Color-Mixing for Portraits | Acrylic & Oil Painting Lesson

[@cre8509]

@ShaeferArt -- I don't know if it helps you for me to comment almost 5 years after you posted this, but this video has HELPED ME MORE THAN ANY OTHER video I've seen on how to mix skin-tone colors. It just "clicked" with me. So, THANK YOU!!

[@SchaeferArt]

So glad to hear :) Thanks for the comment.

[@moonlight_cissa]

I usually don't comment in videos but I'm in love with these videos of color mixing ! That is so helpful thank you!

[@SchaeferArt]

Thanks for the comment :) glad it is helpful!

[@gargarprimo7860]

SchaeferArt Thank you sooo much. i could not mix skin colour. Thanks to your video!!! now i do. I like your way of explaining. 👍

[@da3ena]

SchaeferArt thank you for sharing

[@nickfanzo]

the secret to flesh is knowing how to grey down the saturation of the hues. a lot of blue in the face is just greyed down hue of flesh tone. you can mix any color when asking: 1 is the hue right? 2 is the value right? 3 is the temperature right? 4 is the saturation right? does it need to be greyed down or mixed with its complimentary color to dull its saturation?

[@hannyaespinoza5111]

Nicholas Fanzo sounds really useful; what's hue, tho?

[@jammanjung]

Benny Plz hue means color

[@derickelsner6802]

Should be 1value 2 temp 3 hue 4 saturation

[@ams9449]

@@derickelsner6802 should be 1 value 2 saturation and 3 hue. A painting with perfect values and perfect saturation can still be read well even if the hue is different (it will just look like a colored filter has been applied to it). As to temperature, it really doesn't belong on the list. Temperature is simply a sub-cathegory of hue, a way of fine tuning it.

[@sketchartist1964]

He began with the bright colors but in the end, every skin tone involves mostly white paint, unless of course, the sitter is of dark skin.

[@morgana_ofthelake]

I have to paint a portrait and I was having a hard time with the skin tones. Sometimes I don't know how to mix colours in the palette. The colours I often make always turn into dirty browns. Thank you for this awesome tutorial!

[@omarlopez1602]

thank you for sharing. ... I been having a hard time with skin tones ...This was a great help

[@MYRIAMLATEUR]

Best lesson ever!!! For the first time well explained and indeed, it looks simple... up to practice!

[@boxcar_bret]

I have a BFA from Art Center and that was a great refresher for me. I've gotten back into scale model building and more recently repainting 1/6 scale figure heads and found myself "chasing" colors. This was an excellent reminder of going back to basics.

[@artbydane]

It was 5 years ago since it was uploaded here in youtube but it really helps beginner to mix some skin tone especially me! I was looking a bunch of videos here but I didn't get it at all. This one explains every detail, every thing you need to know about switching light to dark and muted the dark in to a lighter than dark. If you made a mistake like putting or mixing too much color, he explained and give you an easy yet mind blowing (I guess😂) tip, idea about it. Thank you for this!!

[@WaltRichman]

Im just wondering how artists can paint a whole painting with that little paint. I use cups to mix my different shades, but it looks way more convenient to use this method, Im just afraid of having to remix all my tones and never be able to match them exactly.

[@kimberlymiller1226]

I use glass or plastic cups with lids myself ...the lids dont allow the acrylic paint to dry and for large areas or color i really don't want to loose i do that and pop the top on

[@AutomHatter]

You could do small color swatches like this, and write down what and how much you put into each swatch. Then, when you have achieved the desired color you could use your cups with large portions of all the colors you used in the swatch. I don't know if that is an even longer way to go about it though.

[@AutomHatter]

Sorry I just realized this comment is 2 years old.

[@eliakimrosil521]

because if your always mixing color.. you can read and white colors using primary and white.

[@sanazrafi2707]

It was useful a lot like always. I appreciate

[@safetyman701]

I have been looking for a good video on skin tone color mixing. This is simply awesome.

[@sandygunn269]

Thank you! You have simplified what has confused me for years!

[@winx4ever411]

I've been thinking about using my acrylic paint set for a while now. When I found your channel it gave me a bit more confidence to try that medium. Plus I always wondered how to make a skin tone with acrylics and now I have a better understanding of it. Thank you so much.

