Chromilla paint mixing tool

Mixing guide

How to mix skin tone paint: fair to deep, any medium

By Marco, painter and founder of chromilla · Last checked August 2026

Almost every skin tone comes from the same four tubes: Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna and Cadmium Red, in different ratios. The tube that changes least between people is white; the ratio of ochre to sienna to red is what actually shifts the tone.

The four-pigment skin tone family

Titanium White carries the value, Yellow Ochre carries the base warmth, Burnt Sienna deepens and adds red-brown, Cadmium Red pushes toward pink or flush. Hold the first two steady while you dial the last two.

Fair to deep, five steps

Move through this ladder by shifting white down and Burnt Sienna up. Test on paper wet and dry between steps, skin tones break faster than any other mix family.

  • #EBD7C2

    Fair

    • Titanium White80%
    • Yellow Ochre12%
    • Cadmium Red Light6%
    • Burnt Sienna2%
  • #DFC2A7

    Light-medium

    • Titanium White65%
    • Yellow Ochre20%
    • Burnt Sienna10%
    • Cadmium Red Light5%
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    Medium

    • Titanium White50%
    • Yellow Ochre25%
    • Burnt Sienna20%
    • Cadmium Red Light5%
  • #B38863

    Tan / deep-medium

    • Burnt Sienna35%
    • Titanium White30%
    • Yellow Ochre25%
    • Burnt Umber10%
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    Deep

    • Burnt Sienna45%
    • Burnt Umber35%
    • Yellow Ochre15%
    • Titanium White5%

Warm, cool and olive undertones

The five steps above are neutral starting points. Nudge the undertone from there in small doses, skin tones shift with a fraction of what any other mix needs.

  • Warmer: add a touch more Cadmium Red Light or Yellow Ochre, a few percent at a time.
  • Cooler (pink or rosy): a whisper of Quinacridone Magenta, not blue, keeps it from turning gray.
  • Olive undertone: a tiny amount of Ultramarine Blue or Phthalo Green pulls warm skin toward olive without graying it out. See the olive green guide for the same principle in reverse.

Shadow and highlight without mud

Don't reach for black to shadow skin, it deadens the mix instantly. Deepen with more Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber, or a touch of the skin tone's complement (a cool blue-green) for a shadow that stays alive. Highlight by adding white and a touch more yellow, since white alone flattens the warmth out.

Try it on your tubes

Get the exact skin tone for your tubes

Pick your brand and medium, sample or paste your target, and Chromilla returns the ratio calibrated for your actual paint.

Open Chromilla →

Frequently asked questions

What four colors make every skin tone?
Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna and Cadmium Red (or Cadmium Red Light). Ratio the last three against a white base and you can reach almost any fair-to-deep skin tone from one small palette.
How do I stop my skin tone mix from going gray or muddy?
Adjust in 1 to 2% steps, skin tones break faster than any other family of mixes. If it's already gray, don't add more of everything, start over with the four core tubes and rebuild slowly.
What's the best way to shadow a skin tone without using black?
Add more Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber for a warm shadow, or a small amount of the skin tone's complementary blue-green for a cooler, more chromatic shadow. Both stay alive where black goes flat.

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