Category: How To Mix Skin Tone Watercolors

How to Mix Your Own MEDIUM Skin Tones to Create a Watercolor Portrait with Lucy Brydon Artist

27/10/2023

Hey Mixed Media Society member!!

We're SO excited you're here. Are you ready to get your art on?!

Today, we're adding to our stockpile of lessons on how to create gorgeous skin tones in various mediums.

Your new lesson is from the lovely and talented Lucy Brydon. She's the master at mixing her own skin tones and watercolor in general, so get ready!

I've gotta show you a little peek into last week's art retreat when Lucy was teaching our guests at Lickleyhead Castle how to achieve this shiney 1800s hairstyle....

Here is the castle portrait we were attempting to replicate for our watercolor lesson. So beautiful, isn't it?!

👉Today's NEW lesson for the Mixed Media Society is just as awesome, and I can't wait for you to dig in :)

You'll find a whopping 10-page PDF in the classroom for you with photos of Lucy's work-in-progress photos throughout her painting process. These can be SO helpful to break things down and understand step-by-step what to focus on when.

As always, use whatever art supplies you have on hand and love, here's what Lucy used...

Supplies

Watercolor paper - 300 gsm https://amzn.to/3KW4yF9
pencil https://amzn.to/3YvQIyO
eraser https://amzn.to/3qnR6CM
selection of watercolor brushes (I use the Polina Bright set but just use what you have)
Watercolors in the following colors: (Please note you can substitute for similar colors!)
- Yellow ochre (or a similar such as naples yellow)
- Alizarin crimson https://amzn.to/45vBhZu
- Lemon yellow https://amzn.to/3QYrdED
- burnt umber https://amzn.to/3DT2MRb
- cerulean blue https://amzn.to/3KLfhBZ
- Jaynes grey https://amzn.to/457cpI0
- potters pink https://amzn.to/3P1slWE
- caput mortem violet https://amzn.to/3QEFgig
- sepia / raw umber https://amzn.to/44k24Hu
- Neutral tint or black https://amzn.to/3QBlHYc
- Perylene violet https://amzn.to/47zxDzx
- goethite https://amzn.to/3qoJtfu
You might also want to use some Ph Martin Bleed proof white for highlights: https://amzn.to/45iq7Y0

Let's get started!!

Haven't Had Time to Art Lately?

It happens!! Remember, you DON'T have to spend forever on a lesson and do it all in one sitting, ok? Maybe you want to only do the drawing portion toinght, and don't have time to watercolor until sometime next week. So what?! That's FINE. Keep the process enjoyable and go at your own beautiful pace.

And in case you're new here... we've been organizing your lessons on the blog by LESSON LENGTH since July to help you find quick lessons that might fit better into your daily life here and there.

If you've only got 15 minutes or so to spare, grab a 15-minute lesson! If you have an hour or more, choose one of the longer lessons!

Just remember nothing has to be done in one sitting.

Want to try the skin tone watercolor lessons Lucy and I recently released? So far we've done light and medium skin tones...

Head over to the Latest Lessons Classroom to try any one of these!

Wanna Paint Something Else?

You've come the right place! There is SO much variety in the Mixed Media Society to choose from. Head over to the Visual Index right here on my website and just scroll until you find the perfect project for today's mood! Then click on it, grab your supplies, and have a BLAST!!

What's Coming Up?

👉JOIN Lucy & I Tuesday 10/31 for a LIVE HALLOWEEN
Draw along @ 2pm on YouTube!

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW TO JOIN.

Then, you've got one quick step & you'll get REMINDED by YouTube to join us when it's time!

👉In November, we'll wrap up our watercolor skin tones unit with projects dedicated to exploring DARK skin tones- my way (straight outta the palette), and Lucy's way - mixed from scratch!

Here's a peek at Lucy's dark skinned girl...

New Member?

Let's help you get settled!

❤️️Here's EVERYTHING You Need to know :)❤️️

That's it for this week!! Happy Art-ing!!

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How to MIX Your Own Watercolor Skin Tones From Scratch LIKE A PRO with Lucy Brydon!

29/9/2023

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Hey Mixed Media Society member!! If you've never "met" my Scottish bestie, Lucy Brydon - today, you're in for a HUGE treat!!

Lucy is a stunning artist in my favorite place in the world. She loves painting watercolor portraits, gorgeous gouache animals on wood slices and leather-bound journals, and painting ginormous sculptures around Scotland whenever she has time.

Aren't these phenomenal?!

Lucy also teaches online art classes (For her own art club called Lucy's Art Lab; and the one we co-host together at Awesome Art School called the Celtic Collective). We also co-host an art retreat in Scotland every year at a castle!! In a few short weeks, we'll be Lickleyhead bound (the pretty pink castle behind us below).

If you've never had the privilege of watching one of Lucy's videos - you're going to fall in love with her accent, her artistry, and mad teaching skills!

via GIPHY

Today, I'm thrilled to have Lucy teaching something I don't often have the patience for - mixing watercolors from scratch (instead of using them straight outta the pan like I do!), to create beautiful skin tones for watercolor portraits like this...

Am I the only one dying because not only are we painting with Lucy this week, we're painting a redhead with FRECKLES?!!

I digress... YOU are gonna love how Lucy not only included her lesson videos and reference photo, but she added a 9-page PDF detailing each step of today's lesson with work-in-progress shots - starting with a DRAWING lesson. It's like 2 lessons in 1!!

