<p>Color has no name. I painted portraits for more than a decade, so skin is kinda a familiar subject for me. Anyway, I have made several very indepth videos on the subject of color theory for painters.</p>

<p>This is the one that I think speaks more specifically to your question:
<a href="https://youtu.be/CLkRYBwnnz0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">color has no name</a></p>

<p>This video is a brief overview on the concept of color (from the perspective of an artist). Other videos in the collection deal specificaly with color theory, paint mixing, and common misconceptions among artists regarding such things. But this particular video deals with "the color of skin" in particular, as well as the matter of available paint color options found in art supply stores. </p>

<p>The short video is of me talking about this subject. The only way that I can "sum up" this very short video is: </p>

<ol>
<li>I mention that no skin tone is a single color (without going into a great amount of detail on "why".</li>
<li>The color of anything is greatly influenced by the color of the light falling upon it and the color of the reflected light bouncing off adjacent objects in proximity to the skin and reflecting back upn the shadowed areas of the skin surface.  </li>
</ol>

<p>However, if I'm going to sit here and type it all up anyway, I might as well take the opportunity to elaborate on the "why" no skintone is consistent? </p>

<p>It's because all skin is translucent to some degree. The cartilage, musculature, and blood all contribute to the color we see at the surface of the skin. However, the video actualy takes the time to demonstrate the subject of light, and adjacent objects, whuch I can not do here in writing.  I hope that helps. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-18T07:30:59.523Z
Ok, I've spelled it out for you now. The discription above contains all the relevant sumation of the video sans the demonstration.
Vasqi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-18T07:46:58.977Z
When you voted me down just now, is it because you thought my comment was unhelpful or inacurate? Just curious. The better able I am to understand why one of my comments was voted down in the past, the better I will be able to construct my future replies.
Vasqi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-06T23:13:20.673Z
Was going to vote this up at first, but the self promotion was a negative, and the idea "color has no name" is too general and obviously wrong.  Better to say "skin color has no name" which is right on, explain why, and leave your video out of it (or make it a postscript to the explanation.)
rebusB
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-16T18:59:29.053Z
2017-02-18T09:41:23.117Z
2017-02-18T09:41:23.117Z
Vasqi
<p>I'm not entirely sure what your question is asking, but if you want names for different colors of skin tone, <a href="http://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/96830966357/writing-with-color-description-guide-words-for" rel="nofollow">this website</a> and <a href="http://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/american/words-used-to-describe-skin-color" rel="nofollow">this website</a> have some names you might be interested in.</p>

<p>However, looking at the tags on your question, it seems like what you want is colors of art media, whether it be oil-paint, colored pencils, chalk, or oil pastels.  In that case, I would recommend mixing colors instead of trying to find media that matches your desired color exactly.  To get a skin tone, I would recommend mixing any combination of brown, "peach", orange, red, yellow, or any other colors you want.  This will allow you to more closely match the color you have in your mind.  For each medium, there are different strategies for mixing colors, but that's a completely different question.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-22T20:51:58.757Z
As to "peach", this is what the color of a Spanish or Italian person living abroad imagines themselves as. There are white paste peaches, yellow paste peaches, orange-red peaches, and more. Anyways, thank you for sharing.
Jack Maddington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-21T18:06:37.197Z
You comment about there being no fixed peach color points to the problem of trying to pick pigments based on skin color names.
rebusB
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-18T23:02:15.573Z
2016-10-18T23:02:15.573Z
margalo
<p>You could be creative and use cosmetic product names as a guide and then mix your colours to match. 
Having said that though, take foundation as an example, Clarins uses descriptions like honey, wheat, cappuccino, sand etc. to describe, what in their opinion, skin tones look like.
Language, race and cultural issues I think would create sensitivity around naming skin colour in a literal way.   </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-18T03:43:26.953Z
2019-06-18T03:43:26.953Z
Jon Welch
<p>Where can I find a list of skin color names? There's gotta be something more detailed than just night, porcelain, cadaver, and peach, kickin' around.</p>

<p>I think, Brazil, (?), at some point had a partial list. Other countries will/might have their own, I suppose.</p>

<p>Sure useful, in composing a painting, choosing colors to make up faces is an important necessity, especially if we want the painting to be realistic: :-| .</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-18T23:43:43.690Z
Are you just looking for a list of product names that are for skin tone paints?
Matt
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-19T00:42:38.010Z
I highly, *highly* doubt that any paint manufacturer labels any of their paints as "cadaver". Really.
Martha
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-19T03:17:17.540Z
I'm barely following the question here, I have to admit, and the last sentence doesn't even parse into coherent English. To clarify, what are you asking for? Is it for known pigment blends with names designed to indicate to skin tones or is for a list of skin tone names that you can apply to pigment mixes you've already made for reference?
Joanne C
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-19T04:31:09.930Z
I have edited/fixed my post. I was not aware of the term pigment blends. Not sure what you mean by a blend. I thought all sold color was uniform in nature, and it was up to the artist to mix color to produce color combinations. Is it not so? Interesting question though, because either the a list of skin tone names can be applied to pigmented art color names, or the reverse. The truth is though, in my opinion there should be overlap between these two, if a set of color names is truly designed to be used to paint skin.
Jack Maddington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-19T04:33:01.503Z
Thank you for your comment, @Matt, I am indeed also looking for a list of product names that are for sin tone paints.
Jack Maddington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-19T05:34:25.793Z
Hey, @Matt, does a product name include a product line, product type, and product brand, or is it separate? What exactly are you suggesting at the database level?
Jack Maddington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-19T05:37:16.107Z
Hey, @JohnCavan, how does/can a pigment blend have a name, as opposed to a product color name. Isn't the relationship of pigment blend to product color names one too many? What do I know.(? :_( ).
Jack Maddington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-26T13:51:44.460Z
Can this help: [Munsell and the Color of Flesh](http://munsell.com/color-blog/color-of-flesh/).
Ken Graham
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-26T15:00:18.353Z
Yes, it most definitely helps. Thank you so much for your contribution.
Jack Maddington
<terminology>
Skin tone color names
Jack Maddington
# Skin tone color names

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-10-18)

Where can I find a list of skin color names? There's gotta be something more detailed than just night, porcelain, cadaver, and peach, kickin' around.

