Skin Tone

[asongforOphelia]

Try using a cyan highlight. Typically black skin is very reflective, but if you're working from a reference, use that to see what the color of the highlights are. I use a mix of white, cyan, and a saturated tan, usually... but I'm working with very high color, so that the black skin pops as kind of earthy. Here you're working with a white background, like a portrait studio, and I think maybe the reflective colors would be different. But I definitely suggest working with a light blue, mixed with tan or pink, as your highlight. If that looks too weird, try something that's close to white.

[CybrGfx]

Whether imaginary or real, the skin tones can vary so wildly, there really is no specific answer for you on this image. Not all black skin would have a cyan highlight. It depends on so many factors...Monitor calibration of every computer not being the least of them...Lighting, background, ethnicity, intended use (for printing, RGB needs to be CMYK)...too many variable for anyone but the artist to suggest specific tones, although I strongly recommend to never use pure white on the skin, unless it is wet, oily, or the light source is about 6 inches away...

Here (http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs17/f/2007/164/7/0/skin_pantone_by_kayvee80.jpg) is the Pantone Skin Colors Chart for images you may want to print.
Here (http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://tn3-1.deviantart.com/fs27/300W/i/2008/146/4/4/Skin_Color___Swatches_by_DeviantNep.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/23379123/&h=215&w=300&sz=13&hl=en&start=28&usg=__cbrqtg0qoz3cDHGH7tyfK420BCg=&tbnid=cre4y5TISPUXQM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dphotoshop%2Bskin%2Bchart%26start%3D18%26as_st%3Dy%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26newwindow%3D1%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN) is a Photoshop Skin Colors Swatches and chart.

Check out this Skin Tutorial (http://www.idigitalemotion.com/tutorials/guest/skin_tone/skintone.html) for generalized digital work

Please read this article (http://www.gfxartist.com/features/tutorials/14030) by Ron Lehman. It will not give you a clear answer, either, but might help you better evaluate what you are striving for with this piece.

Overall, I merely see the general mistake of an inconsistent and poorly thought out light source, showing a stripe of light down one side of the face, with a splotch on the far cheek, the tip of the nose lit, and a horizontal, squarish highlight on the body...

Hope this helps some!

~C

[supaman25]

So your saying my light source is bad? Could you give me some tips on how to improve that?

[CybrGfx]

You need to THINK.

Look in a mirror, and place a desk lamp to shine on your face similar to what you are attempting.
Shine a flashlight onto a friend at that angle.

Observe and Think about how light shines onto something. There is a big difference between slapping down some highlights, and accurately adding them. When you shine a light on someone, it doesn't illuminate the face as you have rendered it. You have not painted highlights as they would actually reflect and refract off the face, you painted highlights where you thought you needed some...Stripe, dot, splotch...No consistency, no cohesion between them...

Observe and Think. That is the only suggestion I can give you.

~C

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