We draw an anime girl with markers, hair, eyes, skin. How to Get Realistic Flesh Tone How to Draw Human Skin Color Correctly

Drawing skin- this is one of the most difficult tasks facing every photorealist artist. To achieve a truly realistic effect, a combination of many factors is important - color choice, mixing methods, specially tuned brushes and created textures. It is also important to remember that each skin type needs a different approach. The delicate porcelain skin requires a similar technique to the clear skin found on children, but it is quite different from the techniques used to paint dark skin.

In this lesson, I will tell you the main differences in drawing the main types of skin, and draw your attention to important anatomical features. I will reveal the secrets and subtleties of using customized brushes to achieve the desired effect. I will also tell you about certain skin tones, I will share color palette, so you can learn how to use it in your own work. This lesson does not contain the basics of drawing a face, it is intended for those who already have basic knowledge and skills in drawing faces, and also know general rules in the application of color and its mixing. However, where possible, I will remind you of the most important issues at this stage of drawing.

To get the most out of the lesson, you must have any version of Photoshop or Painter at least version 6, as well as a tablet.

Author's secret: Rich colors

When you create a palette for painting a face, choose really rich colors, excluding halftones (mildtones). This is important because colors are always applied with reduced opacity and therefore lose some of their vibrancy. Unsaturated colors will look gray and uninteresting from the start. Also, do not forget that if you are unhappy with the color you have chosen, you can always change it using the settings Color Balance(Color balance). Usually the colors look more brown, to correct this move the red slider Highlights(Light) to the left and the blue slider Shadows(Shadows) to the right.

Porcelain

1. Color is very important

Porcelain- this is a special and specific type of skin, where the main role is played by the choice of color. It's a well-known fact that the highlights, shadows, and mildtones of skin should all be different colors, no matter what type of skin you're painting. This rule is the most important in painting porcelain type. Typically this effect is achieved by choosing slightly saturated midtones (mildtones) and bluish shadows (shadows).
However, I think the key here is the highlights. There are many options, but a slightly turquoise/green highlight immediately creates the effect of porcelain skin - fragile with a fresh glow.
Choose a palette and sketch out the main facial features. It doesn't really matter what tools you use, just try to avoid the Airbrush for now.

2. Smooth skin!

Smoothness- this is the second important point in drawing the effect of porcelain skin. Usually, for a good result it is enough to use rough transitions in combination with additional textures, but now we need a perfectly smooth surface. In order to get this effect, first we draw rough transitions (Hard Round Brush in Photoshop or Blender in Painter), having defined the basic shapes, then we move on to working on soft transitions (Add Water only in Painter or any brush with using the Airbrush option with a low opacity value in Photoshop) to soften the transitions.

3. Forget about textures

I always emphasize the need to use textures to achieve realism, porcelain skin is the exception to the rule. Although I usually recommend drawing tiny pores for skin texture, in this case it's best to skip this step. Instead, choose a color for the highlights and airbrush the most prominent parts of the face, such as the forehead, chin, cheekbones and the tip of the nose. Make the highlights really pop and use a high opacity to create that glowing skin effect we talked about earlier.

4. Final retouching

Once you're mostly done, you can try some additional tricks to further highlight the softness of the leather. The first is to choose a medium shade (mildtones) and use an Airbrush to soften the outer edge of the lower lip, creating a soft transition from the lips to the face. After, without changing the brush, select the highlight shade (highlights) and draw a small bulge above the upper lip, and also emphasize the lower lip, as in the picture below. At the end, slightly soften the contour of the face using a tool (Blur Tool) or an airbrush (Airbrush).

Transparent

1. Children and vampires

Transparent The skin type, at first glance, is very similar to porcelain. However, there are some differences that are worth considering in more detail. Combined with the existing rules for choosing color transitions from shadows to midtones, it is impossible to determine a single correct color, since it depends heavily on the character being drawn. The palette for children should look more natural, it can be described as “typical” shades, but the skin of vampires is paler and sickly, based on existing legends. When creating a transparent skin type, the most important thing is to understand its structure and create appropriate textures.

2. Anatomy. Be careful!

Keep in mind that the anatomical contours of a child's face are slightly different from an adult's. This is especially noticeable on the cheeks. As you can see in the image below, I marked the bump area with a red line and along this path I marked the shadows and white highlights with blue shading.
Also, if you have not done this already, you need to decorate the nose and cheek areas slightly pink shades.

