Skin Illustrator Mini Tan Tone 5

The Skin Illustrator Mini Tan Tone 5 palette is a professional alcohol-activated makeup palette with five deep skin tones: Bamboo 1, Lao 2, Espresso 1, Chocolate and Frenkle. It is formulated to work on natural skin, silicone and latex prosthetics with excellent coverage and outstanding durability. It is a highly regarded option both on professional special effects sets and in training environments.

Technical specifications

What it is used for

This palette is aimed at reproducing dark, tan and warm skin tones. It is the go-to choice when working with deep-skin characters or when integrating a prosthetic onto high-melanin skin.

• Character makeup and special effects (SFX) for film, television and theatre
• Painting and integration of silicone prosthetics in dark and brown tones
• Shading and veining on latex or foam latex pieces
• Colour correction on already-painted prosthetics that need more depth
• Training and practice in makeup and special effects schools
• Quick on-set touch-ups thanks to the compact mini format

How to use it

1. Make sure the surface (skin, silicone or latex) is clean and dry before applying.
2. Activate the chosen colour with a few drops of Skin Illustrator Activator, Skin Illustrator Slow Activator or isopropyl alcohol 99% onto the pan. Never use 70° alcohol, MEK, acetone or water: these solvents do not correctly activate the formula and can damage the prosthetic.
3. Load your brush or sponge with the activated colour and apply in thin layers. Coverage is high; it is better to build up in layers than to overload in a single pass.
4. Allow to dry briefly between layers. Drying time is very short thanks to the alcohol.
5. Mix colours from the palette directly on the skin or on a mixing tile to achieve custom transitions and shades.
6. Once the work is finished, remove residues with Telesis Super Solv, which dissolves the ink without damaging silicone or latex.
7. Close the palette and store it away from heat sources and direct light to preserve the colours.

Usage tips

Colour mixing and building

The five tones of the Tan Tone 5 are designed to work together. Start with the lighter bases (Bamboo 1 or Lao 2) for overall coverage and gradually add Espresso 1, Chocolate or Frenkle for shadows and depth. Mixing directly onto the wet prosthetic gives more natural transitions than mixing on a separate palette.

Correct activation

The amount of activator determines the behaviour of the ink. With less activator you get a dense, opaque layer; with more activator, a more transparent and fluid layer, useful for glazes and translucent skin effects. The Slow Activator is especially useful when you need more working time, for example in complex blends or on large surfaces. Remember: isopropyl alcohol 99% only; 70% alcohol contains water and does not activate the formula correctly.

Palette care

If the colours dry out due to alcohol evaporation, they are not damaged: simply reactivate them with a few drops of isopropyl alcohol 99%. Avoid contaminating the pans with dirty brushes; always use a clean brush when picking up colour from a pan. In the mini format, the small amount of product makes hygiene especially important to avoid unintentionally mixing tones.

Frequently asked questions