OVERVIEW

Does painting flesh tones feel like an impossible mystery? Like there’s some secret alchemy only the great painters of the past understood — and allowed them to take raw pigments and transform them into luminous, lifelike flesh?

Well, in this workshop, we’ll dive deep and demystify that process!

By learning a few simple principles, you’ll see how the impossible becomes not only achievable but repeatable. We’ll study the essential properties of flesh — translucency, reflectivity, unity and hue shifts — to understand how light interacts with different complexions to create the endless variety we see in each other.

From there, we’ll build a clear system: starting from a base tone, adding modifiers, and keeping palette organization simple and flexible. You’ll learn when to use neutrals, when to push saturation, and how to balance unity with color variety. The result is a practical, reliable way to capture the beautiful complexity of flesh in any portrait.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced painter, if you’re ready to stop wondering and start turning paint into living, breathing portraits — this is the workshop for you!

Artists of all levels are welcome!