Step #1. Head shape

We wont be going over how to draw the headshape in this tutorial but I have a free tutorial with worksheets available here if you want help with this step

Step #2. Direction

Draw in some light guidelines with the direction you want the hair to flow. When drawing hair underwater, the hairs tend to flow outward and up from the skull. Notice how to direction lines in the examples are curved outward and then upward to capture how hair tends to flow underwater.

You can play a lot with the direction of the hair because the water could be moving in any direction, it could be flowing more horizontally which would make the hair flow similarly to how it flows in the wind. You could also spiral it upwards like a tornado if you would like, setting these early guidelines will make the rest of the process much easier

Step #3. Strands

Start adding in strands of hair, make sure to follow the guidelines of the previous step and think in 3 dimensions. Keep in mind that hair tends to be thicker towards the base and thinner towards the ends (as large forms, not as individual strands of hair).

Keep adding more hair until you have the hair complete.

Step #4. Render

Add rendering (shading) and complete out the hairstyle. If you are interested in more guidance on how to shade in this style, consider checking out the hair drawing mini-course where we go through some simple exercises to help us develop our rendering skills. 

Erase away any guidelines and refine the linework until you are happy with the drawing! ^.^ Make sure to practice lots because this doesn’t come naturally to anyone~

Hair Drawing Tips

Tip #1. Curve Variation

When drawing hair I recommend using variations in the curves of the hair to give it a more natural feeling. I tend to keep the curves larger towards the top (closer to the roots) and then smaller as the hair thins out. This happens because the hair tends to have more strands towards the base so there is more hair that needs to bend to create the initial curves.

Tip #2. Thick to Thin

Draw the chunks of hair thicker towards the base and then thinner towards the ends. This is just the result of how hair grows. Make sure to give your hair some volume by using these 3D forms.

Tip #3. Loose Strands

Once you have your large forms in place, add some loose strands of hair towards the end of the hair to give the hair more elegance. You can also add loose strands towards point of interest like hair ties and close to the ears.

I would recommend writing these 3 points down and then practicing them individually until they become second nature. If you look at your favorite portrait drawings with beautiful hair, you are likely to find that the artist has utilized these methods. There are obviously exceptions to these, but for most hairstyles, this works.

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!