Tip of the Day: Skin Tones By the Numbers
African American: 128, 58, 45/32, 81, 81, 34Asian: 199, 151, 120/15, 44, 55, 1Caucasian: 227, 176, 149/10, 33, 40, 0
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Rather than relying on a single point sample to get a good skin tone, take readings with the Eyedropper tool in Photoshop from several points on a subject: forehead, chin, and shoulders, then open the info palette and use these numbers as guidelines. (R,G,B/C,M,Y,K)
African American: 128, 58, 45/32, 81, 81, 34
Asian: 199, 151, 120/15, 44, 55, 1
Caucasian: 227, 176, 149/10, 33, 40, 0
Adapted from Skin: The Complete Guide to Digital Lighting, Photographing, and Retouching Faces and Bodies by Lee Varis (Sybex/Wiley, 2007; $40).