How to describe skin colour, if "white" is not the point of reference?

Question

A character looks at another character, skin colour creates certain associations. A character looks at himself, and associations would be shaped by society, and by what is "normal" in that society. What we refer to as "black", for example covers a huge range of brown shades, that would only be jumbled together as "black" where "white" is the "norm". "Brown" is an even more confusing category, that appears to be a catch-all for all the shades that are neither "black" nor "white". And all those distinctions are only half about actual colour, other half being things like ethnicity.

Now, I need to throw away all those weird cultural associations, and start from scratch. Both novels I am currently working on are set in the Middle East (or a fantasy version thereof), so the range of Middle-Eastern skin colours is the "norm".

I am narrating my stories in third-person, one limited, the other - omniscient. Culturally, my "narrator voice" is very much where my characters are.

Under those constraints, how do I describe my MCs' ("brown") skin colour? (Other characters can sort of follow from the MC's baseline and the MC's perception.) I have so far used "tanned", but that isn't right at all - it suggests that the character is naturally paler than they currently appear, which is not what I'm trying to describe. "Brown" doesn't really work either, for the reasons explained above, and also because it's not really descriptive - so many shades of brown. And it would be strange, I think, to describe my MCs' appearance in exotic terms, since they're supposed to be pretty much the norm.

(It might be that I'm having a blind spot, because this is what I look like. Since it's mine, it's just "skin" to me.)

This question is related, but its point of reference is different, and the accepted answer has a "Houston, we have a problem" in the exact colour range that I'm trying to describe. This one is about describing a "white" character in a "non-white" setting, while mine is about describing the average "non-white" character in the same setting.

EDIT: A valid concern has been raised, as to why I need to mention skin colour at all. Two reasons:

1. Because if the characters were Caucasian, I would not have struggled to describe their skin colour, and I would have mentioned it in passing (one character being tanned from spending a lot of time outside, another having pale, almost translucent skin, etc.) so it's weird to avoid describing a different skin colour just because the frame of reference is not Caucasian.
2. Because through the MC, I wish to set the norm for the society I'm describing. I also wish for the freedom within that norm: if I mention a character is pale, having spent most of their life indoors, I want this to be the pallor of a princess in Japanese legend, not the pallor of a redhead.

Answer 1

I like to equate skin tones with food or natural objects. Caramel, chocolate, cream, sand, etc. Eye and hair color work well this way too.

There are so many beautiful shades of skin it is a shame to leave it out of descriptions. White people tend to focus on hair and eyes and ignore skin aside from the very large divisions of black and brown and white (not that anyone's skin is truly black or white). Or they mention "tanned" which implies a change from the natural color due to leisure or work in the sun.

The Black community in particular has a rich history of naming different skins, and then depicting them in written or visual art. Many other ethnic groups have gorgeous descriptions. Reading how they do it should help fuel your ideas.

People notice if you leave it out. Maybe not white people (they'd notice if you never described hair color), but certainly people from the cultures you're writing about.

In addition to comparing people's colors to natural objects, you can compare them to each other.

"Her lover's skin was translucent against hers. Cream marked with the slightest tint of beet. Her own ebony seemed almost blue in the morning light."

Answer 2

I have had many friends from the Middle East and their skin tones ranged from essentially white to soft brown. I found a more telling feature that seemed to set them apart were some slight similarities in facial features.

Mention of the MC’s skin tone need not be made. Your character could notice that others are paler than he or darker than he. You could even have some horse related theme since the Arabs are culturally people of the horse.

You could have him notice that his skin is the color of one of his favourite spices.

Tea is almost a religion there, those with dark skin could be seen as resembling strong tea.

When it came to horses, darker colour ones were thought to fare worse in the sun so were eschewed.

Answer 3

There are plenty of options, but a few factors you should take note of.

If this is a Middle Eastern 'setting', that means it's hot and dry, likely desert-like. Even a Caucasian's skin will darken there before long, tanning. Unless they're a redhead, which usually means they can't 'darken', so they'll likely redden and have freckles like there's no tomorrow.