3. Texture time

It's time to create the illusion of transparent skin - let's draw the veins. Since the skin is very thin, veins are more visible on the child's forehead and above the eyes. And you should also remember that the older the children, the less noticeable the veins will be.

If you draw a vampire, do as your heart tells you. I use a combination of expressive, almost black, veins around the eyes and lips, gradually disappearing, it looks interesting and gives a convincing look to the vampire.

Select a purple or blue brush color (Hard Round or Airbrush) and create a thin web of lines that should look like veins (1 in the image below). Smooth the layer slightly and experiment with blending modes until we get the result we are interested in. Now let's emphasize the thickness of the veins using a dark red airbrush, paying special attention to the junction of the veins (2), add some dark strokes (3). If necessary, to enhance the effect, lightly darken the area with mid-tones with an airbrush.

4. No pores

For the final texturing stage, I will again refrain from drawing in the pores. If you are drawing a newborn, you can try adding small rashes, which are common in small children. We do this, place the points different sizes reddish color on top of each other - let's start with large spots that are highly transparent, gradually moving to small ones with little transparency. Particular concentration on the cheeks and chin areas. You can also add tiny highlights to your nose and lips - these little touches add extra cuteness!

If you're drawing a vampire, use a huge Airbrush to follow the contours of the face. This will add a mysterious glow to painful skin.

Dark skin

1. Anatomical features

First, choosing a color for of this type skin may seem like a very difficult task, but you can create a palette using the mid-tones of European skin types as a base and then darken using the tool Brightness/Contrast(Brightness/Contrast). However, key point In creating truly realistic dark skin, knowledge of anatomy and textures serves. A bit general, the nose is usually steep and wide, and the lips are full. We emphasize the volume, add a glow to the upper contour of the lip (1) and a small shadow cast by the voluminous lips on the face (2).

2. Mixing rules

The mixing rules are the same as for light skin. We start by selecting and applying medium and dark tones from the palette with any tool except an airbrush. We should avoid the finger and blur tools; we don't need the same neat transitions as when drawing porcelain skin. To smooth out rough transitions, use the Blender tool in painter or the Hard Round brush in Photoshop.

3. Draw pores!

After drawing the base of the face, we move on to texturing. There will be a lot of textures to add the oily pores characteristic of this skin type. Start by choosing a very light nude color and using a hard round brush, paint in the pores, overlapping each other. Add the greatest concentration of pores in the area of the nose and cheeks. Pores are also important for diagonal areas and light-colored areas (1). Do not forget about the constant change in transparency, increase it in the most glare places.

After the basic texturing, Photoshop users can add a little trick: create a new layer and use small diagonal strokes to almost white Paint on the desired areas. Then right-click on the current layer and select from the drop-down menu (Blending Options) - (Inner Shadow). Adjust the distance and size, and take the shadow color from the midtones (2). If everything worked out correctly, then when reduced, the skin will look incredibly realistic.

4. Perfect lips

And now a few words about drawing lips. The main color has already been drawn, now let's add small light dots with the Airbrush tool and blend them later with a large brush. To emphasize the size and volume of the lips, add large vertical lines of light color, connecting them with separate dots.

Author's secret

Switch between programs!

Many artists have difficulty learning Photoshop or painter and therefore limit themselves to one thing. Figuring out how to draw something you can already draw perfectly well in another program seems like a waste of time. But both programs have a number of unique characteristics. Photoshop is amazing at adjusting colors and creating your own fantastic brushes. While Painter has fabulous blends that speed up the painting process and many brushes that faithfully simulate living materials.

Pale redheads

1. Free technique

I find this skin type to be one of the most interesting, but it is very rarely seen in digital painting. First, we choose the colors we like, the main thing is that they remain pale. I prefer orange shades, they go well with my hair. Apply colors and select brushes as usual. What makes this skin type so special? These are small, individually insignificant details that together give a stunning effect. Let's start by drawing the base of the face with the tools you're most comfortable working with.