[@heidrunprosowski8286]

Bitte in deutsch

[@heidrunprosowski8286]

Es ist eine tolle Demo

[@klobnon]

Exactly something I was hoping to study - the palette and mixing for a portrait !!!!! Let me refrase, you are amazing, Brandon!!!

[@MoonlightWhispers23]

I know this video is years old but I just wanted to take the time to thank you for making this video. I am a new artist and I am working on my very first portrait piece of my uncle who was recently murdered, and I had no idea where to start with doing skin tones.Most of my canvases have been colorful landscape pieces so this was new for me but so far it’s coming along beautifully thanks to you teaching me how to make so much colors to get the perfect shades. I appreciate this video so much ♥️ I know my uncle would be proud

[@jessegolphinjr3225]

OUTSTANDING VIDEO! I now use your system of skin-toning mixture for all flesh toning portraits. Absolutely the best Skin-toning video on this app/website. Thanks, again.

[@wheetypeedy]

Excellent demonstration for skin tone mixing

[@NisaSimply]

this is so helpful,useful! do you think that we should to use water more or less while drawing? and sometimes when I draw a picture, after ıt had dryed,colour faded:( how can I prevent?

[@eee8ee543]

This just make me happy b/c the way i mix my colors its the same as you did even comparing the tones with my own skin, but the diffrence i don't use that umber brown i just mix blue and red with some of yellow ochre instead , thanks

[@artbyjes]

its so funny... I spent years and years chasing down every color I could find, all to just end up in a place where I settled on using the same palette you're using here. for me, can get to most hues, but more importantly, a more unified palette. Didn't pick up anything new in this video, but sure a glad you put it out there for artists searching for their palette. and I am going to use this to teach my adult son painting, which is difficult from 1599 miles away, so videos like this help immensely. thanks, and nice job.

[@lynetteh7344]

This was most helpful and your suggestion of doing a study without really trying to get the details of the face but just the skin colors I will try. Thanks for your time.

[@MichaelRpdx]

For a sample of the effects of reflected light - check out Gauguin's Polynesian portraits. Some are extremely green. So great I've heard people express their disgust and write off Gauguin as an artist.

[@XxKamariKadenxX]

thank you so much!!! I just wish I watched this video before I bought all these other colors... I came to watch your tutorials because I didn't know how to mix all those colors and I came to find out all I needed were the primary colors!! I thought buying individual colors would be easier but it looks like the primary colors are even easier! I'm going to stick to those colors until I can get the hang of them! thanks so much!!!! please continue to do more portraits!! I liked your self portrait and I would like to see more!:)

[@kasai0494]

Wasn’t expecting the Charles C Curran piece in your intro. Super cool to see one of his works included!

[@SchaeferArt]

Glad to hear :) I liked that painting.

[@shitalgaikwad43]

Thanx for such simple guidance..... It's really helpful..

[@brenlyd]

This is exactly what I was looking for. I was looking for a video so a friend of mine with darker skin tones could maybe custom paint some cosmetic items for herself. Thank you

[@alexwhite5724]

You say its so simple ... because you are explaining .... good job

[@SchaeferArt]

Great observation.

[@starsandmoonsabove]

You can use Burnt Siena and White to get an average skin tone, then maybe add Red, Blue, Yellow. Also you can use other eathy colors like Burnt Umber, Yellow Ochre to darken or lighten. I think this is a great quick way to start, it's just earth colors + white as a base. I used to paint in oils and do this (I didn't come up with this idea, heard it on KZbin). Now I mostly do acrylic and gouache painting (as well as digital) and don't use this approach bc I don't have Burnt Siena. Nowadays I also start with mixing an Orange, like in this video. I don't go for super realistic skin tones now though and just keep it orange-ish haha. I remember this tip being very helpful and convenient for me in the past. I assume a lot of beginning artists already have Burnt Siena and other earth tones, but I specifically got it after hearing this idea, bc I'd felt like earth tones were just unnecessary. And I still think no color is super necessary, but this is just a tip for anyone who's interested.

[@MrCaptainInternet]

Thanks mate! I'm mainly a digital painter but recently I picked up some Acrylics and the mixing the colours was so frustrating. Especially, since they tend to dry out so quick and I could not get any oils because there's no art store in my freaking island :/

[@XxKamariKadenxX]

yeah, it is so hard to go from digital art to working with acrylics and learning how to mix all those colors! I am struggling at that too now lol

[@ilonaczirko2099]

Megatron what is digital painter? How do you do that? Sorry i just do not know and maybe i would like it.. thanks for answering, Ilona

[@MrCaptainInternet]

A person who paints digitally, like using a wacom tablet and a computer. These days most artist who works in the industry are digital artist because it's much more convenient. Still though you need to have traditional experience to transfer that digitally as well.

