Hello! This is the third installment in our "Level Up Your Coloring" series, and today we're covering how to color realistic hair.
Last time we finished coloring the face, so this time, as a continuation, we'll focus on the hair.
Let's keep working together with more realistic texture and depth in mind.
Key Points for This Lesson
3 Elements That Make Hair Look Realistic
To make hair look realistic, these 3 elements are important.
- Shine (light)
- A sense of strands (fine flow)
- Dimension (roundness and depth of the head)
Keeping these 3 things in mind lets you express natural, flowing hair.
① Lay the base (leave room for brightness)
First, color the base while keeping the bright areas in mind.
- Color lightly in areas you want to keep bright
- Leave some blank space so you can add light later
At this stage, "not overcoloring" is what matters most.
② Add shadows to create strands
Next, add shadows using a slightly darker color.
The key is to deliberately leave line-like stroke marks.
- Line marks → become the divisions between strands
- Fine strokes → express the flow of the hair
This step really brings out that "bundled strand" feeling in the hair.
③ Focus on shine and dimension
The shine of hair directly connects to its sense of dimension.
- Keep the roundness of the head in mind
- Keep the light source consistent
Especially in wide areas, layering fine lines to separate strands creates a more natural finish.
Also, darkening the areas further back creates a sense of depth.
④ Layer colors for natural variation
Realistic hair can't be expressed with a single color.
- Adjust brightness with beige tones
- Mix in a little pink or red
Adding tones that match the surrounding flowers creates overall unity.
👉 Point
"Blend it in subtly, without making it stand out too much."
This alone gives an instantly more natural impression.
⑤ Bring out depth by being mindful of overlap
Hair always overlaps.
- Strands that come forward
- Strands hidden behind
Coloring with this relationship in mind creates perspective and dimension.
⑥ Finish with black and white
Finally, use black and white to make adjustments.
How to use black
- Layer it over the line art to blend it in
- Emphasize shadows to create contrast
How to use white
- Add highlights
- Emphasize the light
Creating dark areas makes the bright areas stand out even more.
⑦ Use an eraser for corrections
If an area gets too dark, a stick-type eraser is recommended.
- Use it with a light stroking motion
- Don't scrub it hard
It can also create natural-looking highlights, making it very handy for final adjustments.
Summary
Tips for drawing realistic hair
- Keep line marks to suggest strands
- Layer colors to create natural variation
- Use light and dark to create dimension
- Be mindful of shine = the position of light
Keeping just these 4 points in mind will instantly level up your hair coloring.
Next Time
Next time, as a continuation of the "Level Up Your Coloring" series, we'll cover how to color flowers.
Let's keep building our skills together!