Painting Portraits: Mixing Warm & Cool Colors for Skin Tone

Artists frequently use the terms “warm” and “cool” when discussing color, but how does this distinction play out when painting the subtleties of skin tones? Join oil painting portrait artist Brian Neher for this lesson on how to paint skin tones in oil paints, with a focus on understanding the concept of warms and cools.

Throughout this lesson, Brian will show you his preferred paints and tools for mixing colors for portraiture, how to set up a palette that you can use daily, and his professional methods for approaching color combinations that work for warm and cool skin colors. Watch how taking a bit of time at the beginning of each session to pre-mix paint piles is a key to setting yourself up for success—all before the brush even touches the canvas! This method will allow you to achieve subtle shifts from warm to cool colors and darker to lighter colors, achieving a seamless continuity of form in your work. You’ll also learn how to identify temperature changes that will bring striking realism to your work.