[@scroez]

Are there decent programs that are cheap or free to play around with digital painting for a mac?, I paint with oil and spraypaint but don't have a studio, apart from my flat. I do have an old Wacom tablet, that's pretty sensitive. I hope you're able to order your oil paint online. Cheers.

[@flowercrowned3550]

scroez cvk There's FireAlpaca, that's free! I don't know how well it works for digital painting, but a lot of people use it for digital drawing, so you might want to check it out. There's also Sketchbook (express, I think? It's by Autodesk) which is either free or around $30 on the app store for Mac. Photoshop is the one I see most people use, but it's super expensive.

[@skycarl]

Nice mixing tutorial Brandon...... Thanks........ Carl

[@SchaeferArt]

skycarl Thanks Carl, enjoy the weekend my friend!

[@RahmatHabib38]

it's really helpful for new learners' i've been facing problems coloring a portrait but it was really helpful thanks for making our problems solved.

[@beccogiallo]

Thank you. That was a very clear demonstration.

[@annettemc4]

I am so happy I came across your video on color mixing. I started off doing a search about chalky skin tones. I have been working on a portrait. I am putting colors that look like they match my skin, adding BU to darken, using white to lighten, etc...but it fades to look like all one shade of chalky pink or tan. It is dull, no pop, no contrast, nothing that defines the shadows and highlights of the face...I can tell already that I have too many layers of paint trying to get the right hue. What can I do to make it look bright with color? I'm very frustrated. BTW, I am a newbie with portraits.

[@crisalidathomassie1811]

Just joined your channel. Great video. What colors are you using? Thanks so much. Blessings and take care.

[@selfiopath1982]

DId you ever try phthalo yellow green + alizarin crimson as the main colours for the flesh tone mix? If yes, what do you think of it? Thanks.

[@LisaMarie.Stellaaa]

I loved this freaking video. You are a very good teacher, sir!

[@halibut1249]

beautiful colors from such a limited palette !! Maybe in a future vid you can do a quick portrait sketch laying some of those colors in. THANKS

[@kimberlymiller1226]

I bought a Golden set of 10 Fluid Acrylics as I'm used to enamels and painting on glass and I need to do a canvas portrait for my friend of his grandson smelling a flower among a bush. I played around to get a good skin tone and ended up using Titanium White, , Yellow Oxide, Pyrrole Red, ( i switched to yellow Ochre when it got me a better result then the hansa yellow medium. I love your videos and wish you did portraits ....I'm a bit scared as ive never painted on canvas and with this image being so complex that the leaves might empower him and the flower.

[@bigooboczky5382]

Thanks. Very informative by simplifying an elf imposed confusing issue.

[@SchaeferArt]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@nivieb9]

Thanks for this wonderful video for portrait colour mixing! There’s a Hindu Goddess - Kali, who I want to paint in shades of blue and red. Though usually she’s painted black, there are some portraits of her in blue as well. Could you please give me some suggestions on that?

[@jetsonjoe]

limited palette colours are?? white, cad yel light, med red cad, burnt umber, or burnt sienna, and ultramarine...is my guess...am i correct? please let me know

[@hannyaespinoza5111]

this is exactly what I needed, thank you so much. btw is that paint enough to make a portrait? or the amount you use is more for demonstration?

[@renmachado1820]

Wow so informative!!! Thank you so much 💯 👌

[@Ucampesina]

Great tutorial, I thought it was the only one that would start my mixed colors over

[@SchaeferArt]

Glad to hear!

[@gerityYy98]

You are amazing! Your videos helped me a lot! Keep going.

[@DDabeiseinistalles]

Very helpful to see the mixing again and again. Although i saw it many times its always good to be reminded. Are those colors the golden opens? If id mix my acrylics thin like this they would be dry when im done mixing...Any tip for that? Mix a larger amount so it doesnt dry that quick?

[@SchaeferArt]

DDabeisein Istalles These are actually oils. For acrylics, use a misting spray bottle. The hard part with acrylics is that you have to mix up a color when you need it - with oils, artists are able to premix most of their colors and have them ready when painting.. I think that's one reason why acrylics can be so challenging for most, especially with something like portraits. Just mist your palette every once in a while and your canvas, also use a damp brush. You could also use a stay-wet palette.

