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