how to get better at drawing anime hair

by Prof. Cedrick Prosacco 3 min read
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Part of a video titled How to Draw Hair | ANY HAIRSTYLES Tutorial with 10 Art Tips
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So if you were to shade the hair you would actually draw more lines than the places that areMoreSo if you were to shade the hair you would actually draw more lines than the places that are supposed to be shaded in right. But again you can be stylistic with it want to be loose.

Why is drawing anime hair so hard?

Hair is a very complex subject to draw, because it's like a substance that can take many shapes and forms. Because of this, manga artists have developed a special method of simplifying hair.

How can I improve my anime drawing style?

11 Tips To Get Better At Drawing Anime – Step By Step GuideGet Into A Drawing Routine.Learn Basic Anatomy.Learn To Draw In Perspective.Learn About Value (Light and Dark)Practice Mindfully.Learn From The Pros By Using References.Learn About Composition.Study Different Drawing Styles.More items...

Why is drawing hair so hard?

Hair is very difficult to draw, because what we see is different than what we know. You can't simply draw all the hairs in the form of lines, because that's not what we see when we look at hair. What we see must be simplified to lines and shades, and there are many ways to do it.

How do you draw anime hair easy?

4:4819:20[TUTORIAL] How to DRAW Anime Hair! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOne thing you also want to make sure that you're not doing is drawing the hair right on top of theMoreOne thing you also want to make sure that you're not doing is drawing the hair right on top of the head uh this can cause the hair to look super flat. And kind of really ugly.

Is drawing anime hard?

At first, anime may seem like an easy drawing style, but it is not as easy as it looks; anime drawing is rather hard. Anime is hard to draw because it requires the artist to have proper knowledge about anatomy, perspective, value, and many other drawing fundamentals, which aren't easy to master.

How can I practice my anime anatomy?

0:1421:05Drawing Anime Anatomy Practice | Sketchbook Drawing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's pretty much just gonna be gesture. Almost but also just practicing in general the moving aroundMoreIt's pretty much just gonna be gesture. Almost but also just practicing in general the moving around the human anatomy but all right enough talking let's get into it.

What is the hardest thing to draw?

List Of The Top 10 Hardest Things To DrawHands.Faces.Hair.The Other Eye.Horses.Vehicles.Skulls.Alligators.More items...

How do you draw wavy?

2:565:47How to Draw Wavy Hair - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFocusing on the contrast between the shadows and highlights really creates the illusion of volume.MoreFocusing on the contrast between the shadows and highlights really creates the illusion of volume. Um i think the best way to do a drawing like this where you've got wavy.

How can I realistic my hair?

4:0814:42How to Draw Realistic Hair with Graphite Pencils - Tutorial - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSkin I'm always like using lines that flow with the direction of the hair and I keep blending withMoreSkin I'm always like using lines that flow with the direction of the hair and I keep blending with that blending stump after each layer to make sure that it's really smooth.

What do anime hair colors mean?

Meaning, in most cases, the color of an anime character's hair does not reflect some natural hair color or a racial stereotype – instead, it is supposed to be a hint towards their personality and their role in the plot.

How do you draw a hairline?

4:0512:20How to Draw HAIR Tutorial 【 Basic Tips for Beginners】 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut it also Falls very flat or it falls very straight down from the forehead area so it's alwaysMoreBut it also Falls very flat or it falls very straight down from the forehead area so it's always just easier to start drawing. The hair from the the head or from the forehead area or the hairline.

How do you cut anime bangs?

0:113:02How To Cut Bangs - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what you're going to want to do is just start by parting the bangs here in the front. And thenMoreSo what you're going to want to do is just start by parting the bangs here in the front. And then parting the sides. So I'll just go ahead and put this behind my ears and I'll clip it into place.

Why do anime have hair?

Like clothing, anime hair can help you bring out your character’s personality.

How to draw a hairline?

Start by following the curvature of the head, and then straighten each line once you’re halfway down. Afterward, connect each end of the hair to the hairline using a line. Add some details to the hair by drawing several lines from the roots to the ends of the hair. Get rid of the lines that indicate the head and the hairline.

