Today I'll explain how to color skin and a "face that looks three-dimensional." Let's work step by step through how to add shadow so the face looks three-dimensional, and how to create a natural skin tone.
You can download the line art here. Please color along with me. The previous video covers how to color hair, so please check that out too if you haven't already.
Materials used (example: Holbein Artist Colored Pencils)
If you have similar colors on hand, pencils from other brands work fine too.
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Skin base
OP022 Pink, OP122 Jaune Brilliant
*Substitute: pink tones, pale orange tones -
Shadow (shading)
OP180 Burnt Umber, OP057 Burnt Sienna
*Substitute: brown, dark brown -
Lips
OP449 Magenta
*Substitute: red-purple tones -
Finishing
OP019 Shell Pink (for blending/mixing skin tones — no substitute) -
Lines, eyelashes, eyebrows
OP510 Black -
Highlights
OP500 White
Let's start coloring!
1. Undercoloring the shadows
First, start with the areas that will be in shadow.
For around the eyes, be mindful of the roundness of the eyeball, and gently color along the direction of the lines, tilting the pencil slightly and using the side of the lead. Using pink tones tends to give a cute-looking skin color.
For the nose, think of it as three circles: the "wings of the nose" (left and right circles) plus the "tip of the nose" (center circle). The tip of the nose is the highest and brightest point. Add shadow to the lower areas, such as under the wings of the nose and beneath the nostrils. Thinking in terms of spheres and trapezoidal planes makes it easier to grasp the shading and shape. Instead of coloring the bridge of the nose in one straight vertical line, use diagonal strokes forming a V-shape from left and right to create height.
From between the eyebrows to the forehead, add light shadow to the indentation.
For the mouth area, adding a small circular shadow at the corners of the mouth makes them look upturned, giving a cuter impression. Adding a slightly longer shadow along the contour beneath the lower lip also creates a fuller, more three-dimensional look.
2. Neck, ears, and outline
The neck sits further back than the face, so add shadow generously overall. Darken the outer contour and under the chin, then gradually lighten toward the center to create a sense of depth. The ears are also further back than the face, so keep them a bit darker.
Also darken the outer contour of the face slightly to add depth. When coloring wide areas, carefully layer color following the direction and angle of the lines so no unevenness or gaps appear. Keep the roundness of the chin in mind too.
3. Lips and around the eyes
For the lips, add shadow to about half of the upper lip, and about half of the lower lip as well. Imagine a small circle in the center and spread the shadow outward to both sides — this creates roundness in both the vertical and horizontal directions for a more three-dimensional look.
Add a light brown shadow inside the eyes too. Darkening slightly near the line art (areas prone to shadow, like the edge of the upper eyelid) looks natural.
4. Deepen the dimension through layering
Layer gradually from light colors, building up the depth of color. Darkening key areas near the line art while keeping an eye on the overall balance will bring out a natural sense of dimension.
After layering color, lightly blend it in from above with a light color to even out the skin tone. The trick is to build up the intensity gradually rather than coloring strongly from the start. Since the cheekbones catch the light, adding shadow around them creates roundness and dimension across the whole cheek.
5. Turning lines into "shadows"
Lightly layering brown over the line art softens the "line" look of the black ink, making it read as "shadow" and blend in naturally.
6. Deepening the features
For the lips, layer magenta over the pink, coloring gently with the side of the lead starting from the shadowed side. Adding a touch of red near the inner and outer corners of the eyes brings out a healthy flush of color. For the irises and eyebrows, add a few strokes following the direction of growth for a natural look. Use black to sharpen things up and adjust contrast as needed. Add shadow with brown to about half of the upper eyelid area, and draw the eyelashes as if growing them in one by one.
7. Blending the skin tone (Shell Pink)
OP019 Shell Pink is ideal for smoothly blending the undercolors. Using the side of the lead and coloring on top with a "blending" motion creates a texture that melds into the skin more naturally than white, giving it a beautiful finish (also available for individual purchase).
8. Final adjustments to neck and ear depth
Once again, making the neck noticeably darker than the face increases the sense of depth. Just be careful not to make it darker than the hair behind the neck. Adjust the ears using the same approach.
9. Highlights and tightening up the hair
Add highlights in white. Since white also has a blending and softening effect, lightly feathering it around the edges creates a smooth look.
For the hair, very lightly layer black into the darkest, deepest areas, keeping the brown underneath visible to create definition. Dark colors show any missed spots especially clearly, so color carefully all the way to the edges.
10. Finishing touches
Check the overall balance, make small adjustments, and you're done.
Summary and hints for next time
It's difficult to get it exactly the way you want on the first try, so try practicing again and refining it as you go. Once you get the hang of it, it's also fun to add more colors for extra realism or change up the mood. The simpler the line art, the more room there is to experiment.
You can download the line art and practice as many times as you like. Once you've finished your piece, please post it to Nuri-Iro's Everyone's Coloring Pages gallery. It's really fun and educational to see how differently people color the same line art. I look forward to your comments and requests. Thank you very much.