The Best Color Combinations When Coloring Flesh in Watercolor - Caricature Example

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Original art by @jnart
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Yesterday I showed a technically super advanced painting in oil, touching some elementals for getting the flesh tones right. (I will probably post more about that later).

Today I want to share my best combos for flesh tones when painting in watercolor. First because it is good to know in any harsh situation you might get in to, and second I would like to hear if someone else have a better solution.

(Beginners explanation: Watercolor is a painting method in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-based solution. Painting white color in watercolor means leaving out the plain paper.)

After years of progression (sound like I am old but maybe means I am a slow learner) I have landed in three basic colors.

Yellow ochre
Permanent Alzaline Crimson
French Ultramarine Blue
(Some black for dark shadow - Ivory Black or Lamp Black)

This is the "basic combination" I use. If there is any kind of abnormal lighting I would add a variety of colors to match that.

An example of all three colors together.

Only Yellow ochre and Permanent Alzaline Crimson

What kind of dull result you get without any red color

How to use them?

• Yellow ochre is not the best on its own like the example above. If only using one color with your black - find some kind of premixed flesh tone.
• Yellow ochre together with Permanent Alzaline Crimson makes a great match and you can get good result from just these two. Alzarine mixed with Ochre for shadow and plain Ochre for highlight.
• Most advanced is to add some Ultramarine Blue to the other two when applying in the darker shadows. This makes magic and I was really happy when I found out that it worked. You can experiment with what blue to add. Green can also work in some pictures or violet.

**I hope this will help you. Ask any questions if you have any and - please - tell me if you have a better combo :)

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