As always, use whatever YOU have and love, here's what Lucy used:

Supplies

*All Supplies are Affiliate & for UK Residents Only.*

Watercolor paper 300 gsm https://amzn.to/3KW4yF9
A selection of paintbrushes (I use Polina Bright ones like Karen has!)
Pencil https://amzn.to/3YvQIyO
Eraser https://amzn.to/3qnR6CM
Ph Martin Bleed Proof white https://amzn.to/45iq7Y0
Watercolors in the following colors (remember you can substitute for what you already have!!)
- Cerulean Blue https://amzn.to/3KLfhBZ
- Juane Brilliant by Schmincke (or use naples yellow or similar) https://amzn.to/44c82dp
- Alizarin Crimson by Winsor & Newton https://amzn.to/45vBhZu
- Raw Umber https://amzn.to/459gb3y
- Quinacridone Deep Gold https://amzn.to/3Qv2g3a
- Cadmium Orange https://amzn.to/3OYfRPr
- Transparent red oxide https://amzn.to/3YqGdwo
- Transparent Siena https://amzn.to/45a6O3z
- Permanent Brown https://amzn.to/3QGZYhv
- Burnt Umber https://amzn.to/3DT2MRb
- Green Gold https://amzn.to/3YAxQ1A
- Lunar Violet https://amzn.to/3DY41hT
- Yellow Ochre https://amzn.to/3OBdAZ1
- Potters Pink https://amzn.to/3P1slWE
- Prussian Blue https://amzn.to/3QIIqSk
- Mayan Dark Blue https://amzn.to/45h7yEc
- Quinacridone Violet https://amzn.to/3qC1V4b
- Neutral tint (or black) https://amzn.to/3QBlHYc

Phew! Yes, all thos watercolors are for ONE face.

See why I'm lazy?! LOL.

I can barely believe it, but this gorgeous lesson with all these fantabulous colors is also LESS than 1 hour long.

Enjoy!!

Missed the Last New Lesson?

No problem! Please remember, there is NO race to get through all the beautiful lessons in the Mixed Media Society. Tons of students love to skip around and only "art" once in a while, while others prefer to do new lessons as soon as they come out. YOU do whatever feels best for you and your lifestyle :) There's no wrong way to do it!

No matter what camp you fall into, if you didn't do this lesson yet...

*All Product Links Are Affiliate & for U.S. Residents Only.*

I think you'll enjoy it! She may look difficult, but I of course break the project down step-by-step to help you along. Beginners are TOTALLY welcome to give this lesson a shot. Just look at what some of your fellow club members are sharing in the Facebook Group!!

Aren't they beautiful?! I love how everyone puts their own unique spin on lessons :)

This project is kind of the opposite of Lucy's because it teaches MY favorite way of doing watercolor skin tones (straight outta the palette!). I'm using the Complexions Set by Prima. If you don't have this- use whatever you have that looks similar. If you're in the mood to add this to your art supply stash - it runs ~$25 or less on Amazon (U.S.).

Or, paint along to Lucy's lesson above, to learn how to mix your own skin tone watercolors from scratch!!

Two totally different approaches with gorgeous results!

In the Mood for Something Else?

I hear ya!! Click over to the Visual Index for the Mixed Media Society to choose something else that inspires you.

?If you're a FALL person, you might love playing around with fall projects like these...

The first 4 projects above can be found in the "Hot Dog System" Classroom (b/c they use 4 supplies or fewer!). The fall fox in the second row above, can be found in the "Hamburger System" Classroom.

?Ready to get your Halloween on?! You KNOW I've got you! There is an ENTIRE CLASSROOM dedicated to the holidays, which is especially filled with Halloween stuff, because, well, I'm ME, and Halloween is probably my fave!!

?If you're hanging onto every last ounce of sunshine in summer, you might want to jump to the Fun Fab Florals classroom! All of these are excellent if you're looking for a simpler watercolor project for beginners as well.

What Else is Comin' Up?

We'll be moving into MEDIUM skin tones starting on the 15th.

You'll get a lesson from me using the Complexions Set by Prima again, and a medium skin tones lesson from Lucy teaching you how to mix your own skin tones.

Here's a sneak peek at what's comin' YOUR way!!

This one's from me (Karen)...

And from Lucy, below...

So beautiful!!

These are two amazing lessons you won't wanna miss!!

There's no Happy Hour LIVE this month because I'm literally not even in the office for SOOOO many days due to my upcoming art retreat in Scotland with Lucy and some family visiting from out of town.

I promise it will be back on the calendar next month!

And... Lucy and I have a special LIVE planned for you on Halloween!!
Can't wait for that:)

New Member?

Let's help you get settled!

❤️️Here's EVERYTHING You Need to know :)❤️️

That's it for this week!! Happy Art-ing!!

0 Comments

Mixed Media Society
Blog

How to Mix Your Own MEDIUM Skin Tones to Create a Watercolor Portrait with Lucy Brydon Artist

Supplies

Haven't Had Time to Art Lately?

Wanna Paint Something Else?

What's Coming Up?

New Member?

How to MIX Your Own Watercolor Skin Tones From Scratch LIKE A PRO with Lucy Brydon!

Supplies

Missed the Last New Lesson?

In the Mood for Something Else?

What Else is Comin' Up?

New Member?

Author

Archives

Categories

What Fans Are Saying

Contact ME

Mixed Media SocietyBlog

How to Mix Your Own MEDIUM Skin Tones to Create a Watercolor Portrait with Lucy Brydon Artist

Supplies

Haven't Had Time to Art Lately?

Wanna Paint Something Else?

What's Coming Up?

New Member?

How to MIX Your Own Watercolor Skin Tones From Scratch LIKE A PRO with Lucy Brydon!

Supplies

​Missed the Last New Lesson?

​In the Mood for Something Else?

​What Else is Comin' Up?

New Member?

Author

Archives

Categories

What Fans Are Saying

Contact ME

Mixed Media Society
Blog

Missed the Last New Lesson?

In the Mood for Something Else?

What Else is Comin' Up?