🔘INTRODUCTION

Are you struggling to draw hair that feels alive and dynamic? Does your artwork often look flat and stiff? If you're looking to achieve that radiant glow but aren't sure how, stay with me ‘til the end because I’m here to help!

This tutorial will help you draw hair in different hairstyles and how to shade it. I’m Yelo, and I’m here to help you with your problem. So, if you’ve ever struggled with drawing hair that feels stiff or flat, this tutorial is definitely for you.

 

This is applicable to artists who use a phone, tablet, laptop, and PC.

🔘VIDEO TUTORIAL

We’re going to break things down step by step—sketching, lineart, base colors, shading, and highlights. And most importantly, I’ll show you how Clip Studio Paint makes the process easier and more fun. So, let’s get started!

🔘CHOOSING A HAIRSTYLE

First things first: what kind of hairstyle are you drawing? The hairstyle should match your character’s personality. For example:

🔹Long Straight Hair

Usually gives a calm or elegant vibe.

🔹Short Spiky/Messy Hair

Feels more rebellious or energetic.

🔹Wavy/Curly Hair

Can feel more romantic or playful.

🔘RED AND GREEN GUIDELINES

Next, let’s talk about a really helpful tip: guidelines—specifically the red and green lines you’ve probably seen in hair studies online.

🔹Red Lines

Red lines are usually used for the bangs and hairline. They help you place the front part of the hair correctly, and they show how the hair falls from the crown.

🔹Green Lines

Green lines are often used to map out the outer shape and movement of the hair, especially for longer strands.

 

These aren’t random colors—they help you break the hair into chunks and make sure it flows naturally from the scalp.

 

So before I draw the final lines, I lightly sketch out the red and green guides to plan everything.

🔘BRUSHES AND TOOLS IN CLIP STUDIO PAINT

Now, let’s talk about the brushes I use in Clip Studio Paint:

🔹Pencil

For the sketch, I like using the Real Pencil or Rough Pencil because they feel natural.

🔹G-Pen/Turnip Pen

For lineart, I usually go with the Turnip Pen or G-Pen—nice and clean.

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🔹Fill Tool

For the base colors, I use the Fill Tool with “refer other layers” turned on to color quickly or manually color it.

🔹Airbrush

When it comes to shading, I switch to the Airbrush, Turnip Pen, or sometimes the Flat Brush for painterly effects.

 

You don’t need a hundred brushes—just find a few that work for your style and stick with them.

🔘LAYER SETUP

Here’s how I organize my layers to keep things neat and flexible:

🔹Sketch Layer

Rough and light. The sketch layer is important for drafting.

🔹Lineart Layer

Clean lines at the top. Lineart is a clean outline for your artwork.

🔹Base Color Layer

Placed under the lineart.

🔹Shading layer

Clipped to the base and set to Multiply.

🔹Highlight layer

Usually on Add Glow or Screen.

🔹Extra effects layer

Optional for glows or colored lighting.

 

This way, you can adjust shadows or highlights later without messing up your base color.

🔘DRAWING HAIR STEP-BY-STEP

Let me walk you through a simple hairstyle example:

🔹Sketch The Head

Basic head shape for proper hair placement.

🔹Chunks, Not Strands

Sketch hair in chunks, not strands. Think of the flow: front, sides, back.

🔹Refine With Lineart

Taper your strokes. Thick at the roots, thin at the tips.

🔹Base Color

Flat tone using the fill tool.

🔹Add Shadows

With Multiply layer. Shade under the bangs, behind the ears, and where hair overlaps.

🔹Add Highlights

With an Add or Screen layer. These go on the top edges or wherever light hits directly.

🔹Final Touches

Strands, soft gradients, or glow effects if needed.

🔘CHOOSING HAIR COLORS

🔹Midtone

Base – Pick your midtone, like light brown or pastel pink.

🔹Deeper Tone

Shadows – go for a deeper tone with maybe a hint of coolness.

🔹Brighter Or Warmer Tone

Highlights – use a brighter or warmer tone, like peach or pale yellow.

 

And if you want even more dimension, add a second highlight or a gradient overlay.

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🔘THE 6-COLOR HAIR PALETTE

🔹Darkest Shadow

This is used for the parts of the hair that are hidden from light, like underneath layers or behind ears.

🔹Mid Shadow

This blends between the dark areas and the base color. It softens the transition from dark to normal.

Example: a duller or deeper version of the base

🔹Base Color

This is the true hair color of the character. It fills most of the hair.

🔹Light Tone

Used where light starts to hit the hair. This color is often a little warmer or brighter than the base.

🔹Highlight

Used for the parts of the hair that are bright and shiny, like the top of the head or hair tips.

🔹Glow/Edge Light

This is the brightest highlight, like when sunlight hits the hair. It’s often close to white or a pastel tint.

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🔘FINAL TIPS

Alright, before we wrap up, here are some extra tips:

 

🔹Use clipping layers to stay clean and organized.

🔹Add soft gradients on top for lighting.

🔹Reference real hairstyles and study how hair flows.

🔹Don't draw every single strand—group the hair into shapes first, then add strands as detail.

 

The more you practice this, the easier it gets.

 

 

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🔘PROCESS

Now I'll let you see the process I used and how I rendered the hair.

🔹Timelapse

Here’s the process or timelapse. I don’t mind if some areas are a bit messy; perfection isn’t necessary as long as you achieve the desired result.

🔹Result

As you may notice, I didn’t render the eyes, face, or skin of the characters because my focus today is on drawing hair. I intentionally emphasized the hair to make it stand out more than the face.

🔘CONCLUSION

That’s it for this tutorial! I hope you found this helpful.

 

Always remember that every hard part becomes easy when you keep learning and learning. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it doesn’t have to impress people, do it your passion, and motivation to keep sharing your learning and arts to other. Be an artist with dedication!

 

If you liked it, don’t forget to like, comment, and follow for more tips and improvements.

 

Let's learn together. Try those tips in Clip Studio Paint now for a fast and easy process and enjoy!