Light Flesh Tones

[Timothy C. Tyler]

The placement and relationships of all colors is the essential thing. If you take a square of paper and cut out a one inch square hole and hold it up to one spot on a Bouguereau or Sargent (especially the former) the color can look pretty unimpressive. I've found that often when you think you have the wrong color (value, intensity, hue, etc) it may be something else like drawing, form, edges. We painters can chase our tails endlessly. I suggest painting wholistically and getting everything close as you go and slowly adjusting all things against each other. I have lately begun to do really finished cartoons (which removes one thing). Whether it's called "mixing" or "adjusting" once the paint is on the canvas, you must adjust those colors per your reference. No one can hit the colors right on w/o doing that.