I think, Brazil, (?), at some point had a partial list. Other countries will/might have their own, I suppose.

Sure useful, in composing a painting, choosing colors to make up faces is an important necessity, especially if we want the painting to be realistic: :-| .

**Tags:** terminology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Are you just looking for a list of product names that are for skin tone paints?  
> **username_2**: I highly, *highly* doubt that any paint manufacturer labels any of their paints as "cadaver". Really.  
> **username_3**: I'm barely following the question here, I have to admit, and the last sentence doesn't even parse into coherent English. To clarify, what are you asking for? Is it for known pigment blends with names designed to indicate to skin tones or is for a list of skin tone names that you can apply to pigment mixes you've already made for reference?  
> **username_0**: I have edited/fixed my post. I was not aware of the term pigment blends. Not sure what you mean by a blend. I thought all sold color was uniform in nature, and it was up to the artist to mix color to produce color combinations. Is it not so? Interesting question though, because either the a list of skin tone names can be applied to pigmented art color names, or the reverse. The truth is though, in my opinion there should be overlap between these two, if a set of color names is truly designed to be used to paint skin.  
> **username_0**: Thank you for your comment, @username_1, I am indeed also looking for a list of product names that are for sin tone paints.  
> **username_0**: Hey, @username_1, does a product name include a product line, product type, and product brand, or is it separate? What exactly are you suggesting at the database level?  
> **username_0**: Hey, @JohnCavan, how does/can a pigment blend have a name, as opposed to a product color name. Isn't the relationship of pigment blend to product color names one too many? What do I know.(? :_( ).  
> **username_4**: Can this help: [Munsell and the Color of Flesh](http://munsell.com/color-blog/color-of-flesh/).  
> **username_0**: Yes, it most definitely helps. Thank you so much for your contribution.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2017-02-16. Score: 1

Color has no name. I painted portraits for more than a decade, so skin is kinda a familiar subject for me. Anyway, I have made several very indepth videos on the subject of color theory for painters.

This is the one that I think speaks more specifically to your question:
[color has no name](https://youtu.be/CLkRYBwnnz0)

This video is a brief overview on the concept of color (from the perspective of an artist). Other videos in the collection deal specificaly with color theory, paint mixing, and common misconceptions among artists regarding such things. But this particular video deals with "the color of skin" in particular, as well as the matter of available paint color options found in art supply stores.

The short video is of me talking about this subject. The only way that I can "sum up" this very short video is:

1. I mention that no skin tone is a single color (without going into a great amount of detail on "why".
2. The color of anything is greatly influenced by the color of the light falling upon it and the color of the reflected light bouncing off adjacent objects in proximity to the skin and reflecting back upn the shadowed areas of the skin surface.

However, if I'm going to sit here and type it all up anyway, I might as well take the opportunity to elaborate on the "why" no skintone is consistent?

It's because all skin is translucent to some degree. The cartilage, musculature, and blood all contribute to the color we see at the surface of the skin. However, the video actualy takes the time to demonstrate the subject of light, and adjacent objects, whuch I can not do here in writing. I hope that helps.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Ok, I've spelled it out for you now. The discription above contains all the relevant sumation of the video sans the demonstration.  
> **username_5**: When you voted me down just now, is it because you thought my comment was unhelpful or inacurate? Just curious. The better able I am to understand why one of my comments was voted down in the past, the better I will be able to construct my future replies.  
> **username_6**: Was going to vote this up at first, but the self promotion was a negative, and the idea "color has no name" is too general and obviously wrong.  Better to say "skin color has no name" which is right on, explain why, and leave your video out of it (or make it a postscript to the explanation.)  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2016-10-18. Score: 1

I'm not entirely sure what your question is asking, but if you want names for different colors of skin tone, [this website](http://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/96830966357/writing-with-color-description-guide-words-for) and [this website](http://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/american/words-used-to-describe-skin-color) have some names you might be interested in.

However, looking at the tags on your question, it seems like what you want is colors of art media, whether it be oil-paint, colored pencils, chalk, or oil pastels. In that case, I would recommend mixing colors instead of trying to find media that matches your desired color exactly. To get a skin tone, I would recommend mixing any combination of brown, "peach", orange, red, yellow, or any other colors you want. This will allow you to more closely match the color you have in your mind. For each medium, there are different strategies for mixing colors, but that's a completely different question.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: As to "peach", this is what the color of a Spanish or Italian person living abroad imagines themselves as. There are white paste peaches, yellow paste peaches, orange-red peaches, and more. Anyways, thank you for sharing.  
> **username_6**: You comment about there being no fixed peach color points to the problem of trying to pick pigments based on skin color names.  

---

### Answer by username_8 on 2019-06-18. Score: 0

You could be creative and use cosmetic product names as a guide and then mix your colours to match.
Having said that though, take foundation as an example, Clarins uses descriptions like honey, wheat, cappuccino, sand etc. to describe, what in their opinion, skin tones look like.
Language, race and cultural issues I think would create sensitivity around naming skin colour in a literal way.


---

