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FIGURE 3-1: DON JUSKO’S RCW COLOR WHEEL
In this chapter, we refer to Don Jusko’s Real
Color Wheel and how it relates to the
Makeup Artist.
HOW TO USE THE COLOR WHEEL
A color wheel in this true form gives
the artist a tool to create different hues
and to shade them to neutral darks. The
Makeup Artist would take this one step
further by considering what colors also
would work under different conditions:
lights, color corrections, color grading, and
so forth. The following will give you the
basic language used to decipher the
blending of hues.
To begin to understand how to use the
color wheel, it is important to know where to
start.
On the RCW, the colors on the outside of
the wheel are pure hues. What you can add
to alter these colors is a tint with white, a
tone with white and the complement color,
or a shade with just the complement color.
This will determine the final outcome of
that color, including the addition of
analogous relationships next to each other
on the wheel. Always start matching or
plotting a pure color from the outside of the
color wheel—this is the pure hue. Finding
the correct color or area of color, you can
decide where to go from there. For example,
if you want to find the complement of the
color that you have already plotted, go to
the opposite side of the color wheel. You
will know the color will work. You can then
tint, tone, or shade that hue to get the
desired effect.
 FIGURE 3-2: APPLE PRIMARY COLORS

38
C OL O R

FIGURE 3-3: SECONDARY COLORS AND A WHEEL

TERMS Secondary Colors (Figure 3.3): Colors that

Hue: Any color. are made by mixing together two primary
colors.
Primary Color (Figure 3.2): There are three
Red: Made by mixing yellow and
primary colors. They can be mixed together
magenta.
to make all other colors. Transparent Yellow
is PY 150 or PY 153. Transparent Magenta Blue: A combination of magenta and
is PR 122. Transparent Cyan is PB 15. cyan.

FIGURE 3-4: A TINTS COLOR WHEEL
Green: A mixture of cyan and yellow.
Tints (Figure 3.4): Made by adding white to
any hue.
Dual Tone: A pigment that changes hue
from mass tone to top tone. In other words,
a color that changes as it gets lighter—not
just in value, but in its actual color. For
example, a brown color that changes to a
bright yellow color is a dual tone. Purple
that changes from a cool dark to a warm
light is a dual tone.
Top Tone: Adding white to a color.
Mass Tone: Color right out of the tube or
pure powder pigment.
Undertone: Adding clear media
Transparent: Dyes are clear—you can see
through transparent dyes.
Translucent: Milk is translucent—it can
never be transparent by adding a clear
medium.
Opaque: Dense, like a small rock—it
cannot be seen through.
FIGURE 3-5: A BLACK & WHITE SCALE
39
FIGURE 3-6: DOTS OF COLOR
Classic color schemes will help you to
decipher which way to plot a color on the
color wheel.
Monochromatic (Figure 3.5): Any one color
mixed with white.
Analogous (Figure 3.6): Colors next to each
other on the color wheel—for example,
orange and red or yellow, orange and red,
or cyan and green.
Complementary (Figure 3.7): Any
colors 180 degrees apart on a 360-degree
wheel.
Triadic: Any three colors that are 120
degrees apart on the wheel, usually primary
colors.
Split complementary colors are formed like
a Y on the color wheel—one color on each
side of a complementary color.
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C OL O R

FIGURE 3-7: RCW WHEEL

Opposition, or complementary, pigments

make neutral darks. If you mix two opposite
pigments, the color will result in a darker
hue. This enables the Makeup Artist to work
with darker pigments without using black. FIGURE 3-8: CADMIUM YELLOW LIGHT, CADMIUM
It is also a great way to mix pre-existing YELLOW MEDIUM, ULTRAMARINE BLUE

