Creating Perfect Skin Tone Palette: Procreate Guide

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 11 July 2023 7 min read

Digital artistry is a world of endless possibilities, and Procreate is a powerful tool that can help you bring your creative visions to life. One of the most challenging aspects of digital art, especially for beginners, can be creating realistic skin tones. That's where this guide comes in. Here, we'll take a deep dive into creating the perfect skin tone palette in Procreate. Whether you're a seasoned artist looking to fine-tune your skills, or just starting out on your digital art journey, this guide will provide practical, easy-to-follow steps to help you master skin tones in Procreate.

Getting to Know Procreate

Before we dive into creating a skin tone palette, let's take a moment to get familiar with Procreate. This powerful digital art app provides an intuitive interface and a vast array of tools to help you create stunning artwork.

Exploring the Interface

Procreate's interface is designed to maximize your workspace while keeping all the tools you need within easy reach. Here's what you need to know:

Canvas: This is your workspace where you'll create your art.
Toolbar: Located at the top of the screen, the toolbar houses all your essential tools such as brushes, eraser, layer panel, and color picker.
Slider: On the left side of the screen, you'll find the brush size and opacity sliders.
Color Disc: On the right, you'll find the color disc which allows for precise color selection.

Using the Brushes

Procreate offers a wide variety of brushes to choose from. You can use them as they are or customize them according to your preferences. Here's how:

Select a brush from the brush library.
Use the sliders to adjust the brush size and opacity.
For more in-depth customization, tap on the selected brush to open the brush settings.

Managing Layers

Layers are a handy tool in Procreate. They allow you to work on different parts of your artwork independently, without affecting the rest of the image. Here's how to manage your layers:

To create a new layer, tap on the layer icon in the toolbar and select "+".
You can rearrange layers by dragging and dropping them.
To delete a layer, swipe left on the layer and select "delete".

Now that you're familiar with Procreate's interface, it's time to dive into the exciting process of creating a skin tone palette in Procreate.

Choosing the Right Skin Tones

Now that you're a little more comfortable with Procreate, it's time to start creating your skin tone palette. But where do you start? The answer lies in understanding color theory and how it relates to skin tones.

Understanding Color Theory

Color theory is crucial in helping you choose the right tones for your skin palette. Here are a few key points:

Hue: This refers to the color itself. For example, red, blue, or yellow.
Value: This refers to the lightness or darkness of a color.
Saturation: This refers to the intensity or purity of a color.

When it comes to skin tones, they generally fall into the red, yellow, or blue hues, with varying degrees of value and saturation. Understanding these elements will allow you to create a diverse and realistic skin tone palette in Procreate.

Selecting the Base Tone

Your base tone is the foundation of your skin tone palette. It's the color that will be most prominent and it's usually a mid-tone. Here's how to select it:

Decide on the hue of your base tone (red, yellow, or blue).
Adjust the value and saturation to achieve your desired base color.
Remember, skin tones are rarely one flat color. Don't be afraid to play around with different hues, values, and saturations to achieve a realistic base tone.

Adding Shadows and Highlights

Adding shadows and highlights to your base tone can add depth and realism to your skin tone palette. Here's how:

To create a shadow, darken your base tone and shift the hue slightly towards blue.
For highlights, lighten your base tone and shift the hue slightly towards yellow.
Remember, less is more. Subtle changes in value and hue can make a big difference.

Now that we've got the basics down, it's time to start creating your own skin tone palette in Procreate.

Mixing Your Own Palette

Now that you've chosen the right skin tones, it's time to mix your own palette. This is a fun and exploratory process, so don't be afraid to experiment and try new things.

Picking the Right Colors

When choosing colors for your skin tone palette in Procreate, you want to think about diversity and range. Here are a few tips:

Include a wide range of values: Incorporate light, medium, and dark tones.
Think about temperature: Include both warm and cool tones.
Don't forget about saturation: Include both vibrant and muted colors.

