Skin Tone Practice (nudity)

[shadyj129]

I worked on this a little last night, started out as skin tone practice, but I think I want to turn it into something, not sure what though... any critiques and ideas are appreciated as usual.

I know the hands and feet aren't exactly anywhere near finished, and the hair is still badly textured, but everything else, critique away!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/jarwastudios/003a.jpg

[Doomgriever]

too much black in the shadows :S else it looks neat :)

[Wilhelm87]

The skin looks pretty nice, but the hair looks flat.

[emily g]

You have done a nice job developing the form with light and shadow, but your skintones really aren't there yet.

Here are a couple of the problems you are having:
1. You made the skin tone almost the same color over the entire body.
Skin is different colors on different parts of the body. For example, extremities (arms, legs, hands, and feet) are usually darker and redder than other areas of the body. The center of the body (torso) is usually much lighter and paler.

2. You used black and brown for your shadows.
This has the effect of making the skin look dead. Shadows on skin usually have other colors reflecting into them from the environment, so there are often blues and purples in there.

I know it's hard if you're working from a photo, because a photo often doesn't capture all of the different colors. Plus, you have to train your mind to see them.

This is a link to a tutorial by DSIllustration: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=45901
Notice how white the stomach is? Notice how red the hands are? Notice the purple shadows around the edges of the hips?

This is the kind of color that will make your skin look alive, like there is actually blood running through the veins.

best,
emily

[shadyj129]

Thanks for the tutorial Emily G. I'll try to tackle those colors after memorial day weekend (going camping with some friends, good times ahead!). Thanks again!