Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Writing About Skin Colors

Tags: ethnic studies, how to, linguistics, networking, writing
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  • 11 comments
fayanora

fayanora

August 21 2015, 05:44:26 UTC 5 years ago

Excellent post.

I describe Lyria as having skin the color of fertile soil. Fertile soil is a brown so dark it's nearly completely black.

In another story I'm working on, one of the Ah'Koi Bahnis characters is described as having skin like malachite; bands of various shades of brown and green.
ysabetwordsmith

Thoughts

ysabetwordsmith

August 21 2015, 05:48:53 UTC 5 years ago

>>I describe Lyria as having skin the color of fertile soil. Fertile soil is a brown so dark it's nearly completely black.<<

Nile earth! :D

>>In another story I'm working on, one of the Ah'Koi Bahnis characters is described as having skin like malachite; bands of various shades of brown and green.<<

Ooo ... pretty.

I use all different descriptions. Yes, including food, which I used for white people (milk-pale, peaches-and-cream) as well as dark (kola nut, turmeric).
fayanora

Re: Thoughts

fayanora

August 21 2015, 05:51:14 UTC 5 years ago

That reminds me, another AKB character in the same story is described as having skin like coffee with creamer added to it.
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Thoughts

ysabetwordsmith

August 21 2015, 05:55:42 UTC 5 years ago

One of my favorites is vanilla latte: the palest possible shade of brown, that color you see in some people from northern Spain who have very fair skin and usually dark hair and eyes. Occasionally Turkish too; it's considered hawt on a bellydancer.
fayanora

Re: Thoughts

fayanora

August 21 2015, 05:58:09 UTC 5 years ago

Ah'Koi Bahnis come in so many different amazing colors. I have another character, same story, with skin as black as coal, eyes as yellow as sunflowers, and moss green hair. Then another with a human shade of light brown skin, and aquamarine spots.
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Thoughts

ysabetwordsmith

August 21 2015, 05:59:13 UTC 5 years ago

One of my favorite things about haikujaguar's Jokka is their exquisite skin tones and markings. "Cream of egg" is such a lovely image.
marina_bonomi

marina_bonomi

August 21 2015, 07:01:13 UTC 5 years ago

Interesting indeed, some of the comparison terms later in the article, though seem a bit stretched: for instance, 'calla lily' on its own makes me think of this one https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zantedeschia_aethiopica, not the colored cultivars, which are quite new.

ysabetwordsmith

Yes...

ysabetwordsmith

August 21 2015, 07:11:51 UTC 5 years ago

Calla brings up 'creamy white' in my mental database too, and next down is 'flame orange.' Bat flowers are black, but very few flowers are only black.
siliconshaman

siliconshaman

August 21 2015, 11:42:35 UTC 5 years ago

Bookmarking that for later.. I got some upcoming characters I'll need it for.
ysabetwordsmith

Yay!

ysabetwordsmith

August 21 2015, 19:14:13 UTC 5 years ago

I'm glad I could help. Characters of color deserve rich vocabulary.
thnidu

thnidu

August 21 2015, 19:36:51 UTC 5 years ago Edited:  August 21 2015, 19:37:26 UTC

What siliconshaman said. I haven't started writing (and may never do so), but this is exactly one of the things I've been thinking about for Glazier.

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