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I was wondering why it is relatively common to see a fantasy unit with differing colours for their clothing etc, but rarely are they painted with a variety of skin tones? Is there a reason for this? I was wondering whether it could be that varieties in tone (around a particular colour) can't be detected that easily on the table top (compared to a green vs yellow shirt for example) and so people don't bother.

I'm sure there are some people who paint their units in a variety of flesh tones. However, decent skin tones are hard to mix consistently, and can be difficult to shade/highlight. It's really easy to end up going too pink, or too pale, etc... Most people are content to just buy pots of flesh colour, and I guess once they find a system or combination that works, they're more than happy to stick with it.

I wouldn't read too much into it.

most people just are not good enough to put it bluntly and then the secondary reason is time and effort.

For example currently I am painting tzeentch which is lots of color changes. To go from a bright blue to a dark purple, which isn't that big a stretch color wise, adds an additional hour or 2 per model on just a flamer which is pretty close in size to a lot of models in 40k you would call "troops".
lets assume we have a flesh heavy army of at least 60 models such as orks, tyranids, daemons etc. At 2 extra hours a model we're talking 120 hours and I'm sure there are some larger models so that may be another 20.

all of the above is predicated on the idea that you have a heavy flesh tone army. If we are just talking faces and small areas like dark eldar wyches or space marine faces most people prob won't deem the effort wortht he reward on a trooper
very realistic human skin tone is also incredibly hard to do as smacks said you can go too far one way or another.

probably because people paint the units in bulk, thus will do all the flesh tones in one go, as opposed to individually.

People usually buy things that remind them off themselves like dogs ect. Which is why people tend to look like their dog it is more trust worthy when it looks like you.

So when people buy something and paint it, it is not a lack of effort or lack of skill it is them painting themselves. Which is why I see alot of black people with black space marines or salamanders and alot of northern guys like your truly ending up with space wolves.

What ever characteristic you like tends to come out in other fashions and you gravitate towards that.

So unless you have a dear friend of family member of a different colour or just got out of highschool you will tend to paint them the same colour as your family and friends.