There are Caucasians in the region, native to the region. This isn't as uncommon as many would think. So the first question you should answer (for yourself) is: how common is this complexion/race in this region? If it's very uncommon or even rare, then everyone's likely to stare.

So what to compare it to? Stones in the region (alabaster), foods/drinks/ingredients (salt, rice, milk, cream--careful with this, for some reason comparing race to food is 'trigger territory' for some people), flowers (desert lily, cactus flower), or even natural features (clouds, sands, fresh snow). Or just say 'pale' if that makes sense in your comparison.

Keep in mind that no culture or identity is monolithic. There's always a percentage of 'other' even within a xenophobic cityscape. People notice differences quicker than similarities, whether in dress, race, hair colour, eye colour, or even facial features. Humans a funny like that.

Answer 4

The term I see most authors use for in-between tones these days is "olive complexion"

From behind the WP link, for those who care about definitions:

Olive skin is a human skin color spectrum. It is often associated with pigmentation in the Type III to Type IV and Type V ranges of the Fitzpatrick scale. It generally refers to light or moderate brown, brownish, or tannish skin, and it is often described as having yellowish, greenish, or golden undertones

... and here's a part relevant to your Middle-East mileu:

Type V pigmentation is frequent among populations from the Middle East, parts of the Mediterranean, parts of Africa, Latin America, and the Indian subcontinent. It ranges from olive to tan, Middle Eastern skin tones. This skin type very rarely burns and tans quite easily.

The types in question refer to the Fitzpatrick scale, which as near as I can tell is just a linear scale describing how sensitive the skin in question is to ultraviolet light (iow: how easily this person sunburns).

Answer 5

The white/black/yellow/red race classification system is based on the Western race classification system. Wikipedia is not the best resource and definitely not the most reliable, but sometimes, you can find interesting articles about general topics.

Galastel, you mention on your own profile that you are from Israel. You have also mentioned that you speak English, Hebrew, French, and Russian. Hebrew is a Middle-Eastern language. Surely, you can find something in the modern Hebrew language about race. To my understanding, the Jews view themselves as one people or one race regardless of actual skin color. Maybe in your story, you may have a fantasy race, in which the fantasy race only puts people into two categories -- the civilized people and the savage barbarians.

Under those constraints, how do I describe my MCs' ("brown") skin colour? (Other characters can sort of follow from the MC's baseline and the MC's perception.) I have so far used "tanned", but that isn't right at all - it suggests that the character is naturally paler than they currently appear, which is not what I'm trying to describe.

First of all, I don't know what you are describing. Let me search for an image.

In my opinion, that man appears light-colored.

In my opinion, that man also appears light-colored.

In my opinion, that man also appears light-colored.

In my opinion, that man appears dark-colored.

"Brown" doesn't really work either, for the reasons explained above, and also because it's not really descriptive - so many shades of brown.

Assuming that you are a Middle-Easterner, specifically an Israeli, you can look at your own skin color and compare other people's skin color to yourself. If a person has lighter skin than you, then you will describe that person as "light-skinned". If a person has darker skin than you, then you will describe that person as "dark-skinned". If a person has exactly the same skin tone as you, then you will ignore the skin color, because your own skin color is the default.

You may also look into the Hebrew language and how it categorizes people based on skin color or race. Then, you use the Hebrew word in original form or in transliteration in your English manuscript.

And it would be strange, I think, to describe my MCs' appearance in exotic terms, since they're supposed to be pretty much the norm.

Language and culture come hand in hand. In many works of English literature, authors focus on hair color and eye color, because (1) the English language evolved from the English people, and those types of people have varying eye color and hair color so they use hair color and eye color to distinguish people, and (2) the focus on hair color and eye color in culture is embedded in English literature and language.

