What makes skin tones and textures difficult to draw is that there are no standard features. Each theme has different textures, colors, and shades. Although each topic is different, I have five tips that will help your skin tones and textures appear more natural, realistic and effective.
Grayscale reference photo
If you have the means to convert your color photo reference to grayscale or black and white print, this can be a huge advantage. The grayscale photo can improve your ability to see the value ranges that you will need to use. These ranges could be the darkest areas compared to the lightest, giving you the opportunity to identify the deepest shadows or, in contrast, the apex of a brighter contour or curve. Another advantage of black and white or grayscale printing is that if you can adjust the value, it will help if you can create an extremely light and / or extremely dark print. Sometimes with a much lighter print, you can pick up more detail in darker areas. And often, if you can make a much darker impression, you can better capture many of the lighter variations in value in the subtle contours of the face, for example.
Start in the dark
Something very important in the 5 pencil method is the order in which the values are applied. You will always want to work from dark to light if you want the best results. Beyond the initial sketch and its refined guidelines, the darkest parts of the face, such as parts of the eyes and the outer perimeter of the face, will be the ones that receive the first values. You’ll set a light value, using your 4H, to represent those darker values in your reference photo or subject. This will work very well, because that initial value will only contrast with the lighter value on the paper. As you begin to build the darker values, through layering and using your darker grades of pencils, it will allow you to expand into the lighter and lighter values of the face with the 4H pencil in the lead, while continuing to create a Foundation. . As you continue to gradually increase the darker values by layering and using the darker value pencils, it will help you maintain contrast and balance until you are ready for your skin tones. The procedure and the order of your values will continue to be built in the same way. It will help you develop the necessary contrast for subtle values and gradations, textures on the skin and face, as well as contour and dimension.
Conical stroke
This stroke has a conical shape at both ends as the name indicates. This means that the line should be thinner and clearer at the beginning and end of your stroke. This stroke will gradually increase in value in the center, as your pencil makes maximum contact with the drawing surface. This will allow you to smoothly extend lines, creating a consistent value as the tapered end overlaps the tapered end. The conical stroke will allow you to create incredible details and bring a realistic quality to your rendering through textures, natural shading, shadows and illusion.
Dark skin values
For darker skin tones, you can use more value, but don’t use more than necessary. You may still need an even darker value range to demonstrate contour, dimension, and depth in another area. You don’t want a person’s dark skin to be in the same range of values that you would need for a black garment, but what would you do if you didn’t have anything darker to wear? They could end the same. And, if you use a set range of values to illustrate too many areas in your portrait, those areas would start to appear flat against each other. Therefore, keep your range of values relevant to what needs to be illustrated in your portrait. Apply your values in order from darkest to lightest. Develop the darkest value in all relative areas first, so that you can keep their proper relationship to each other and always have an idea of where you need to stop. This will help you maintain an appropriate contrast with the other ranges of values in your rendering. Rather than relying on the tone of a particular skin tone, first rely on characteristics that will help you designate a particular ethnic look or character trait. Although the skin may be darker, don’t overdo it. Remember, be careful to use only the value you need. Then it will always have a darker value reserved to use. Learn to discern even the slightest change in value and range. The wider the range of values you can create, the more you can capture and express.
Add depth
Depth and contour are two of the most important things you want to achieve within whatever area or set of values you are working with. To convey depth, be it an outline or a separate dimension, contrast is always a critical factor. If you can see an unbroken range of value going in and out of a recession, it’s an outline. The darkest values should be used in the deepest shaded areas to imply depth, and this is where smooth transitions will be a great advantage. Build your gradations by placing the sharp strokes next to each other to create a range of value that becomes clearer as you approach a light source or the vertex of a contour or curve. If there is an outline that goes around and out of sight, or disappears behind something, you will need to create a clean border to its value. This will separate those dimensions and create depth in your drawings. Although we tend to rely on darker values to imply depth, practice developing an outline even within a very limited value range.
Have fun drawing!
