Words to describe skin color and texture?

[partial2passion]

I'm specifically stumped with black and Hispanic female and white male skin color and textures. They all end up being names for food.

Caramel, chocolate, mocha, almond, walnut... I dunno. And then for men.... Tan? Golden?
And then texture... smooth, silky, glow, flawless, creamy... and I'm stumped.

Any suggestions?

 

[sr71plt]

I use "ebony" a lot or just "dark" for non-Nordic types. But I see nothing wrong with your "food" words either.

 

[AdjectiveNounVerb]

I've read "tawny" and "dusky". There's also the obvious wood words like ebony and mahogany. For us crackers, chalky and pasty always work.

 

[redzinger]

Here you go:

http://www.dulux.co.uk/colours/index.jsp

Sorted.

 

[redzinger]

As a more serious sidenote (how I love a tangent), I was reading something the other day about how some writers relying describing everything they see, some what they hear or feel and some what they smell or taste, and techniques to balance out all of the above as not everything needs to be spelled out.

So, if your descriptions are more food-centric, you may have more of an epicurean bent?

 

[partial2passion]

As a more serious sidenote (how I love a tangent), I was reading something the other day about how some writers relying describing everything they see, some what they hear or feel and some what they smell or taste, and techniques to balance out all of the above as not everything needs to be spelled out.

So, if your descriptions are more food-centric, you may have more of an epicurean bent?

Lol makes sense since there's a lot of "feasting" involved in my stories...

So tell my why I clicked on your paint colors link and I was like oh ok... maybe I can use some of this stuff. But then there were colors like 'gooseberry fool' Hahaha Err.. Nooo!

 

[partial2passion]

I've read "tawny" and "dusky". There's also the obvious wood words like ebony and mahogany. For us crackers, chalky and pasty always work.

Aww AdjectiveNounVerb.... I'm sure you're not pasty... Lol

 

[HarryHill]

Sunburned, luminous, translucent, radiant, bruised, flushed, marbled, dusty, ashy, olive, plum, plastic, goosepimpled, unblemished...getting bored... hope some of these work for you...is all else fails, get a copy of Roget's international Thesaurus...look up the obvious words and play with the results.
Good luck
Harry

 

[Cruel2BKind]

When my creative juices start running low, I describe how the skin fits on the structure underneath.

The knob of her spine stretched her tawny skin into a translucent pearl at the nape of her neck.

When she smiled, minute wrinkles softened the sunkissed skin at the corners of her eyes.

At the bottom of her foot, the deep brown paled to a creamy sole, rough in places, but at the arch it was like warm velvet.

And so on and so forth

 

[partial2passion]

When my creative juices start running low, I describe how the skin fits on the structure underneath.

The knob of her spine stretched her tawny skin into a translucent pearl at the nape of her neck.

When she smiled, minute wrinkles softened the sunkissed skin at the corners of her eyes.

At the bottom of her foot, the deep brown paled to a creamy sole, rough in places, but at the arch it was like warm velvet.

And so on and so forth

Oooo very nice!

 

[AdjectiveNounVerb]

Aww AdjectiveNounVerb.... I'm sure you're not pasty... Lol

Yeah, too hairy for that (that's a texture, right?). Plus I have freckles.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

I'm specifically stumped with black and Hispanic female and white male skin color and textures. They all end up being names for food.

Caramel, chocolate, mocha, almond, walnut... I dunno. And then for men.... Tan? Golden?
And then texture... smooth, silky, glow, flawless, creamy... and I'm stumped.

Any suggestions?

Dunno, but I think tawny, ebony and olive, let alone pale and tanned, have made the grade and avoided being sandwiches.

Again, and I speak from a female POV, I like descriptions such as as soft, warm, smooth is OK, sensuous, inviting etc.. Your descriptions seem to try and describe desserts rather than your lovers.

No-one's skin is flawless or creamy and glowing usually arises after the event - or have I been living in a parallel universe.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

Dunno, but I think tawny, ebony and olive, let alone pale and tanned, have made the grade and avoided being sandwiches.

HEY

Olive bread is delicious.

 

[MaxSebastian]

Here you go:

http://www.dulux.co.uk/colours/index.jsp

Sorted.

Love it.

> He kissed her soft, easter morn 4 skin...

So romantic, those paint colors.

 

[giggityguy]

I definitely have a thing for women with darker skin, but I've found that a LOT of the appeal of such women actually lies in their complexion and skin texture, which happens to be incidental to their skin color. For example, Latina women, Native American women, and Indian women tend to have a very fine complexion that is extremely consistent in its coloration and texture, which is what really makes their skin attractive to me. If you focus more on their complexion and texture, the color kindof sorts itself out.

I realize that this was totally unhelpful as to suggestions of words, but it's just some food for thought when considering how to capture just what makes someone's skin beautiful.

 

[MSTarot]

Remember also that skin moves and changes under touch.


My eyes follow the line of my finger as I caress her. I smile to see the hairs lifting, the skin standing up as I send shivers through her body at so gently a touch. She pops my hand and rubs at her arm to calm the goose bumps I've raised.

I circle her nipple with my tongue, feeling it begin to move under the touch. With a gentle breath I make the rose colored skin tighten, the tip rise.

M.S. Tarot

 

[partial2passion]

Remember also that skin moves and changes under touch.


My eyes follow the line of my finger as I caress her. I smile to see the hairs lifting, the skin standing up as I send shivers through her body at so gently a touch. She pops my hand and rubs at her arm to calm the goose bumps I've raised.

I circle her nipple with my tongue, feeling it begin to move under the touch. With a gentle breath I make the rose colored skin tighten, the tip rise.

M.S. Tarot

Very nice!

 

[MdiGirolamo]

It depends on who the character's partner is. Contrast can make the description immediately visually striking (easier for the reader to register your overall description of the character) and emphasise character differences.

For example, sunburnt, wind-beaten nordic skin against the deep iodine tan of a lover reinforces the point that one character is outside her element. It will also draw attention to the respective professions and backgrounds of those involved.

Depending on the setting, explorers, soldiers, sailors and mercenaries are unlikely to have "soft" or "creamy" skin - their profession will be etched into their bodies. They may be scarred, or calloused, for example.

 

[peterthomos]

Thanks

Thanks for sharing!!

 

[NoCorrelation]

So tell my why I clicked on your paint colors link and I was like oh ok... maybe I can use some of this stuff. But then there were colors like 'gooseberry fool' Hahaha Err.. Nooo!

If you're clicking on Gooseberry Fool, I assume your heroine is a Zombie, yes?

For similies (rather than direct description) I'd add: Tobacco, cinnamon, and various warm spices. Depending on where she's from, maybe rich leather or rich earthy tones.

I've just realised that I live in such a ridiculously white middle class area that it didn't even occur to me to describe the skintone of my characters...