2. Contrast

The face should be almost colorless. Therefore, we choose non-contrasting shades for drawing the face, as well as unsaturated yellow and light orange colors for drawing eyebrows and eyelashes. The eyebrows should be barely visible; use a transparent airbrush to apply the bulk of the hair. Eyelashes, first draw thin brown strokes, and then light ones with high transparency. If your eyes lack definition due to a lack of dark lashes, you can try adding sheer dark flecks at the base of your lashes.

2. The charm of freckles

There are several types of freckles, depending on the skin type: temporary, which depend on exposure to the sun, characteristic of Europeans, and permanent, characteristic of people with very pale skin types.

The first ones are easier to draw; you just need to add a small number of points to normal type skin. And the latter is a more complex process. Their shape looks like a patch and covers a large area of the surface of the face.

Let's start applying the texture of realistic freckles, create a dot brush (Sparkled). If you are working in painter, use jittered Airbrush.

Now choose a color a little darker than the midtones and use low opacity to work on most of the face. We gradually move from matte to dark orange shades. And at the very end we draw freckles one above the other to give a natural look. If they don't go well with your face, try changing them.

4. Additional colors

Once you are done with all the previous steps, there will be very little left. If you feel that your face is too colorless, which happens very often, try adding reddish shades or additional derivative colors.

Translator's note: unfortunately, I did not find the original palette from Marta Dahlig. Therefore, I will attach a color chart to the lesson. I hope you find it useful.

Paint realistic, natural-looking skin from scratch using traditional techniques and only three brushes.

My name is Mayrhosby Yeoshen. I am studying at the Faculty of Computer Science in Venezuela. Digital illustration is my passion and it is more than just a hobby. I mainly like to depict the human face or original characters which you can see in my gallery. Lately I've been working as a freelance illustrator, trying to infuse realism into what I do. I am mainly inspired by Korean Renaissance and Neoclassical artists such as Boticelli and Bouguereau because of the impeccability of their artwork.

PREFACE

Every CG artist has their own way of drawing skin tones for portraits. However, not everyone is able to achieve its realistic look, since at first glance it seems difficult to avoid artificiality due to natural material skin. Although it is much easier to achieve an organic feel when we paint in the traditional way. And the reason is not only the use of sprays (Airbrush) and mixing colors. It's a matter of adding your own personal touch to the picture and paying careful attention to every single detail, from the color of a teardrop to the crease in your lip. You might think that drawing like this seems like hard work, but in fact, it is not. The result is more important. After all, mastering this lesson will help you create not only beautiful portraits, but will also significantly improve your observation skills.

Of the traditional methods we use in this lesson, only cross-hatching is present. But make no mistake. Unlike simple drawing pencils, this technique will allow us to achieve what we want, namely a realistic looking skin. The fact that we can work on a canvas several thousand pixels high, and can use close-up for maximum detail, will allow us to take control of every separate part paintings. For this technique, only three brushes are used. The first is created from a basic Round Blender brush, the second is downloaded from the Internet, and the third is a Cover Pencil brush.

We apply the main shades with the first two brushes, and we will use the pencil only for shading. This method will also improve your perception of shapes and three-dimensional environments. Once we've chosen the colors for the shades, we'll blend them out, get rid of the linear sketch, and get to the fun part of adding lots of detail. As an attachment to the lesson you will find a layer in .psd format for training and samples of other skin tones. You can use them with this technique shown in this tutorial to create portraits of people of different nationalities.

LET'S START WITH THE BASICS.
The basics are everywhere! Select your main image and main colors.

First we have to make a sketch. You can make it from a favorite photo, scan a completed sketch, or use the included “SkinToneForTutorial.psd” file. In the latter case, we will get a ready-made sketch of the face and ear. And since everything else is done at this stage, we can concentrate on painting and texturing the skin.

2. Pay attention to your environment and mood.

What do you want to depict - day, night or twilight? Natural light or artificial light? What mood do you want to convey? All of these things will interact with the skin as they are an integral part of the painting. In our tutorial we will convey a warm atmosphere with natural light, so skin tones will largely remain the same.

3. Color palette.

Using your reference, determine base colors for dark, medium and light shades. In addition, choose additional colors for the cornea, iris, lips, and subtle shades for the eyelids, blush, or something similar. In the appendix you are given samples of skin tones not only for the white race used in this tutorial, but also for other skin types.

