The Fitzpatrick Scale
The Fitzpatrick scale is a numerical classification system for skin tone developed by Harvard dermatologist Thomas B. Fitzpatrick in 1975. It classifies skin's general response to UV light. The scale goes from I (fairest) to VI (darkest).
I'm using it to provide a sort of rough guide to character skin tone variety as an artistic aid. This page was cobbled together from the following sources: Wikipedia, SkinCancer.Org, Zeel
Type I (0-6)
- White; very fair; freckles; typical albino skin.
- Always burns, never tans.
Men: Hugh Grant, Prince Harry
Type II (7-12)
- White; fair.
- Usually burns, tans with difficulty.
Men: Prince William, Neil Patrick Harris, Owen Wilson, Chris Martin
Type III (13-18)
- Beige; very common.
- Sometimes mild burn, gradually tans to a light brown.
Men: Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Robert Pattinson, Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, John Stamos, Enrique Iglesias
Type IV (19-24)
- Beige with a brown tint; typical Mediterranean Caucasian skin.
- Infrequently burns, tans with ease to a moderate brown.
Men: Derek Jeter, Dev Patel, Cory Booker
Type V (25-30)
- Dark brown.
- Rarely burns, tans very easily.
Men: Tiger Woods, Kal Penn, Barack Obama
Type VI (31+)
- Black.
- Very rarely burns, tans very easily, deeply pigmented.
Men: Taye Diggs, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Nick Cannon, 50 Cent, Jay Z, Kobe Bryant, Kanye West, Seal