ColourMixer

How to mix tan skin tone

A soft umber, mixed from four paints: Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red and Phthalo Blue.

The recipe

Drag a bar to change how much of that paint goes in, and watch the colour change at the top.

Titanium WhitePW69 parts45%
Cadmium YellowPY355 parts25%
Cadmium RedPR1085 parts25%
Phthalo BluePB151 part5%

Parts are a ratio: a drop, a spoonful, whatever suits the amount you need.

Value5 / 10
TemperatureWarm
Leans towards red and yellow, so it comes forward.
AcrylicDries a little darker
Mix it a touch lighter than you want it.
Mix tipCadmium Yellow last
Cadmium Yellow is strong. Add it a little at a time.

Other tan skin tone shades

Skin tones are mostly earth colours: start from this mix, then adjust warmer (more red) or cooler (a touch of blue) by eye against the reference.

More brown colours

Your paints

The library and every recipe here are mixed from just these.

PY35Cadmium Yellow
PY3Lemon Yellow
PR108Cadmium Red
PR122Quinacridone Magenta
PB29Ultramarine Blue
PB15Phthalo Blue
PW6Titanium White