APPLYING SHADES.
We enrich the base with shades.

In the screenshots below you will see the basic settings of the first brush we used. Select the “Round Blender” brush from the “Blenders” category and open the Brush Creator using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+B. Go to the Stroke Designer tab and enter the specified settings. We start working with a low brush opacity – “Opacity” of about 7% and a brush size of about 24-30px.

5. Apply shadows

Check the “Preserve Transparency” option on the skin layer. Now select warm light brown color and start applying it to the medium-dark areas, using your reference to define them. In our case, we will shade the skin under the eyebrows, eyelids, chin and the left side of her face.

6. Mix colors

Don't be afraid to use more shades from your palette, such as pinks and oranges that are darker than your base skin tone. Keeping the opacity low, mix colors using only the feature of this brush (its “Bleed” parameter is blurring, the higher its value, the better the blending of nearby colors). Don't forget to also treat other areas of the skin, such as the neck and upper chest.

7. Deepen the shadows

Make the brush size smaller (about 10-15px). Now, using dark brown, deepen the shadows. Don't be afraid to choose different colors, obtained as a result of mixing, with a pipette - this will only enrich the palette of shades. Also try mixing colors using the brush feature.

8. Add light

Now, choosing lighter colors than the base skin tone, apply them to the right side of the nose, forehead and upper cheekbone. We are still working with large areas, so any detail is out of the question. Look closely at your reference and try to get a feel for the three-dimensional shape of the subject, as well as why the light affects the cheek areas, the center of the nose, etc. For the brightest highlight areas, you can use a light blue color with a low opacity, which will give the skin a more organic appearance.

Fill in the eyes with the base color, taking into account that the whites of the eyes are actually greyish. Apply a shadow to the iris and draw the pupil. Keeping the spherical shape of the eye in mind, add shadow under the eyelid and closer to the tear duct. The cornea of the eye usually has a reddish tint due to capillary vessels.

Once you're done with the eyes, start painting your lips. Fill them with a reddish pink tint and apply dark red eyeshadow. You can also draw a line separating the upper and lower lip with a smaller brush size and a higher opacity setting.

11. Subtle skin tones

Next, we select colors for subtle shades in areas such as the ethmoid sinus, located between the top of the nose and the eye. In this case, we're choosing a nice lavender color with a very low opacity, taking advantage of the brush's ability to blend with the underlying colors. The area close to the tear duct is often yellowish, so use a smaller brush to make a small, rounded stroke there.

12. Light blush

For cheeks, use a bright carmine (crimson) color. Brush big size(about 30px) Apply the shade to your cheeks, blending it with the underlying color.

13. Shading

Now that the main colors are applied to the skin, blend them using Rob's Blender Round brush with an Opacity of approximately 25-30% and a size of 35-40px. You can download this brush in the appendix to the lesson using the link provided. As a result, the face will look smoother, especially if we turn off the sketch layer.

14. Getting rid of the sketch

Now that you've finished working on the facial features, let's prepare the skin for texturing. Hiding and turning on the sketch layer (using the eye icon to the left of the layer), draw the contours of the face using the Cover Pencil brush from the Pencils category at 2px and 30% opacity. Always use a darker (or lighter) color than the base color when filling empty seats pencil bigger size, or a previously created brush with a small size and high opacity.

CONTINUE USING CROSS HATCHING.
Draw the areas of the eyes and mouth.

15. Let's start texturing.

What we have done so far is prepare the skin for great job on texturing. We are now ready to begin this process using the macro method. Create a new layer and name it "Texture". Uncheck the "Preserve Transparency" option and check the "Pick Up Underlaying Color" option in the Layers palette. Start cross-hatching with a Cover Pencil brush size from 1 to 6px and Opacity: 20%. You can practice in the Brush Designer window (Ctrl+B).

16. Cross hatching

You can start shading from any point you want. In this tutorial, we start with right cheek. With quick and confident movements, begin to apply arched strokes, according to the shape of the surface of the face. The main mistake beginners make is that they apply strokes at a completely different angle than the existing face shape. If you are not satisfied with the result, erase everything and start again until you get the hang of it and gain some skill. For convenience, be sure to use the rotation tool (The canvas can be rotated by holding down the key combination “Space + Alt” and setting the direction with a pen or mouse. To return the canvas to its original position, just one click of the mouse while holding the above combination).