How to draw a spiky hairstyle?

To achieve this look, you’ll need to draw a few spiky sections. The sections should come down from the hairline and curve to one side. Outline the top, sides, and ends of the hair. Sketch curved lines along both sides of the head, down to where you want the hair to end.

How to give hair depth?

Give the hair more depth by adding some detail inside the outline. Add some lines to break up the hair sections.

How to draw a head arch?

Measure 1/5 th of the height of the head and draw an arch from one side of the head to the other. Make sure you follow the curvature of the head as you draw.

Why do anime have hair and eyes?

Hair and eyes in anime are often used to express emotions and a character’s personality, so they’re usually given more details than in real life. But this is drawing, so there aren’t any complex rules for this! Let your hand flow, and practice your creativity. Take a look at your favorite anime drawings.

How to make eyebrows transparent?

You can easily do that by locking the lineart layer, and then coloring with a color that’s darker than the hair, or lighter . Try it out; it depends on the hair color you are using, and if your lineart is set as multiply or not.

What to do if playback doesn't begin?

If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.

Can you use multiply blending mode on hair?

But if you are working with complicated hair like a rainbow or gradient, you can set a new layer on top in Multiply blending mode, and test out which colors work better without messing up the gradient.

Can you airbrush white hair?

Yes, even white hair! I like to airbrush the skin color on the bangs, so when I add white highlights on top, it will show! If you don’t know which color to use, you can take the hair color, create a new layer, set the blending mode to Add (Glow), and then add blobs, triangles, lines, etc.

Do you need to overzoom to make a face on a screen?

You don’t need to over-zoom and glue your face on the screen to be sure the lines are perfect! To be quite honest, you are likely to be the only one that will be able to spot your small mistakes. The brush for lineart can be the same as for sketching, but this will depend on how you want it to look.

Is it good to work with S curves?

Also, it’s good to work with S curves. Even if the hair is straight, it can be a long open S, making the hair look light and flowy. With wavy hair, the S curves will be more visible! For perfectly curly hair, I use a different technique. I first draw a spring and define the front part.

The basics of hair

In today’s article, we’re going to be splitting the basics of hair illustration into three steps – “hair growth”, “different sections of hair”, and finally “hair length and type”. The way hair is drawn can vary greatly depending on all those different points.

Consider the origin of the hair to get the flow right

This is the key point to drawing natural, believable hair styles! Think about where the hair is starting from on the head – the hair “whorl” and the crown of the head.

Draw the hair in bundles rather than individual strands

In anime illustration, we draw hair in bundles rather than drawing each strand separately. It’s also important to remember that the hair should not be glued down flat to the head – we want to give the hair room to breathe between “bundles”, to give the hair volume and movement.

What does hair type and length tell us about a character?

As I mentioned earlier, in manga and anime, we generally want our audience to be able to recognise our character from their outline alone! This helps make them a more memorable character. Hair forms a big part of a character’s all-important silhouette, so let’s take a look at some different types and styles.

What does fringe length tell us about a character?

C・・・A side fringe makes for a more intelligent, sensible or well-grounded character

How to Draw Anime and Manga Hair

First start with the basics of drawing hair. The simple short hairs for anime can be drawn in three simple steps.

Drawing Different Styles of Anime Hairstyles for Female

Here are some different illustrations showing how to drawings anime and manga hairstyles for a female character. Different hairstyles have different approaches to draw and given below are some of the popular anime hairstyles examples.

Conclusion

There can be a many different styles of hair which you can draw. Some of them are covered in the above Illustration. You can use the above illustration and can combine it to form a new type of hairstyle which Suits your character.

How to study anime drawing?

One great way to study different anime drawing styles is by drawing characters from your favorite animes. For example, if I compare Baccano! to One Piece or Code Geass to Shingeki No Kyojin, the differences between them are huge. However, they all maintain the same drawing principles, so the more you draw different anime styles, the more similarities you’ll find and start to understand.

How much time should I spend drawing anime?

When determining your drawing routine, I recommend you dedicate at least one hour a day to it. However, if you can practice drawing for more hours a day, by all means, do it. Depending on the amount of time you draw daily, the time it takes to learn to draw anime can be shorter.

