How to Draw Braids
Drawing braids can seem really complicated at first but it becomes quite easy once you get into the habit of drawing the basic shapes. I have created a free worksheet that you can grab below and print out to help you practice ^.^
4 Simple Steps to Drawing Braids
Step 1. Boxes
Draw boxes that connect at adjacent angles to create a zig-zag pattern in the middle
Use light lines in this step because these will be the guidelines for the next step in the process.
Pay attention to the proportions of these boxes, you can keep them all the same size or you can slowly make them smaller to give the braids a tapered shape.
These boxes can be thought of as upside-down hearts that are stacked on top of each other.
Step 2. Folds
Now draw the curved lines that fold underneath each of the braids, this is the most challenging step of the process because you have to visualize how these strands of hairs fold over and under each other.
Don’t be shy about erasing and trying this many times over, it takes lots of practice to get this to feel natural.
Step 3. Corners
Darken in the corners where the hairs fold into each other, these regions receive less light than the top portions of the strands.
Step 4. Shading Lines
Yay we made it to the fun and easy part, add lines that follow the direction of the strands. Add more lines towards the ends (where the hairs fold under) and fewer lines over the top.
Step 5. Practice
Repeat the process of drawing braids until you have gotten comfortable. Once it starts to feel easier, start drawing them bending and curving.
Use guidelines when possible, simplifying down the process will make everything much easier.
Get the first few steps down right before jumping to shading, the structure of the drawing is the most important part.
Here I have color coded the 3 hair sections used to fold braids. This makes it easier to see how these shapes come together.
Memorizing this step is slightly more advanced but I do think its useful to keep in mind how things are put together and the underlying structure we are trying to convey.
Whenever you are learning to draw, always lean towards simplifying down first and then building up complexity from there. Trying to learn everything all at once will only be draining and not very useful.
I would also recommend using photo reference as often as possible in the beginning and as you get more comfortable try to push towards relying on your memory. Transitioning between these two methods will help build your ability to draw things from imagination and allow for more creative freedom and fun! ^.^
This mini course is designed to help you learn how to draw flowing hair from imagination. We go through a series of drawing exercises to help you develop your drawing skills so that you will be able to draw hair with ease. The worksheets provide a very clear and concise way of practicing that will get you fast results. Let’s draw some flowy hair together!
The Basics of Drawing Hair
If you are interested in learning more about the basics of drawing hair I have a set of worksheets below that are designed to help you practice each stage of drawing hair. This method of learning is very efficient because I will be able to provide you specific exercises for each step. Let’s draw some more hair! ^.^
Learn how to draw hair with this 14-page workbook that will walk you through the stages of understanding how to draw any hairstyles.
Learning to draw can be frustrating and intimidating but with these worksheets, you will have a clear path forward and exercises to help you take things one step at a time!
This workbook is also part of the Portrait Drawing Bundle that you can grab here if you are interested in getting the whole collection!
In this 24 page workbook we will practice drawing 23 different hairstyles at 6 different angles each (total of 138 heads), I have found that this method of practice is great for developing the skills necessary to draw a variety of hairstyles :D
This is also a great drawing activity that is low pressure and straight forwards, it is much easier to draw with direct reference in front of you so its a good way to relax and have some fun drawing!
This workbook is also part of the Portrait Drawing Bundle that you can grab here if you are interested in getting the whole collection!