How To Draw Hair Digital
It’s hard to deny that drawing realistic hair digitally can seem impossible. Even experienced digital artists will answer affirmatively to this statement. But don’t let that make you feel like it’s too hard, because it’s not! With a few tips and tricks, you can create beautiful, life-like hair in no time.
If you want to draw hair digitally, you should start by studying existing works. It’s the quickest way to understand the essentials of drawing digital hair. You can find amazing hair artistry on websites like Pinterest, ArtStation, and Instagram. Spend some time looking at the techniques they use. You’ll start to get an idea of where to begin.
Once you’ve studied the different styles of hair art, you’ll want to understand the tools and techniques available to create your own digital hair art. You can create a digital paintbrush using the Brush Tool or try using the Pen Tool to draw individual strands of hair. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Experiment with both to find which tool you prefer.
The texture of your digital hair will also make your artwork look realistic. For this, use varying line widths, patterns, and brush shapes to create a realistic texture. This will be especially important when drawing curly, wavy, and textured hair.
The same goes for color. Add color to your digital hair art and study how to blend your paintbrush strokes together. You can use the gradient tool to smoothly blend lighter and darker shades of your chosen color. When in doubt, never forget you can use the smudge tool to add texture, depth, and shine.
Texture and Highlights
Now that you have the basics set, you can break away from the one-dimensional look of the digital hair. Do this by adding texture and highlights to bring the digital art to life. To add texture, pay close attention to the different sections of your digital art, like the top, fringe, or sides. You can use the brush tool to create subtle or wild textures. Focus on creating soft, gentle strokes and then use the smudge tool to give the art depth and character.
Highlights can then be added to add interest to your art. Use the gradient tool and paintbrush tool to add subtle lights and darks. Weave these around the hair to make the hair look glossy and shiny. This will make your artwork look more realistic and give it a certain degree of realism.
The last thing to consider is the shadows your digital hair will have. If you have light sources, you should plan out the shadows accordingly. This will add texture and depth to your digital art. Use the brush and eraser tools to block in the light and dark sections of your art, then you can create realistic shadows with your brush.
Color and Reflection
The next step is adding color to your digital art. You can vary the colors and shades within the hair to make it more interesting. You can also add a slight iridescence to create a glowing, lush effect. Make sure to use a variety of colors as this will add richness to your artwork.
You also want to focus on adding reflections to your digital art. Reflections usually create a more realistic effect, so make sure to add them to your artwork. Start by building a base with the gradient tool, then use the brush tool to draw gloss, shadows, and highlights. Use the smudge tool to blend the reflections and blend them with the background.
Defining the Hair
Finally, you need to define your digital art. To do this, use the eraser tool to draw out the shapes of the hair. You’ll need to make sure that each strand fits together in an organic way and doesn’t look overly rigid. You can also draw out the shape of the hair using the pen tool to create precise, structured shapes.
Now that you’ve made the shapes of the hair, you can start adding details. Switch back to the brush tool and make sure to focus on the direction of each strand. Once again, use the smudge tool to blend the colors and textures together. This will help add a smooth, realistic finish to your digital art.
Finishing Touches
The last step is to make your artwork feel complete. To do this, add extra details like flyaway hairs, frizziness, and curve your lines slightly to make them look more organic.
You can also add in chaos to give your artwork a sense of motion. To do this, use the smudge tool to draw out strands. Keep the movements spontaneous and add details wherever you think they’ll add the most interest.
Finally, you can finish off your artwork by adding a few finishing touches. Nothing too drastic, just a few well-placed highlights and some glints of light. These will add a sense of life and realism to your digital artwork.
With these tips, you should now be able to confidently draw realistic hair digitally. With the right tools and techniques, you can create beautiful, life-like hair in no time. So go ahead and start drawing!
