In this tutorial I begin with some color theory about skin tones and how we perceive light and shadow. Then I move into how to mix flesh tones using the 3 subtractive primaries, and why you are better off not using black to create shadow areas. Use complements instead. I end by creating a color sketch.

Materials and tools used in this tutorial:

Moleskine® sketchbook

Winsor and Newton® watercolor: Purple Rose Madder, Alizarin Crimson, Primary Blue (cyan) and Naples Yellow

Winsor and Newton® gouache: Ivory Black

M. Graham® gouache: Yellow Ochre

Disclaimer: I use my own materials and tools in this tutorial.