Skin only
 

I mix a different palette everyday. If I think I'll only be painting a face or one hand, I'll mix a palette for just what I'm painting that day. To put out colors of paint routinely often means throwing out paint routinely. This is a shot of a recent palette made just to paint one hand.

Tim,

Let's play 'name all those paint colors' please. You go first.

Every color, every time
 

There have been times when I have tried to abbreviate the colors I set out, and it has never worked for me.

I am a big proponent of destaurating colors by adding their complements and/or a neutral of either same or opposing temperatures, but more often the latter. As a result I can't recall a time where I didn't have need for a red-orange-yellow complements.

Not only do I rely on complementary grays, I work hard to convey reflected color where it is appropriate, so I routinely look for ways to identify and incorporate some background or clothing colors into the skin tones, especially in the plane that turn away from the light source. Conversely, I think that using some skin tones in non-skin objects helps immeasurably to unify the color harmony of the entire piece.

If you can make the 'mini-palette' work for you, more power to you. I can't see myself recommending it to painters, though.

But Chris what colors are there?

If I'm painting people I will not use my power colors that I might use with flowers. I would not likely put out 5 quinacrodone reds and purples, nor would I use thalo blue and thalo green.

This palette painted this hand - I think there are more complements on there than you see-I can make some awesome skin compliments with a green made from black and yellows (and do). On the image is ultramarine blue, ivory black and a chrome green. These will do for me.

Ultimately, the final painting is all that matters, and the paintings will endorse or undermine the worth and usefulness of said palette.

Tim,

When I say "every color" I mean every color on one's regular palette; apologies for not being clearer. At the moment I am using sort a modified Daniel Greene palette, and the standard colors I use and put out every day are:

Permanent rose
Permanent Alizarin
Cad scarlet
Raw sienna
Ochre
Transparent earth red
Asphaltum
Raw Umber
Ivory Black
Flake white
Thalo Green
Ultramarine Blue

Even if I know I will only be working on skin for a session, I still set out every color on this palette, knowing I will incorporate most if not all into the skin mixtures. Yes, there is some waste, but I am pretty used to knowing how much paint I will use before the Flake white and medium make it dry out, so I think it's the least wasteful I can do.

I completely agree with you, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, regardless of how you get there.

There we go Chris, that is almost the list I put down above in the photo (no thalo for me here) it scares me and always ends up on my elbow. If I had a person with a thalo blue shirt on in strong light that was throwing that color into my skin colors I sure put it out. My drawer of colors is about 50 but I'll use 12-15 only most days. Seven would work but that would be more work. Some colors are just lovely short-cuts.

Chris,

Can you describe Asphaltum? How can I be as old as I am and not have heard of it??:o

Asphaltum is a Gamblin color, recommended by Bill Whitaker. It is similar to a deep transparent burnt umber, but just a little warmer than my Gamblin Burnt Umber.

Bill has said that he has been experimenting with the Ozog paints, and mixes an asphaltum equivalent from Ivory Black plus Transparent Red Oxide.

A "Search messages" on asphaltum turns this up.

ps You must be younger than you think!

Thanks, Chris.

Asphaltum sounds like such an old-fashioned word, as in 'absinthe'. (I know, not exactly a PAINT). I've been so excited to discover the not cheap Cobalt Violet, which has been my miracle skin solver. I'm sleeping under rocks I tell you!