Hi! I'm JTian and I'll be giving some tips on how I usually draw hair! This is my first tutorial, so I hope it's of some help! Leave comments below if you want to see something be added or elaborated on (EX: certain hairstyles, back of head etc.)!

General overview

So we're going to start off with the base, which in this case would be a bald head.

Something to be aware of, is that the head isn't flat (obviously). I always wondered why the hair I drew was so flat, but remembering to draw the back of the head will definitely add dimension and depth to your character's hair.

The next thing to note before beginning to draw in the hair, is the hairline. Don't start your hair at the top of the head (it'll look super unnatural!!).

THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!

The hairline shouldn't be a perfect line around the head!! Everyone has a unique hairline and there are going to be curves and points (Ex: widow's peak)

Also, don't forget that girls have sideburns too!

First, we're going to take a look at bangs. For classic bangs, we're going to start from one point slightly above the hairline we drew (or took note of) at the beginning.

Then, draw the bangs in the indicated directions (they should go around the head). Because there should be some space between the forehead and your bangs, at no place should the bangs be completely straight. There should always be some form of curvature to your lines.

Next up are side bangs. First, indicate the part that you want. In this case, I chose a center part. The hair should fall around the head starting at the center part line. Notice that I have some hair tucked in on the right side of the face. That is because if the hair were to go straight down, it would cover the face.

The same concepts apply to other parts in the hair, such as the side part shown here.

Now we're going to take a look at hair when it's pulled back. REMEMBER to follow the hairline!!! Similarly to having hair let down, you should draw the hair towards a certain point. Choose a point on the back of the head (unseen), and draw the hair starting from the hairline and ending at that point. DON'T draw straight lines (Remember that the head is round!!) and use curves instead). Your lines shouldn't have to be uniform (some lines are short and some long!! ).

Add baby hairs!!!!!! Everyone has them!

Now we're going to take a look at the hair in the middle and towards the back of the head. Remember to follow the center/side part!! However, the part should end at the top of the head. Towards the back of the head, hair should drape downwards without a part dividing it from side to side.

IMPORTANT!!!

This is where drawing the back of the head is super important and necessary!!! Drawing the back of the head indicates how much volume should be given to the hair so that your head won't look too flat or enlarged.

Now we're going to look at ponytails. Like I said earlier, the hair being pulled back should arrive at one point. For ponytails, that point should be your new starting point. from that point, draw hair going down, but notice that the start of the ponytail is curved. This is to provide depth to the ponytail.

 

This part doesn't only apply to ponytails but also all hairstyles. For a more natural look, add individual strands of stray hair. Just add a few! Overdoing it and adding too much will give it a messy look (which might just be the vibe you're going for!!). The individual strands should never be uniform (that will make the drawing even more stiff and will defeat the purpose of having the individual strands to begin with).

Specific Hairstyles Examples

Take note of the last example with the pigtails. In this case, the hair at the back of the head is parted in order to create the pigtails. Also, notice that like a ponytail, the hair goes from the part to a single focal point. Then that single focal point becomes the starting point for the pigtail.

Thank you for reading!!