The Official Skin Color Thread-Read First

Umm well I use all acrylics when it comes to figure painting as they dry faster and allow washes alot easier, IMHO. Umm for white flesh, I start with MM Warm Flesh, then I do a wash of MM Flesh Base Tint I believe, allow that to dry and to tiny highlights with Light Skin Tone Base. I found it gives the best look for what I"M looking for. As for clothing Highlighting involves alot of mixing the paint to get the shadow and highlights right. For German Tankers I start with Flat black, take a brush and add 1/4 of MM Neutral Grey to the black and paint that over, but not in the recesses. Then I just lightly highlight the raised parts, not by drybrushing, but by using a 000 brush with Neutral Grey. it takes alot of practice to get it right.

For a number of years, I used oils, mixing burnt sienna and titanium white in varying degrees for caucasian skin.
I've transitoned to Andrea/Vallejo acrylics. My base flesh color in red beige. Using the method suggested by the manufacturers to get good blending, I use beige brown and beige brown/beige red mixes for shadows. Foe highlights I light the base with light flesh and end up with straight light flesh for highlights.
For Native Americans, I darken the base with beige brown to start and might use a reddish brown filter to shift the color. Other shadows and highlights remain the same as above.
For a generic mid range African skin, burnr umber is a good base, very dark brown shadowsand raw umber for highlights.
For eyes, I use Vallejo light flesh, never pure white, with a drop of light or dark blue, brown or black for the iris.
See www.acrylicosvallejo.com, choose "Model color" from the drop down menu and scroll to the bottom of the page for their tutorial.

i use a base coat of mm light skin tone enamel then use all acrylic after that darker skin tone then a darken wash over that just for faces