That chat with a friend about skin tones really messed with my head

I was showing a pal my latest portrait piece last week and she just asked "why does her arm look gray?" Bruh, I spent like 20 mins trying to match the reference photo. Turns out I was mixing shadows with pure gray instead of using a darker version of the skin hue. She's not even an artist but she was right. Now I'm second guessing every shadow I've ever painted. Has anyone else had a non-artist point out something super obvious that you totally missed?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley59513d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, I once painted a whole sky with "cloud gray" before realizing it was just dirty brush water.

riley59512d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, so you thought you were being artsy with a new shade and it was just your rinse water? That's honestly the most relatable art fail I've heard in a while. I bet you even felt proud of that subtle gray gradient until you dipped your brush again and saw the brown. I've definitely spent way too long trying to fix a 'color' that was just my brush being gross too. At least you can frame it as 'postmodern accidental minimalism' and charge more for it. Good luck explaining that one if anyone asks about your technique!