You may follow this literary tradition, focusing on specific color terms to describe physical appearance, or you may describe people in your Hebrew language and translate that literally into English. The Chinese language, for example, does have color terms, but there is no one-to-one translation with English color terms, esp. when describing people. For example, 黑 may refer to the color "black", the skin color of a Black person (idea borrowed from the West), or a dark-colored person (may be a dark-skinned Chinese person). If a native Chinese person has darker skin color, then that person may be described as 皮肤黑黑的, referring to the darkness of the skin color. 黑 in this context does not mean "black". It just means "dark". In addition, in the Chinese language, facial characteristics may be described without using color terms at all.

(It might be that I'm having a blind spot, because this is what I look like. Since it's mine, it's just "skin" to me.)

Then use yourself as a reference point. Even if you don't use yourself as a reference point explicitly, then readers may still use you as a reference point. Sometimes, Chinese readers will take into account of the author's own personal background as a reference point. If the author uses specific regional Chinese terms in the story written in Standard Written Chinese, such as 伊 as a pronoun in literary/classical Chinese and vernacular Chinese, then the reader may take into account of the author's background and assume that the author is literally from that region in China. Similarly, J.K. Rowling is British. Her Harry Potter series unsurprisingly sets in the United Kingdom and has a lot of British cultural references.

This one is about describing a "white" character in a "non-white" setting, while mine is about describing the average "non-white" character in the same setting.

I can only speak from a Chinese perspective, because I am Chinese-American and bilingual in Chinese and English. In a Chinese context, I am quite hesitant in labeling a person as "Chinese" or "non-Chinese" based solely on appearance. I need to double-check on nationality or ethnic group affiliation. If a person is part of the Han people or 55 ethnic minorities in the People's Republic of China, then I'd consider that person "racially Chinese". If not, then I'd check to see if that person descends from the Huaxia people. Those people are also considered "racially Chinese". So, a person with blonde hair and blue eyes from England with no blood from the Hua people or whose bloodline to the Hua people is lost to history would be a "foreigner". I would also consider Sinophobes "foreigners".

Because if the characters were Caucasian, I would not have struggled to describe their skin colour, and I would have mentioned it in passing (one character being tanned from spending a lot of time outside, another having pale, almost translucent skin, etc.) so it's weird to avoid describing a different skin colour just because the frame of reference is not Caucasian.

Have you considered taking ideas from your Hebrew language? How would a Hebrew speaker describe a person in Hebrew?

Answer 6

I'm going to start the answer with a question of my own:

Why do you need to describe the skin colour?

What does it actually add? Is it a core pillar of the story? Or a point of differentiation?

JK Rowling and Harry Potter are great examples of this. When Noma Dumezweni was cast as Hermione in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child there was a lot of bigoted, racist outcry. JK Rowling set it straight in no uncertain terms. At no time did she mention that Hermione Grainger was white, or what skin tone she was. Her defining feature was her brown, wild hair and her personality. That's it.

So I would ask the same question of you. Is your MC's defining feature their skin tone? Or is it something else? Are they a part of a relatively homogenous society? If so, what is achieved by describing skin tone? Look at their other traits - are they muscular? Long haired? Close shaven scalp? Beard or clean shaven? Scars? Injuries etc. All serve to differentiate your character without having to describe what their skin tone is.

And you've touched on this yourself. They are "the norm", so you can't describe them as exotic. You yourself used the words "this is what I look like. Since it's mine, it's just "Skin" to me". This is no different for your story.

Answer 7

When we describe skin color, or shades of color in general, you are correct that we need a point of reference. In the case of skin color, one usually subconsciously or consciously picks a point of reference (usually their own skin color).

If you're afraid of your reader picking a "White" point of reference, then you should explicitly establish a point of reference.

Here are some ways you can do that:

• Through the setting
  • When we imagine certain areas, we also imagine certain people. No one is going to imagine the streets of suburban India to be brimming full of Caucasians. If you explicitly state your setting to be Middle Eastern, the reader is going to assume the characters are Middle Eastern. Most people of reasonable intelligence are going to be able to imagine a realistic skin tone based on that.
• Through ethnicity and heritage
  • Perhaps the setting isn't specific enough or you want more emphasis. In that case, use the character's ethnicity and heritage. For example, even if your story took place in central Africa, your readers would still understand that a character is white if you simply described them as "Born in America and of pure European descent".
  • Similarly, your readers will know the approximate skin color if you say the character is Middle Eastern with Middle Eastern parents (though you might want to be more specific for the sake of immersion).