[@rubberpicker]

Hi. Yes so much more helpful than most!! The lightbulb went on!! But I have a question? How do you know what color of highlight to make? Like I've seen blue for shadow for snow. Is it just a lighter shade of whatever color you used for a object?

[@anastasiacharlotte8544]

rubberpicker I’ve read somewhere before that the shadow is usually the contrasting colour of the highlight

[@yanYan-qw6qi]

good teaching I learn more from your youtube thanks

[@bienvillarin2709]

Hi sir Brandon! I would like to ask what kind of yellow and red did you use? Thanks

[@SunilKumar-dq8ds]

thank you so much sir for share this video . could you please tell color name ? red is it cadmium red ? which blue and yellow ?

[@wandalara3617]

Excelent video, very undertandable and helful 🙏

[@madadalyrajabali5236]

Thanks again, you have taught me so much in such a short time. Can't thank you enough. Madhu

[@dvora3232]

Great lesson. thanks very much.

[@dorothykernoghan8908]

I really enjoyed this video, and as I am new to painting portraits in acrylic I need the help

[@wafiawafia9809]

thank you bro, it helped me a lot

[@MrsKriss777]

all your videos are super helpful! i love watching you paint. I try to paint acrylic but i can never seem to get the hang of making my paintings look "realistic". is there any way we can chat privately , i can show you some of my work, you can critique it. i want to get better but i don't know what im doing wrong.

[@MADHURIARTGALLERY21]

Very informative ,well explained sir

[@civilroyals6954]

You are fortunate to have a very light pinkish white skin tone easy to obesrve more shades ....all others go n follow reference photos:)

[@antoniolampreia5953]

Very nice precise, great!

[@AntheaCarson]

Extremely helpful video

[@SchaeferArt]

Glad to hear that

[@adamgarcia114]

Thank you. I love how helpful this video is! Subbed!

[@micahwarren8013]

What were the name of the paint colors? I see you have titanium white...

[@JOSERAMIREZ-zz1fm]

Yes was very helpful, thanks and happy new year 🎊

[@SchaeferArt]

Happy new year 😊

[@susanlang]

Is this with your new Geneva oils? I really enjoy your videos.

[@SchaeferArt]

Susan Lang No, Geneva's oils are not this thick. These are Gamblin.

[@dineshkumardas8380]

Wow... This is amazing.. Thank you for sharing this 😃

[@TheBrianagh]

I didnt get the right color .w. my red is so strong that it wants to be noticed so I just mixed with brown yellow and lots of white. I then got what I wanted.

[@christianjavier3085]

Thankyou for this video ❤️

[@ilcaravaggio3740]

Could you please give us the name of the paintings at the beginning ? Thanks

[@SchaeferArt]

+Shagga 1. "Isabella Valle" by John Singer Sargent 6. "Children at the Beach 1899" by Joaquin Sorolla Not sure of the others at this moment, I will have to do some digging. I have so many paintings on my computer and they are not named, and not all of them are sorted by artist.

[@ilcaravaggio3740]

+SchaeferArt thanks a lot !

[@abdelazizgharmaouiabdelazi264]

carecateur

[@kasai0494]

Number 7 is ‘On The Heights’ by Charles Courtney Curran.

[@karenspooner1492]

This is my weakness I get very confused ..I'm trying though I kno my paintings are progressing ..thanks B..

[@artistalamgir]

Thank you so very much for sharing your vedio sir.... i really appreciate it your great work. ..

[@jamesdingler0929]

Awesome video , thank you

[@SchaeferArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@adamsaoud7191]

thank u that was so useful vidoe indeed

[@erickag7596]

What are the colors used?

[@poorvasood4209]

Thank you so much. Your videos are really helpful. What is the kind of sheet on which you are mixing colors? Is it a glass sheet?

[@courtrtney]

Poorva yes seems like it, picture frames are mostly used

[@rjuriklodhbrok546]

If you add ultramarine blue straight into a mix which has been lightened up whithout having first tweaked it to the same value, you don't get a grey but rather a total different color, don't you?..or I got that wrong?