17. Please note

The success of this technique lies in the quantity and quality of detail we can control. Using magnification, notice the folds, curves of the skin and the very different shades on it. To define colors, use the Dropper. Now we're only focusing on skin tones and the Colors panel, not the Mixer palette or anything else.

18. Improve your eyes

Eyes are often the first thing we see on someone's face. And that's why we should focus on them more than any other part of the face. Details such as tear ducts, the inner thickness of the eyelids, the lines of the iris and ordinary highlights immediately attract attention, bringing life to the face and giving it a personal personality. Don't forget about the lower eyelid folds as well.

19. Now the mouth.

Mouth is different characteristic feature face that deserves more study and detail. A common mistake when drawing a mouth, there is a disorder of its outlines, when the drawer does not even bother to study why the lines of the mouth should go this way and not otherwise, and does not take into account its three-dimensional shape at all. Slowly, carefully study all the features of the lips and see where to add light and where to add shadow.

FINISHING THE FACE.
Pay attention to other details.

Drawing a nose can be a lot of fun because of its subtle shades. It can be almost all light colors, and at the same time have very dark areas (nostrils). Pay attention to the skin around the nostrils. Typically in Caucasian skin types, this area contains bright orange and crimson undertones.

If you decide to complete the ears, keep in mind that, like the nose, the ears (white skin type) can have many bright reds, pinks and oranges. The ears do not necessarily need to be given as much attention as the eyes or mouth.

22. Neck and upper chest

After finishing the face, we can concentrate on the rest of the skin. And since these are large areas that don't get much attention, working on them can feel a little boring. The best option will finish work on other parts of the portrait before starting this stage. Notice the very dark shadow under the chin and don't forget the shadow cast by the hair or dress.

Although eyebrows are not skin, they interact with it in some way. On a new layer, start drawing the eyebrow using the same Cover Pencil brush, but with a slightly larger size (2.5-3px) and Opacity: 50%, starting with the darkest shades and ending with the lightest. Pay attention to the correct direction of the hairs and do not overdo it, otherwise the eyebrows will look fake. To blend better with the skin, make a few light strokes along the contour of the eyebrows in the same color as the skin underneath.

24. Eyelashes

For eyelashes, use the same Cover Pencil brush, but in a very dark color (almost black). To prevent them from looking artificial, draw them different lengths, thickness and in different directions, but do it carefully to avoid dirt. Follow the shape of the eyelid from which they grow. If you draw an eyelash and it looks unnatural, undo it and redraw it again.

25. Completion

Now, the skin has acquired a characteristic texture. All that remains to be done is to take a look at the picture and make sure that everything is in order. Make sure that the shadow of your hair or clothing falls on your skin. If you see that any part of the skin is too textured dark color, select the Eraser (“Eraser”) and setting the opacity to low (5-10%), go over the problem areas. You can also use Blender with low opacity or even adjust the colors a little. All in your hands!

You can see the drawing in the original resolution 2835×3543 px. The shading technique is very clearly visible!

Application:

File.psd for repeating the stages of the lesson:

Color palette for different skin types:

P.S.: I attached a set of Rob’s Brush Library brushes as a file to the lesson

Every aspiring artist or portrait photographer should learn how to create realistic skin tones. As you gain experience, you will be able to develop your own color mixing technique that is convenient for you. In general, the ability to correctly select and mix colors is a real art, since each person has their own unique skin tone. Once you learn how to create realistic skin tones, you can experiment with surreal shades and looks.

Steps

Create a lighter skin tone

You will need to try mixing several colors. In order to succeed bright skin, prepare the following colors:

Mix these colors. The most convenient way to mix paints is on a special palette. If you don't have it, then any other one will do. working surface. For example, you can use a piece of thick cardboard. Apply a drop of each color of paint to your palette.

Mix paints in equal quantities. Using a brush, mix equal amounts of red, yellow and blue paint. Be sure to rinse your brush in a bowl of water before dipping it into a different color of paint. By mixing three primary colors you will create a base.

Compare shades. You should have the skin tone you want to copy in front of your eyes. Compare the resulting base with the shade you are trying to achieve. If you are copying from a photograph, then consider its lighting.

