Let’s face it; Pin-up images are all about showing skin.

Skin is probably both the easiest and hardest to paint, traditionally and digitally. Its not truly opaque, its not truly translucent. Depending on what the skin tone is, light and shadow has a way of affecting its color. Its up to the artist to find the right hue, not too orange, not too yellow or not too green (though I guess you can’t be too green if you’re painting the She-Hulk or the Martian Manhunter).

This tutorial deals more on the technique and process of using the tools in Photoshop CS versions to color skin rather than an actual step-by-step process. I hope you findsome of what I put in here to good use.

Now this tutorial presumes you already have the following:

  • Adobe Photoshop (the features listed in this tutorial are available from versions 6.0 and up)
  • A basic idea of how to prepare penciled or inked line arts
  • An understanding of the human body and how light affects its different areas
  • A pen tablet (if you can use a mouse to paint in Photoshop, then bravo to you, but this particular part of the tutorial would be at its most effective using a tablet)

If you’re ready, then on to the tutorial.

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