makeup when you want to form a darker

shade. Because the pigments complement
each other, there will be a natural look to
your work. The darker pigments will not
Blue (Figure 3.8). Notice that yellow
clash against the skin tone of the person
darkens to brown. Brown and ultramarine
you are working on.
make the neutral dark.
The following outlines the six opposition • Cadmium Orange is opposite Cobalt Blue
colors and the neutral darks they will (Figure 3.9).
generate.
• Burnt Sienna (Figure 3.10), which
• Cadmium Yellow Light and Cadmium is a dark orange, is opposite Cobalt
Yellow Medium are opposite Ultramarine Blue.
• Opaque Cadmium Red Light and Red
Dark are opposite Cyan (Figure 3.11).
Cyan is also called Thalo Blue.
• Quinacridone Magenta Transparent
PR122 is opposite Thalo Green (Figure
3.12).
• Purple is opposite Yellow Green (Figure
3.13). Green Oxide Opaque is a dark
FIGURE 3-9: CADMIUM ORANGE AND COBALT BLUE
FIGURE 3-10: BURNT SIENNA
FIGURE 3-11: OPAQUE CADMIUM RED LIGHT, CADMIUM
RED DARK AND THALO BLUE
FIGURE 3-12: QUINACRIDONE MAGENTA TRANS. PR:122
AND THALO GREEN
yellow green to be used as the opposition
color.
The chart in Figure 3.14 illustrates how
you can combine pigments to produce
browns.
The chart will also show you how to mix
pigments that will give you cool browns or
warm browns. Brown neutral tones in
41
FIGURE 3-13: PURPLE OPPOSITE YELLOW GREEN
FIGURE 3-14: BROWN PIGMENT CHART WITH YELLOW
TO BROWN NATURAL OXIDES, BOTH RAW AND BURNT
 makeup are generally complementary to
most skin tones, and especially with eye
shadow for a more natural look. For
natural-looking makeup, a variety of neutral
browns flatters and registers well for the
camera. Highlighting and contouring with
neutral browns has a less harsh effect. In
situations where browns register darker on
film, staying with neutral browns avoids
having your brown registering too dark and
unflattering. Remember that what you
decide to use is the outcome of the problem
solving for the makeup situation you have
42 at the time. What is the skin tone? What is
the lighting situation? Is this a makeup
C OL O R
special effect? What medium is it? Are you
working in theatre, film, television, HDTV,
or print? Whatever the situation, knowing
what pigments make brown is a plus.
MIXING PIGMENT FOR
FLESH TONES
by Don Jusko
Every skin tone is unique. All the colors and
ranges of colors from #1 yellow to #7 red
FIGURE 3-15: TUBE PIGMENTS FOR COLOR FUNCTIONS
are colors used to get skin tones. Colors
from yellow to red all darken to brown,
either by adding brown or by mixing
brown. All skin colors have a range of 10
tints and 10 darks for each of the seven
colors. To make a skin tone lighter, you will
take the color already plotted and lighten it
with white or yellow. To make a skin tone
darker, you will take the color already
plotted and darken with browns and the
complement color. The Makeup Artist can
also change existing foundations or mix
your own by using the color wheel.
COLOR FUNCTION
Usages and combinations of color greatly
affect your final makeup application
(Figure 3.15).
You will also need to address the
undertones in the skin, eyes, and lips. Color
can balance, conceal, correct, or show
emotion. Example: If there is too much red
in the face, you can apply a green or yellow
under or over the foundation to neutralize
the red.
You need to understand how colors
function in relation to makeup artistry.
Red is one of the secondary colors. Magenta
is a primary color. The complementary
color to red is cyan. Red is made by mixing
yellow and magenta. A cool cherry red
(RCW #12.6.5) will bring life into a darker
cool skin tone, but only if the skin tone is
cool as well. Orange red will give a healthy
glow to golden skin. Red is also used in
makeup effects to show sun damage, alcohol
abuse, windburn, crying, skin lesions and
rashes, bruising and trauma to the skin,
and to neutralize any gray undertones in
appliances, and tattoo cover-up.
Blue is a secondary color. The complement
to blue is yellow. Cyan is a primary color.
Blue is a combination of magenta and cyan.
Blue will work with most skin tones. Blue
and shades of blue should not be used for
bluescreen work—it will disappear. Blue
can be used in makeup to portray illness,
death, cold, and freezing, as well as bruising
of the skin.
Yellow is a primary color. The
