Negro/African Native/Afro-American skin?

[Argonor]

Hi

I need some tutorials on painting 'black' skin.

Preferably from different 'black' coloured ethnic groups (Senegalese, for instance, are darker/more greyish(?) than for instance the tribes from South Africa)

And lots of Afro-Americans have very light skin, almost like creamed coffee....

What colours to use a basecoat, what colours to mix in for layering up/highlighting, etc...

I know that the prof uses a very dark (Plaka) brown, adding in white, but I think I've heard mentioned mixing in yellowish flesh colours and/or bone colours?

I'm very soon going to paint some Artizan pirates, one of them a former slave with a blunderbuss - and I also want to make my LotR Far Harad warriors 'black'-skinned...

[keeper]

The one article that really altered and stepped up the way I paint skin tones was this one:

http://www.coolminiornot.com/article/aid/310

Can't recommend it enough!

[Argonor]

The one article that really altered and stepped up the way I paint skin tones was this one:

http://www.coolminiornot.com/article/aid/310

Can't recommend it enough!

That's a cool one - I had totally forgotten about it! Thanks!

What are the numbers he's referring to (which manufacturer - is it Vallejo?)?

[JollyBob]

I find that GW Bronzed Flesh mixed into your base colour makes a good highlight for African flesh, as it has a quite brownish-yellow tint to begin with.

For your base, if you want lighter afro skin, I'd experiment with Scorched Brown or other lighter tones. I can't really help more, as I've only really done "proper" negro skin before myself, and that is a mix of Bestial Brown and Bronzed Flesh, with brown ink for shading.

[keeper]

Yeah, I think his numbers do refer to Vallejo.

However, I just use the swatches as a general guide and find a close matching paint colour, or mix one up - after all, we're all ever-so-slightly different

[Argonor]

I find that GW Bronzed Flesh mixed into your base colour makes a good highlight for African flesh, as it has a quite brownish-yellow tint to begin with.

For your base, if you want lighter afro skin, I'd experiment with Scorched Brown or other lighter tones. I can't really help more, as I've only really done "proper" negro skin before myself, and that is a mix of Bestial Brown and Bronzed Flesh, with brown ink for shading.

Black Hat has a colour named 'Negro' that's very close to Scorched Brown... I have it and was thinking of mixing in something...

Just now I have the problem that i need Foundry Base Sand (mid-tone) in large quantities..... and I'll have to experiment, because craft acrylics do not come in that colour... 

[anevilgiraffe]

Foundry Dusky Flesh... first time I ever used it for flesh:

[Argonor]

I'm actually using it for my LotR Haradrim, now... pondering about mixing in som Bronzed Flesh for highlights.

But a nice Afro-american, there!

[Gluteus Maximus]

Foundry Dusky Flesh... first time I ever used it for flesh:

He looks a bit like Jim Brown [ex-NFL player]. My "black" skin tones are always darker than this chap's as I can never seem to find a good lighter shade.

I must get the "dusky Flesh" set 

[Malamute]

GW Scorched Earth, then Bestial brown followed by Bestial Brown with a lighter flesh mix highlight.

[Gluteus Maximus]

GW Scorched Earth, then Bestial brown followed by Bestial Brown with a lighter flesh mix highlight.

I'm furiously writing all these ideas down for my Darkest Africa lead mountain.

I'm really posh, I have separate lead mountains for each period I play 

[Ray Rivers]

Foundry Dusky Flesh

Yep, same here.

I'm finding the Foundry Triad system fairly good.  On some colors you need to play with them a bit to get a good color separation.  For example, I'm working on a mini and using their Storm Green Triad.  The shade needs some darkening and the highlight needs a bit of brightening.

But overall, I'm pretty please with Foundry paints.

[Wirelizard]

I've gotten good African[1] skintones by painting first with regular (Caucasian) flesh tone, then doing at least one coat of straight Burnt Umber ink over it.

Best picture I have of the effect is here: http://flickr.com/photos/wirelizard/2569140673/sizes/o/in/set-72157604368227139/ - 2nd figure from the right, in a white sailor's hat, white shirt, holding a shovel. He got at least three coats of Burnt Umber ink, IIRC.

[1] Works for a south Indian (East Indian) skintone too, actually, if you do it lighter than for an African tone.

[Argonor]

Inks are another matter I don't see much of in the craft/hobbystores araund here... or maybe i have not been looking on the right shelves.

I have the old GW inks, and the new washes, and that's all I can play with.

But I'll be trying out some of the methods/colour combos mentioned 

[rjandron]

I had some really good results painting this skin colour as follows:

1. Paint the flesh an earth brown colour (Vallejo US Drab works well here).
2. Prep a 20% wash of dark brown, such as Burnt Umber consisting of 50% Water and 50% Future Floor Polish mixed with Burnt Umber on a 4:1 basis. That's 2 parts of water, 2 parts of Future Floor Polish, and 1 part Burnt Umber. (The colour I used was Americana Bittersweet Chocolate craft paint, which is very close to burnt umber)
3. Wash once or twice to suit. I washed my figures with this wash twice and ended up with some very nice looking "Voodoo Warriors" from Old Glory. A single application of the wash darkens the figure enough to replicate Meso-American (Aztec/Mayan/Inca) skin tones very well.