By including a variety of colors, you'll have a versatile skin tone palette that can be used for a wide range of characters and illustrations.

Blending Colors

Blending is a crucial part of creating a skin tone palette. It allows you to create seamless transitions between different colors and tones. Here's how to blend colors in Procreate:

Select the two colors you want to blend.
Use the 'Smudge' tool to blend the colors together.
Adjust the pressure and size of the smudge tool to control the intensity of the blend.

With practice, you'll be able to create smooth and realistic blends for your skin tone palette.

Testing Your Palette

Before you start painting, it's a good idea to test your palette. This allows you to see how your colors work together and make any necessary adjustments. Here's how:

Create a new layer and draw a few small swatches of each color.
Try blending different colors together and observe the results.
Don't be afraid to tweak your colors if something isn't working. The beauty of Procreate is that it's easy to make changes.

Once you're happy with your palette, it's time to start painting!

Painting the Skin

With your skin tone palette ready in Procreate, it's time to bring your character to life. This part of the process is where your creativity truly shines. Let's dive right in!

Laying the Base

First things first, you need to lay the base for your character's skin. Remember to:

Choose a base color from your skin tone palette. This should be a mid-tone color that represents the general color of the skin.
Use a large, soft brush to fill in the skin area. This will create a smooth and even base layer.
Avoid pressing too hard or making too many strokes. You want to keep the base layer light and uniform.

Laying the base is like laying the foundation for a house — it sets the stage for everything that comes after.

Adding Details

After laying the base, you're ready to add details. Shadows, highlights, and subtle color variations can really bring the skin to life. Here's how:

Add shadows: Choose a darker tone from your skin tone palette. Apply it to areas where there would naturally be less light.
Add highlights: Choose a lighter tone. Apply it to areas where light would naturally hit.
Add color variations: Skin isn't just one color. Use different colors from your palette to add subtle variations and make the skin look more realistic.

Remember — Details make a big difference, so take your time with this step.

Final Touches

After adding details, you're almost there. The final step is to add the finishing touches:

Blend: Use the smudge tool to blend your shadows, highlights, and color variations together. This will create a smooth and natural skin texture.
Adjust: If necessary, adjust your colors. Procreate makes it easy to tweak colors until they're just right.
Review: Take a step back and review your work. Make any final adjustments as needed.

And there you have it — a realistic and dynamic skin tone palette in Procreate. Now, go forth and create!

Tips and Tricks

Creating a skin tone palette in Procreate is both an art and a science. While the above steps can guide you, practice and experimentation will truly refine your skill. Let's share a few tips and tricks to keep in your creative arsenal.

Using Reference Images

Never underestimate the power of a good reference image. Whether you're trying to achieve a specific skin tone or simply looking for inspiration, reference images can be a useful guide. They allow you to observe the subtle variations in skin tones and better understand how light interacts with skin. So next time you're working on a skin tone palette in Procreate, have a few reference images handy.

Practicing Different Skin Tones

Practice makes perfect, and this is especially true when it comes to creating skin tones. The more you practice, the better you'll become at understanding color theory and how different colors interact with each other. Try to practice with a range of different skin tones — from light to dark, warm to cool. This will help you create a more diverse and versatile skin tone palette in Procreate.

Exploring Different Styles

Finally, don't be afraid to explore different styles. Realism is a great place to start, but there's a whole world of artistic styles out there waiting to be discovered. Whether it's the bold, saturated colors of pop art or the delicate, soft tones of watercolor, experimenting with different styles can help you find your own unique voice in Procreate. So go ahead, experiment, and have fun with it!

Creating a skin tone palette in Procreate is a journey, not a destination. So don't worry if you don't get it right the first time. With every stroke, you're learning, growing, and becoming a better digital artist. Happy creating!

If you're looking to improve your skills in creating the perfect skin tone palette using Procreate, we highly recommend checking out the workshop 'Refreshing your Colours in Procreate' by Faira. This workshop will provide you with valuable insights and techniques to enhance your color palettes and take your Procreate art to the next level.