How to Mix Medium Skin Tone Oil Paint
To mix medium skin tone with oil paint, combine 4 parts Burnt Umber, 3 parts Titanium White and 1 part Cadmium Orange. Medium skin tones sit on warm earth colors. Start from a sienna or umber with white and adjust: more red for warmth, a touch of green or blue for shadows.
Opens the free browser simulator with these colors on the palette. Squeeze them out and blend with the palette knife.
Step by step
- Put down 4 parts of Burnt Umber. It is the largest amount, so it is your base.
- Add 3 parts of Titanium White. White lightens the mix but also cools and softens it, so add it gradually.
- Add 1 part of Cadmium Orange.
- Blend with a palette knife, folding the paint over itself until no streaks of the separate colors remain.
- Pull a thin smear out to the side. Thin paint shows the true color better than a thick pile.
Lighter versions of medium skin tone
The same recipe with more and more titanium white mixed in, by volume:
#C39576
#D0AA91
#D7B8A2
#DFC8B7
#EBDFD5
Another way to mix medium skin tone
With Raw Sienna, Light Red and Titanium White: 2 parts Raw Sienna, 1 part Light Red and 1 part Titanium White.
Tips for mixing skin tones
Mix a light, a middle and a shadow version of the skin tone before you start painting. Shadows on skin are usually cooler and more saturated, not just darker.
Questions
What colors make medium skin tone?
To mix medium skin tone with oil paint, combine 4 parts Burnt Umber, 3 parts Titanium White and 1 part Cadmium Orange. You can also mix it from 2 parts Raw Sienna, 1 part Light Red and 1 part Titanium White.
How do you make medium skin tone lighter?
Add titanium white a little at a time. Adding the same amount of white as the whole mix gives about #DFC8B7. White also cools and softens a color, so you may need a touch more of the warm color in the recipe to keep the same character.
How do you make medium skin tone darker?
Add burnt umber or burnt sienna, and a touch of ultramarine for cool shadows. Avoid black, which makes skin look grey and lifeless.