Why is composition important for drawing?

Composition is one drawing fundamental many beginner artists don’t study. It is natural not to do it since composition is more related to the background or scenario of a drawing. However, learning composition will help you learn how to guide people into seeing what you want them to see, use size scales that make sense, and make your drawings more artistic overall.

How to make your drawings look better?

That’s, in fact, the natural process of learning anything. Just keep drawing and practicing every day ; when you give yourself the time to improve, results will naturally show.

What do you learn from drawing references?

When you use references, you technically learn everything from them, whether it’s good or bad. So if you study drawings from an artist that makes mistakes, you’ll learn those mistakes. Try to follow artists you know are very good or have a good drawing background.

How to draw perspective?

The best way to approach perspective is by drawing simple shapes like squares, triangles, circles, etc. If you can draw that and understand it, you’ll have a much easier time applying that to faces, bodies, and anything else. Learning to draw simple figures in perspective is relatively simple, so if you feel like you learned it very fast, you can try with some complex figures, like skulls (which are very important for face anatomy).

How to study anatomy?

The approach to study basic anatomy is to sketch, not draw. Fill as many pages as you can with sketches of what you’re learning, and you will see results very quickly.

What makes a drawing look interesting?

The composition is another thing, that will make your drawings look more interesting. The composition is a weird subject and a lot of compositional rules can take a little getting used to. But these rules are surprisingly effective. So try it out and see for yourself.

When drawing a picture, should you keep it simple?

There are already so many things, that you have to care about and keep in mind. Like light, composition, anatomy and more. So try and keep the message of the picture and the shapes as well as the design as simple as possible .

Why do you use reference images in drawing?

S o use Reference Images to Enhance the feel, mood, and accuracy of your Drawing but don´t just copy parts of the Reference Image and add it to your drawing. It won´t help you and it will not look good.

Do you have to overdo it to draw a story?

You don´t have to overdo it. On the contrary, telling a story in a subtle way will sometimes be more effective than an overcomplicated one. So, learn how to tell a story and you will see, your drawings will become more interesting.

Can learning to draw be demotivating?

Learning how to draw can be a little demotivating. Especially, if you have the feeling, that you are not Improving. So I collected 15 Tips, that can help you to improve.

Is anatomy part of drawing?

Anatomy is part of the Fundamentals of drawing but it is so Important, that I mention it here as a separate point. Learning Anatomy should be the very first thing, that you learn when you are drawing figures.

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Using References

Sketching Tips

  • I start hair just thinking of the general outline without giving much attention to details: when sketching, only the general shape matters. If you don’t know where the hair starts in the head, think of the skull, and add some padding. A simple line in the middle should be enough to represent that. You can make the top part more complex as you learn...
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About Lineart

  • Depending on the drawing, I will clean up the sketch instead of creating lineart. By “clean up”, I mean I will erase the messy lines and go over them when necessary, giving it a different feeling than a perfectly clean line. I feel this helps me relax about art and not worry too much about details. You don’t need to over-zoom and glue your face on the screen to be sure the lines are pe…
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Shading

  • Once you have the base color added, define where your light source is. Remember your basic lessons about ball shading? Do exactly that. To do this, lay out a general shape with the shading color. Once you have the general shape defined, you can polish it until your liking. But as you are still learning, you don’t need to go fancy on the shading. Go slowly, within the scope of what you …
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Highlights

  • This part is very fun, and there are many ways to add shine to the hair. Yes, even white hair! I like to airbrush the skin color on the bangs, so when I add white highlights on top, it will show! If you don’t know which color to use, you can take the hair color, create a new layer, set the blending mode to Add (Glow), and then add blobs, triangles, lines, etc. Any shape works, so do what fits y…
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Conclusion

  • Maybe you’re still unsure how to draw hair even after this tutorial, but I don’t expect you to suddenly be a pro. As I always say, art takes time. So at the very least, take away this important point from this: use references! I can’t repeat this enough but make sure to use them mindfully. I believe you don’t actually need a step-by-step to learn something. Instead, try to understand thin…
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