| The topic of this article was sparked by | | | | out the main highlights. (I always use |
| the plea of a reader: 'How on earth do I | | | | paper facial tissues, since a rag can |
| mix flesh colours?' I make you a | | | | too easily 'muddy' the colours.) Pay |
| promise: Unless commissioned to | | | | close attention to the direction of the |
| illustrate a medical textbook, you will | | | | light, as this is what defines the shape |
| never be called upon to paint human | | | | of what you are painting.While this |
| flesh.Now, unless you are a vegan, or | | | | layer 'sets up' a little, you can make |
| have never been in a kitchen, you | | | | the mixtures that closely match the main |
| already know the colours of flesh. You | | | | colours of your subject's skin. In a |
| have seen the gray/white through pink to | | | | Caucasian person, these will consist of |
| blood red of fish, fowl and red meats - | | | | White with Burnt Sienna, that mix with a |
| all stripped of their skin. But even in | | | | little Yellow Ochre, the same with a |
| a Life class, your models will be | | | | very little Cobalt Blue, and with a bit |
| wearing their skins.So, it is skin - not | | | | of Cadmium Red. When these are all laid |
| flesh - you will be painting. Does that | | | | out on your palette, you can begin |
| make it sound less daunting? Well, be | | | | building the head or figure in quick |
| warned. A limp fillet of raw flesh, | | | | strokes that follow the direction of its |
| lying flat and featureless on a chopping | | | | curves.What gives your subject 'life' is |
| board, is a doddle to paint. Skin, | | | | the accurate placing of highlights, so |
| however, covers a shape with myriad | | | | these need careful observation. Do be |
| curves and hollows. It reflects light | | | | aware that, with the exception of that |
| where the underlying structure bulges | | | | tiny flash in the eye - where the convex |
| into a forehead or juts into a | | | | cornea catches the light - highlights |
| nose.Further, that light may be cool or | | | | are never pure White. They are warm or |
| warm, depending on its source. In the | | | | cool, and so need a finely judged |
| depressions of an eye socket or the | | | | addition of the appropriate pigment. |
| inside of an elbow, delicate shadows | | | | Control your eagerness and allow the |
| reveal the shapes. On top of all that, | | | | painting at least two days before you |
| the 'local' tone of your subjects' skin | | | | add the glazes. This way, you will have |
| will vary immensely. And there is more: | | | | lively shadows that rest lightly on your |
| You will need to be aware of those areas | | | | painted figure, as they do in real |
| where the blood flows close to the | | | | life.The second method is one that took |
| surface, casting a rosy glow over the | | | | me some years to work out and perfect. |
| ears, nose, neck and so on.Enough of the | | | | It is the 'secret' of the luminous skin |
| frighteners. Here is the basic fact that | | | | quality so often remarked on in my |
| will keep you on track: All of us are | | | | paintings, but applies only to oil |
| coloured in some variation of | | | | painting. As so often in oil painting, |
| orange-brown.To us painters, that means | | | | it demands patience during the necessary |
| Burnt Sienna. From the translucent | | | | waiting periods while each step dries. |
| 'white' of a Nicole Kidman, through the | | | | So it is a good idea to have at least |
| 'yellow' of a Chinese, to the 'black' of | | | | three paintings always in progress.As |
| a Melanesian, it is only a matter of | | | | before, make your modelled sketch, but |
| adding White to lighten or Cobalt Blue | | | | let it dry thoroughly. Then, (assuming |
| to darken the basic Burnt Sienna. (I | | | | the subject is Caucasian) cover the |
| prefer Cobalt Blue in these mixtures | | | | entire head or figure with an |
| because it is cooler and more opaque | | | | underpainting mixed from Yellow Ochre, |
| than Ultramarine. I never use Thalo Blue | | | | Cobalt Blue and Alizarin Crimson, |
| because I find it too strong for any | | | | modified with White. Adjust this mixture |
| skin tone I have ever seen.)And there | | | | until it matches the undertones of your |
| are two methods of tackling the | | | | subject's skin over bony areas, checking |
| challenge of painting people.The first | | | | it against such places as her/his wrist, |
| is alla prima, the direct laying down of | | | | jaw, temples. Lay it thinly, so that the |
| paint in one application, without using | | | | structure of your initial drawing shows |
| glazing or scumbling techniques. It is | | | | faintly through. It will look horrible! |
| chosen by a majority of painters because | | | | But do not be faint-hearted. Put the |
| it seems simpler. But when a painter is | | | | work in the racks where you will not see |
| inexperienced in rendering the figure, | | | | it until at least three days have passed |
| this method can all too often lead to a | | | | and it is dry to the touch.Now the magic |
| 'muddy' result as the shadow colours are | | | | begins...Make your 'local' colour mixes |
| blended - or over-blended - into the wet | | | | as we discussed above, without adding |
| paint.So, if you choose this method and | | | | any medium. Moisten your brushes with |
| are not supremely confident of your | | | | medium, then wipe them dry. (Please do |
| brushwork, I strongly recommend laying | | | | not stint yourself on brushes. Unlike |
| your shading on the nearly dry figure | | | | watercolours, oil paint does not wash |
| with glazes. A glaze is simply a small | | | | out of even sable brushes. You must use |
| amount of transparent pigment carried in | | | | a fresh brush for each mixture if you |
| a glazing medium. Some examples of | | | | want clean colour on the canvas, and |
| transparent pigment are Viridian Green, | | | | this is vital when you are working with |
| Ultramarine, Alizarin Crimson, Raw | | | | the subtle tones of skin.)Work the brush |
| Sienna and so on. Glaze mediums have | | | | into the colour mix so that it is evenly |
| entire recipe books to themselves but a | | | | loaded. Then stroke it, gently as if you |
| reliable alternative is Windsor & Newton | | | | were caressing a new born baby, across |
| Liquin, modified with distilled turps. | | | | the underpainting. This is called |
| Experiment until you find the mix that | | | | scumbling. One of its secrets is to hold |
| suits your style. The thing to remember | | | | the brush lightly as if it were made of |
| is not to dilute the medium so much that | | | | thin glass, with fingers beneath the |
| it becomes too weak to achieve a good | | | | handle and thumb just resting on top.The |
| adherence.I have mentioned (nagged!) | | | | thinnest of layers build up slowly, |
| before that good figure painting relies | | | | allowing that underpainting to insinuate |
| on good figure drawing, so I will assume | | | | its presence almost imperceptibly, as |
| you have done your homework and have | | | | you work towards the dense, brightest |
| checked and rechecked proportions as you | | | | highlights. Let each scumbled layer dry |
| made the sketch for your painting. You | | | | before applying the next. If you find |
| will have done this in a thin mix of Raw | | | | you have laid the colour too thickly at |
| Umber and turps, very easy to adjust as | | | | any point, just take a painting knife |
| you go along. Now you can take a step | | | | and scrape it away before trying again. |
| that will be an invaluable help in | | | | This is the beauty of giving each layer |
| keeping the three dimensional quality of | | | | time to dry, so that the underlying |
| your subject.With a thin mix of Burnt | | | | colours shine through.The technique |
| Sienna - do not worry that it looks like | | | | calls for exquisite restraint, but it |
| a so-called 'Red' Indian at this point - | | | | will achieve a result you can get in no |
| loosely model the structure of your | | | | other way: The illusion of living skin |
| subject, shading the hollows and wiping | | | | laid over living flesh. |