How To Draw Hair with Nauthy-Kitty

Creator of this tutorial: http://naughty-kittykitty.deviantart.com/



Drawing hair can be one of the most complex area's to drawing anime/manga characters, and it can really change the look and personality of a character. With a little practice though, it can become second nature. This tutorial is a bit like a guide, since there are so many styles I could spend a year looking at the different types and styles!






When I draw hair, I start with the hair around the front of the face first. This can start to give the feel for the rest of the hair style, and is pretty important because it frames the face. There are all sorts of styles to go for, fringes or no fringes, flowing over the face or pulled back. Flow with hair is very important (as this is the way hair grows, it should be drawn the same direction), I almost always start from the roots and the top of the head and work my way down, ending at the bottom of the head at the back. To the left are a few basic variations, and from these you could create hundreds of hairstyles (men and women).





I've decided to run with the first fringe for this step and go for a woman's hair style. After drawing the fringe, you can start to create the rest of the hair. You could basically do anything you like but I'll run with a hairstyle half pulled back and half loose at the bottom. I start by drawing the hair that's pulled back from behind the fringe line to the back of the head. Because its quite tight I used more lines to emphasise it. Then I move onto drawing the bulk part of the pony tail. I added in small details like shorter strands to make it more lively and show layering to the length of hair. Finally I add the hair that flows down, hanging over her shoulders. TIP: Remember, hair isn't heavy, but it's still effected by gravity!




Guy's hair can really change their personality. Longer flowing hair might make him seem perhaps more feminine, emotional, or carefree. Whereas shorter cropped hair or very slicked back hair can make a guy seem more manly, serious, or perhaps irritable. Here is an example of middle length flowing hair. If you draw long or short hair it follows the same rules, start from the front and work with the way the roots grow. If you're having a hard time working out the flow of the hair, study your own, boyfriend/girlfriends, friends hair, or a magazine (no excuses, do your homework ^_^ )






Forming other parts of hairstyles:
Now that you have the basic idea of how a hair style works, I'll show you in more detail how to form great looking hair!

1. This is wavy hair, and pretty common. Often people have very curly hair when it's short, but as it gets longer the weight of the hair tends to pull out some of the curl, and you end up with waves. Add little details on the inside of the waves to create more realistic hair!

2. Curly hair is possibly the hardest to get a grip on drawing due to the details. Forming ringlets like this might take a bit of practice but it's worth it. Add little curly flicks at the bottom for a cute yet realistic look :"3

3. Wavy but more wild, add strands flicking off in different directions to give a hair style a messy fashionable look.

4. Straight hair, very common for Asian people, but can be found in many cultures. The first strand is layered or "chipped" hair, which has a soft end to it, and straight hair that has been cut directly across. They work off the same principle but can both have very different looks.

5. These are clumps of shorter hair, combine this sort of thing together and get a wavy or spiky hair cut. There are also small curls for a short curly hair cut.




Drawing braided hair is another one of those really difficult things to do, so here is how to and a few extras.

1. This is the common braid, using 3 strands of hair. First start from the top (Like always) and work down slowly, drawing the left hand section first, then overlapping it with a top section. TIP: Draw a guide line where you want the braid to flow to, that way your braid looks more natural, and when you draw it just follow the line! Simple eh?

2. Twisted hair. For most people this hair style doesn't really stay in properly, but it does look effective in Illustrations. Draw the main section lines first, then you can go back up the other side and close the gaps. Because this is more simple than the common braid, you can use this instead and it looks just as effective!

3. Buns. They can be created by not fully pulling a pony tail through the hair tie, leaving a looped over bun section and the ends of the hair hanging out the bottom. Others are created by wrapping all the hair together and then fastening it. Remember hair has texture so don't just draw a flat round ball unless the unrealistic style is what your going for!

4. Pony tails! The first one is for wavy-ish hair style, and a bit layered. Some of the top hair can't reach as well as the bottom hair. Long and straight hair is next, you can layer that too, though the layered parts wont stick out the same as the wavy hair. Braids again, this is how they sit when done up in a ponytail. Finally a rat's tail type pony tail. Looks great on anime guys! The thing to remember is when someones hair is out it's long, then when it's tied back it gets shorter, and then when it's braided it gets even shorter still. Just something to keep in mind when you draw ^_^





Here's a few good examples of how the different hair styles sit, see how they are totally different styles but the sit in a very similar way. I've also drawn examples of hair blowing in the wind for wavy/curly hair and straight hair. With wavy hair it will get messier than the straight but they will both have fly away strands of hair ^_^
So now it's up to you! now remember, the more practice you do, the better you'll get (and the crazier hair styles you can manage!) It will be easier to plan out hair it it will start coming naturally to you so don't fret if you can't get it quite right the first time. If you get a bit lost for ideas, play with your own hair or a friends, look in magazines and on the web, you'll get inspiration in no time!

Good bye to bad hair and see you next tutorial!