complementary color to yellow is blue.
Yellow is used to add warmth to other
colors. Yellow browns (gold) in eye
shadows, blushers, and lipsticks flatter
golden skin tones. In makeup, yellow can
be use to portray illness, weakness, rotting,
and bruising.
Green is a secondary color. Green is a
combination of cyan and yellow. The
complement color to green is magenta.
Green can be cool (blue green) or warm
(yellow green). In makeup, green is used to
neutralize reds (for example, to tone down
ruddy skin tone or broken capillaries in the
face). Warm greens (with yellow added)
look good on golden tones, or golden skin
tones. Cool greens (with cyan or blue
added) look good on cool tones, or skin
with cool undertones. Green is also used in
bruising and to portray illness, cold, or
rotting. Green is also used to cover tattoos.
Green or shades of green should not be
used in greenscreen work—anything green
becomes invisible.
Orange is a warm color that is between 43
yellow and red on the RCW. The
complementary color to orange is
halfway between cyan and blue, called
Cobalt Blue (RCW #22). Orange is a
vibrant color that can be used as a
highlighter on warm and dark skin tones.
Orange is a good color to use for masking
out blue, as in beard stubble and covering
tattoos. Orange also will neutralize blue
undertones (or blue lighting) in dark skin
tones.
Violet (RCW #14) is the color between
purple and magenta. Violet is a cool color.
The complementary color to violet is
chartreuse. Violet is used to correct too
much yellow or shallowness in skin tone.
Most cool skin tones look good in the color
violet. In makeup, violet and combinations
of violet are used for bruising, wounds,
freezing, and death.
Pink is red with tint (white) added. There is
a warm pink, which is a light red, and a
cool pink, which is magenta. Pink is
flattering to most skin tones. Magenta pink
is good on cool skin tones. Warm pink
 (with golden tones added) looks good on
warm skin tones. In makeup, pink is used
in eye shadows, lipsticks, and blushers to
show good health.
Black is often used to darken another color
and make a shade of that color. Shading
colors can also be made by mixing opposite
colors together. Black mixed with white
makes a neutral gray. Cool, darker skin
tones tend to look good in black. In
makeup, black is used in eye shadows,
eyeliners, brow color, and mascara. Black
can be used to add drama or depth to
44
existing colors.
C OL O R
White is added to other colors to make
tints. In makeup, white or off-white can be
used as highlighters, or to make darker
colors stand out. Cool, darker skin tones
tend to look good in white.
COLOR LESSONS
Color is one of the most important things to
have a good understanding about. The more
you use what you read, the easier using
color becomes. Whether you use a
traditional color wheel or the Real Color
Wheel is up to you. The lessons address
using the different primary colors, but the
knowledge can also be used for more-
traditional ways of color mixing. Just think
of these color lessons as a way to mix to get
even more color choices.
Lesson One: The Color Wheel
1. Using artist paper and a pencil,
draw a Real Color Wheel. Be sure to use
the correct dimensions and straight
edges. Use the RCW in Figure 3.1 for
reference.
2. Paint in the correct colors on your
wheel.
3. After you are done painting, number and
name the wheel.
Lesson Two: Complementary Pigments Make
Neutral Darks
1. Draw three simple contour drawings of
an object or face.
2. Pick three of the opposition colors in
Figure 3.7 to use as details, shadows, or
highlights (for example, Cadmium
Orange and Cobalt Blue are opposition
colors).
3. Use the colors separately and mixed
together to create neutral darks.
Lesson Three: Complementary Pigments Make
Neutral Darks
1. Use the example from Lesson Two, but
instead follow the brown pigment chart
(Figure 3.14) for reference.
Lesson Four: Creating Several Skin Tones
1. On artist paper, create several skin tones
by using pigments that have been tinted
or darkened accordingly. Remember to
use all the ranges of color from #1
yellow to #7 red.
2. Darken these colors to brown by mixing
your browns.
3. When you come up with skin tones you
like, write down, next to the color, the
exact combination you used. This is a
way to keep records for future use.