Lighten the shade. If you want to achieve more light shade, then add yellow and white paint. Yellow paint will give you a warmer shade, while white paint will give you a lighter shade. Add paint a little at a time and mix the colors thoroughly before adding more.

Add red. If you already have a fairly light tone, but have not achieved a realistic shade, you can add a little red. Consider how red changes your skin tone. Sometimes there needs to be more red in your skin tone.

You don't want to add too much red paint unless you're going for a shade that will match sunburned skin.

Adjust the shade. Again compare the shade you get with the one you want to achieve. Try to correct it further. If the shade is very different from the desired one, it is better to mix the paints again. If it turns out too light, add a little red and blue.
- You can create several shade options and then choose the most suitable one for your painting.
Add blue color. Gradually add paint to the base little by little. of blue color. If you want to achieve a darker shade, you can try adding a little black paint.

Compare shades. You should have the skin tone you want to copy in front of your eyes. Compare the resulting base with the shade you are trying to achieve. If you are copying from a photograph, consider the lighting.

Add red. If you need to add red, add it a little at a time. It’s better to add paint gradually so that you don’t have to redo the base later.

Create a darker olive shade. Mix equal amounts of burnt umber and natural sienna. You will end up with a dark, concentrated mixture. Gradually add the required amount of this mixture to the base. This mixture can be used instead of blue. To create a more olive shade, add a little yellow mixed with green.

Try mixing until you get the perfect one. Mix colors until you have at least five shades that you are happy with. From them you can choose the ideal option.

Now you can start drawing. Use one or more options for the painting that most closely resemble a realistic skin tone.

Creating dark skin tones

Choose paints in the colors you need. You will have to experiment a bit to achieve the most realistic shade. Prepare paints of the following colors:

burnt umber;
natural sienna;
yellow;
red;
purple.

Mix colors. The most convenient way to mix paints is on a special palette. If there is no palette, then any other work surface will do. For example, you can use a piece of thick cardboard. Apply a drop of each color of paint to your palette.

We are constantly forced to look at perfectly smooth skin. This is the paradigm of the digital art world.

Why about others interesting features skin, such as age-related wrinkles, genetic characteristics or scars, are usually forgotten?

In this tutorial I'll show you how to transform a standard face into three different characters using freckles, wrinkles and scars.

Studying faces

You can find great photos for detailed skin exploration on Envato Market. I will use this photo as a basis for drawing. Using photos of smooth, clear skin will help you improve your face drawing skills over time.

But to draw the rest of the characters, I need a few more photos. Study as many different skin pictures as possible to improve your drawing skills. Below you can see the photos I will be using.

Freckles

Wrinkles

Scar

Drawing the base

Now we need to draw a basic face, which we will use as a basis for further work. In one of my publications you can learn about ways to speed up the drawing process.

Step 1

Let's start with a simple sketch. All you need to get started is a regular oval. Create a new document with the following parameters:

Dimensions(Resolution): 1250 x 1250 pixels
DPI: 150 dpi

Take a hard round brush and sketch out the head. First we draw an oval and outline the location of the eyes, mouth and nose, then finish the sketch.

Step 2

Set the blending mode of the sketch layer to SoftLight(Soft Light) and create a new layer below. Using a hard round brush, fill the head with basic colors.

Step 3

The further process will be the same as in my previous lesson on drawing skin. Create a new layer above the color base and transform it into a clipping mask (Ctrl+Alt+G). Using various blending modes we draw light and shade on the face.

I always start with shadows and paint them on a layer in blend mode Multiply(Multiplication).

Step 4

You can also add additional tones on the skin, such as orange. To do this, create a new layer and set it to blending mode. Overlay(Overlap).

Step 5

We continue to detail the picture and smooth out the skin. By using SmudgeTool(Finger) smear hard strokes to give the skin a velvety effect.

Having finished with the main details, take the Chalk Brush from the standard Photoshop set and draw pores on the skin. The main thing is not to overdo this effect; if necessary, use eraserTool(E) (Eraser) to remove excess.

Hard brush with Hardness(Hardness) 100% add the final touches and finish the base. Also along the contour of the head gray draw light reflecting from the background. Reduce the size of the brush to paint small hairs on the forehead and eyebrows and add highlights throughout the portrait.