Skin Color Formula

Having quite a bit of experience in getting skin color right in RL, I tried it out on skins that I'm doing and found that the 'formula' still holds in Second Life. (Color is a little odd in Second Life, but it's not far off.)

So, if you want a good skin color you might like this 'numbers' approach. I have seen a lot of skins in world that look too blue or too red. And a few jaundiced people, but something tells me that was intentional!

So, here's what you do. In photoshop turn on the info palette and set it show CMYK numbers as well as RGB (we don't need the RGB numbers for this application, but since you're working in RGB mode, you may as well keep them there (they are really good for figuring whether your color is neutral or not).

Our formula uses the CMYK figures, although you don't need to be in CMYK, just stay in RGB and let the info palette show you the CMYK equivalents.

Use your eyedropper tool to hover over a medium toned area of skin and look at the values in the info palette. (make sure your eyedropper is set to sample a 9x9 pixel or you're likely to find an odd pixel that will throw your color off). I you've done it right, you numbers should fit within this formula:

Here's the skin tone formula:

Leave magenta constant.
Y>/= M (yellow is greater than or equal to magenta)
C = 1/8 to 1/2 M (cyan equals 1/8 to 1/2 of magenta)

So, adjust your curves to get the numbers within those parameters and you'll have a nice skin tone.

Granted, the basic formula caters to a really a pale skin tone. In RL most people fit Y=M and asians, and blacks, babies will have more yellow. But, in Second Life, everyone has a tan, so you need for yellow to be 20% or higher than magenta for the tan look.

To make changes, I use curves and select areas along the curve that correspond to the skin tone. Just drag the curve up or down to adjust within the formula. The best way to make skin darker is to add more yellow, but you'll also need to lower the overall curve to make it all darker.

Oh, and because you are in RGB, you effect the CMY by using the RGB values, which correspond very nicely. So, if you need more Yellow, you lower the Blue in RGB

I hope that helps. If you really want to get into detail on skin color and other object colors, pick up an old copy of Dan Margulis' book entitled 'Professional Photoshop: the Classic Guide to Color Correction' It's an intense read, but you'll learn a lot!

That's very useful. Thanks Blaze!