How to Draw Hair

Have you ever tried to draw hair, just for it to end up looking unrealistic, flat, and monotone?

Today, I want to share my process, as well as tips and tricks, on how to draw realistic hair. I hope you can implement these strategies in your next drawing!

Today, I am using a pencil and an eraser. I recommend using a thin eraser - the back of the pencil works as well because it is more precise and easily accessible.

You can use both a mechanical and a regular pencil, it is up to you. It's not about the materials, but about the artist

First, I find a reference image. For this, Pinterest is my go-to - it is a giant bank of photos of all sorts, where you can easily find thousands of related images. Make sure not to get too carried away 😅

For any artwork, a reference is key. No, this is not cheating - it helps your drawing be more realistic and you're less likely to make mistakes. This is the one I chose - I like the elegance of the girl and her braid ✨

First, we want to make a rough sketch, where the hair is sectioned into pieces.

This is especially relevant if you are drawing a brain, but even if the hair is down, you may still want to separate It into sections.

it is okay if this part is very simple, it is just important to have all the bits of the drawing mapped out. Make sure it's not too messy, this will distract and confuse you later.

We are still in the sketching stage. Now, you want to map out the direction of the hair - the clusters of hair strands, and what way they go.

Now, you can start drawing the hair! 👩‍🎨

One of the most important aspects of a good hair drawing is the light and dark ☯. There must be lighter, darker, and super dark bits - otherwise, it all melts into one big, grey blur.

Because nature is not perfect, try not to draw in a pattern - mix up where the shadows and highlights are, this is more realistic than consistently spaced dark and light strokes.

Also, I recommend mapping out the very dark parts - such as I did on the brain here - this will help keep you organized.

Next, I am still mapping out the darkest areas and separating the hair into sections. 🗺

This process is time-consuming because it is just a lot of strokes over and over, but make sure not to rush it 🏃‍♀️. Remember to keep the balance of shadow to highlights even, and varied.

After you feel like you are done, add what I call "rogue strands"

This is the frizz that all real-life hair has. It adds an extra realistic kick, and even if in the reference photo the hair seems combed, I recommend adding a few sticking-out strands, with different pressure and direction

And you are done! Good luck to you, artists 🎨