Once you've established a baseline point of reference that is very clearly not white, you can start narrowing down the description.

If your character is average, then you don't need to mention skin color at all. It clearly isn't very important, and the reader should be able to approximate it based on the baseline you've set already.

If your character is not average, you can use relative terms that further emphasize you are being relative to the baseline you've set. Examples:

• "Darker than many of the other locals"
• "Darker than his local friends"
• "Very pale, despite his parents' average tone for the region"

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Other Options (not necessary unless skin tone is essential to the story):

If you absolutely need to be as specific as possible, you can use relative language between ethnicity's. Examples:

• "So pale that he might pass for European"
• "She is much darker than her parents' average tones, yet still recognizably an Egyptian"

Note: Might want to be careful when throwing ethnicity around so that you don't accidentally perpetuate stereotypes.

You could also utilize character dialogue. For example, if your character is mistaken by a stranger for a western tourist, the reader will be able to assume the character is light-skinned, especially if your character corrects the one who made the mistake.

Dialogue can also include an introduction. If the character is notably light, for example, he or she could introduce himself or herself with a line somewhere that says "Though I may look more European by my skin tone, I was born and raised in Saudi Arabia".

Again, these last options would feel very forced unless they were absolutely necessary for the story. For that reason I don't recommend them.

Answer 8

Maybe relate the skintone to the person's surroundings? Example: comparing the skintone to the color of the sand nearby, or a building, and talking about "the sharp contrast" or the shared undertones. You can work in colors as needed, but basically, the idea is to use what's surrounding the character to help describe them.

Answer 9

I see, basically, two scenarios how your MC's dark complexion can be relevant and require special description.

• Your MC skin tone is darker than the average, to the point that it might influence the plot;
• Everyone's skin tone is darker than European white, and you want to convey that fact to the reader;

In first case, you can play on contrast between your character's skin tone and the others', invoking adjectives like "dusky" or "swarthy". In second case, you make a brief mention of people's skin color here and there, again playing on contrast with some objects, like white fabric on one's dress. Use of "tanned" can definitely be avoided.

I am wondering what metaphors and similes people of "non-white" cultures are using in their languages to describe dark complexion. In English, "brown" sounds too generic, while "dusky" or "swarthy" seem to have some negative connotations.

Answer 10

My first thought was to compare skin tones to well known foods, but a previous comment mentioned that this was borderline offensive to some people. You might use other natural objects - skin the color of various minerals, tree barks, clays, etc. (This also has the advantage that you can use a fictional tree to give an ethnic group a distinctive skin color you never actually describe.). Spill out a box of 64 or 128 crayons and look at names for all the skin colors.

If you want to use skin color as a proxy for ethnic group identity, consider also drawing on ethnic and regional dress and hair styles, accents, and even musical tastes to clump your characters into associative groups.

Also remember that skin tones are far more than just how dark one's skin is. Are there blue or yellow tones under that melanin? Reddish hints? What color are lips, palms, nipples (a friend once told a story about middle school gym class, getting stared at in the shower by a classmate who had never considered that nipples weren't all the same color.)

If you really want to mess with your readers, create an ethnic status hierarchy where it doesn't matter how dark your skin is but it is carefully noted how blue it is, or the shape of one's fingers, or the luster of one's hair, or height.

Answer 11

Learn your shades and synonyms.

There are many brownish colors that correspond roughly to skin tones, including caramel, coffee, and chocolate.

Ideally, you would choose a word that is commonplace to your character. E.g., you should not use "chocolate" in your setting because chocolate came to Europe in the 16th century from the Americas, and it took some time after that to become more widely available.