the most realistic flesh tones? I've been using Vallejo like forever but the colors, especially the lighter skin tones, are always chalky. I've hit a stone wall on my current project and just can't seem to get the Vallejo tones to look lifelike. It's driving me nuts.

Any suggestions for alternatives would be appreciated. Thanks.
Rick

Another loaded question with a bunch of loaded answers...............Whatever works best for you. If you've been painting for 35 yrs you are probably the best one to answer that question. If not, the best answer is "try it".

 

[frank h]

Hi
I too have been painting for 35 years plus......Where did the time go
The basis for my skin tone painting is following Jaume Ortiz way of painting.
Base colour brown sand though instead of basic flesh I mix in ice yellow for highlights
I mix black red for shadows with brown sand. These three colours give a wide range of tones.

Hope this helps a bit

Frank

 

[Larsen E. Whipsnade]

All very helpful, thanks for the ideas and suggestions, guys.
Rick

 

[NigelR]

I've always struggled getting consistent flesh tones. Mike Butler mentioned Vallejo beige red as a great base skin tone. I have found this a great starting point and I am using JoSonja burnt sienna, burnt umber, naples yellow and base skin tone for shading/lights, with Vallejo light flesh for final light.

 

[Jeff T]

I've always struggled getting consistent flesh tones. Mike Butler mentioned Vallejo beige red as a great base skin tone. I have found this a great starting point and I am using JoSonja burnt sienna, burnt umber, naples yellow and base skin tone for shading/lights, with Vallejo light flesh for final light.

I agree Nigel, after reading that Jason Zhou and seeing a youtube video of Ben Komets using Vallejo Beige Red as a starting point, I have had a lot more success with my Acrylic Flesh tones....Jason Zhou mixes it with Vallejo Brown Sand for the starting point, and Ben mixed it with a little Black, which surprised me,..Ben was doing a Female Figure though on the video.

Jeff.

 

[Nap]

Hi Guys

Good thread here

Saw this on social media ...a picture SBS of fleshwork ! Painting by MICHAEL HILLEARY

Nap

 

[Larsen E. Whipsnade]

Thanks again everyone for your comments and suggestions. I've used Vallejo beige red as a base coat and it works just fine. It's the lighter flesh tones I have a problem with. To my eye the lighter Vallejo flesh tones have a "chalky" quality, often resulting in the figure having an unnatural deathly pallor.

I'm going to give Frank's brown sand, ice yellow, black red palette a try later today and see how that works for me. I'll post a pic here later.
Rick

 

[Larsen E. Whipsnade]

Here's my first attempt using Frank's palette of brown sand, ice yellow and black red. I cheated a little. I added a touch of carmine red to the final highlight. It works and doesn't have the chalky quality of the Vallejo flesh colors. I just need to practice a bit with it. Thanks, Frank!
Rick

 

[Steve Edwards]

I think that oil paints over acrylics give good results. Acrylic flesh tones seem a bit lifeless. I usually do an acrylic triad of base, shade and highlight. Then a final coat of the base shade to merge the three tones.

And then, out with the oil paints. Oils will bring your flesh to life. You'll need the colours like Burnt Sienna mentioned already. And may I suggest some Liquin to do glazing. Winsor & Newton Fine Detail Liquin is perfect. Mix some Burnt Sienna with Liquin and (if you have it) a very small touch of green (veridian is good) You want just enough to tone the pinkness down. Brush the glaze thinly over your flesh, which now comes to life. It's magic! You can work a bit more burnt sienna into the cheeks, add a bit of white onto the nose and chin etc. Liquin glazes dry a wee bit glossy but you can always apply a semi-matt varnish. W&N Galleria Matt varnish is good as it has a bit of a sheen to it.

Wish you all the best with your painting.

 

[fermatgom]

Hi!
I love beige red when I want a more pink skin, and brown sand when I want a more brownish skin. I like also the recipe brown sand 70%, english uniform 15%, red 10% and violet 5%. I don't remember where did I get it.
My last discovering is Brown rose from Vallejo for a delicate female skin