[@SchaeferArt]

+Rjurik Lodhbrok Well it all depends, but I don't see why it wouldn't be a grey.. it would just be lighter - which technically is a completely different color. For it to become a grey, it would have to be an orange-ish mixture to start out with, and the blue would neutralize it, doesn't matter how much white is or isn't added, it's still the same formula. Hope that makes sense.

[@rjuriklodhbrok546]

+SchaeferArt So mixing a tint with a hue gives you the same result as mixing two tints or two hues + white? Cause I hear many artists say the values in mixing are the most important thing..

[@SchaeferArt]

Values are quite important, for sure. Let's try to keep it simple. It all depends on what value grey you are going for.. when mixing colors, it's all going to be about adjusting and readjusting. If you work to get the value correct first [let's say a lighter value], but then you have to add more color [hues] to get the correct grey [or hue] but that will darken it obviously, so you have to readjust the value by adding more white. Looking back at your original question: blue and orange will make grey, no matter how much white is added after or before. What will matter is the amount of blue and amount of orange, because that is what makes the grey, not the white. The white will lighten/change the value. Get out some paints and play around with it. Nothing beats that! :)

[@rjuriklodhbrok546]

+SchaeferArt Thanks mate, that was very helpful!!

[@PiperMcPhersonTheWren]

I like the works of Rembrandt myself

[@yaroslavaslavkina9320]

it simple and very useful ! thanks)

[@saml.3867]

skip to 1:15 to see Donald Trump's portrait.

[@rhezaeggy1544]

I dont se

[@humanbeing1429]

Oh my god how accurate. You are a true observer.

[@planet8833t]

even on here you can't get away from the hate sick of it

[@chrisjuliette]

Sam l. (:

[@Toofastfourluv]

Which red and which blue ? Good demo

[@ayubipesante8778]

Trigger Toes generally alizarin crimson or cadmium red are good primaries. for blue, phthalo blue or ultramarine blue :-)

[@LucasDiGiorno]

Thank you so much! This helped me a lot! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@nathanelgatian9950]

Thank you for this video

[@inscensia]

This was super helpful! Where can i find your art?

[@KreepyKrysta]

Inscensia it looks like a picture frame with the glass on the underside painted grey. I have done this, and it works really really well.

[@Sophiesphere]

thank you!! this is brilliant!

[@BelRiose2000]

What are the names of the colours? I only heard burnt umber and ultramarine blue.

[@SchaeferArt]

Cad red light or medium, cad yellow lemon or medium. Titanium white.

[@vsboss3439]

thanx for sharing .....most helpful for me thanks

[@SchaeferArt]

Glad to hear! :)

[@mikecastro2894]

Pallette colors ?

[@ChartingCharlie]

great explanation, thank you

[@SchaeferArt]

Hope it was helpful 😊

[@ARJIWNL]

Can someone tell me the specific name of oil paint colour he used?

[@samakhan9585]

Onii Chan titanium white, cadmium yellow ,cadmium red , burnt umber , ultramarine blue

[@lindapeacerose]

What palette are you using.

[@zedamyann12]

It looks like he is using glass

[@hannyaespinoza5111]

he has a video on his channel where he promotes his palette which is a special one.

[@eliakimrosil521]

cadmium red is warm red (orangie) you cant get a good violet from it.. i'm using permanent red as primary , for me its better, i can mix good oranges and violets .. and also pthalo blue is greenish at ultramarine blue is purple blue(i mean its has a red on it), Lemon yellow is greenish and Cadmium yellow is warm .. I like using Primary colors only , My choice is Permanent red, Cadmium lemon, Ultramarine blue :) ..

[@SchaeferArt]

Yep

[@gunaygadimova8705]

Amazing👍 thanks

[@perlawhite308]

Thankx for this simply explain ..

[@rgrdesigns]

Thanks for showing this.

[@martinvestergaardportraits5654]

Nice explaining thx

[@SchaeferArt]

No problem!

[@patriciaharris2896]

Thank you, very very helpful!

[@JORIYAYOUTUBER46joriya]

Very good sir advice

[@이정민마리엘라]

thank you 😀

[@hootietheartist]

I teach acrylic painting and the colors he's using are: Titanium White, Cad Yellow Light, Cad Red Light, Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue.

[@SchaeferArt]

Thanks for posting that.

[@Kittisak.freedom.]

Thank you so much.

[@geminissful]

THANK YOU , APPRECIATE ,,VERY GOOD VIDEO...

[@basiliocrespogarcia-baquer4309]

Maravilloso.