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Realistic Hair Tutorial
  

This tutorial describes step by step how to create hair that you see on my doll Tiana. This technique is best for large dolls where you have enough room to draw. Another example of applying this technique would be my doll Lessien.

Step 1. Start by choosing the color for the hair. Create four shades of that color. I usually work with four shades but actually it's enough to have only three. For this doll I selected color blue so my hair palette contains four shades of blue from the very dark one to the lightest one. Start by making the darkest shade of blue. Then make it a bit lighter for the next one; and once more for the third one, and once again lighter for the last shade. I normally select the lightest shade to be way lighter then the previous. This will give nice highlights to the hair.
click here to see larger picture

Step 2. Draw the outline of the hair with the darkest blue color. This step is very specific for every doll and for every hairstyle you choose. I can only give you a few suggestions here.

  • In most cases hair has a volume. Don't just trace the shape of the head, draw beyond it.
  • Avoid straight lines when drawing hair, use curved lines instead.
  • Don't forget the obstacles, hair should go around an ear, hair might lay flat or curve slightly on a shoulder.

DO NOT copy this hairstyle! Create your own please. Click the picture on the left to see the larger view.
Step 3. Select the lighter shade of blue, next to darkest, and do some strokes along the hair strands. I normally use a 1-pixel brush for that. Don't make strokes too close to one another. The strokes should follow the way the hair grows, from the top of the head to the bottom of the strand. Notice how my lines stop short where the hair parts. Click the picture on the left to see the larger view.
Step 4. Select even lighter shade of blue and add some strokes again following the same rule described above. It doesn't matter if your new strokes partially cover the previous ones. This what gives hair natural look. Click the picture on the left to see the larger view.
Step 5. Now select the last and the lightest shade of blue and add some strokes again following the way hair grows. By now you should see that the hair no longer looks flat. It begins to look very much like hair should. Click the picture on the left to see the larger view.
Step 6. Time for shading. In Photoshop I use Burn Tool to add some shadows. Usually there aren't many areas that you should darken with shadow. For this doll I shaded the top of her head where the hair parts, a bit around the ear, and just slightly around her strands and bangs. Click the picture on the left to see the larger view.
Step 7. The last step - highlights! I use Dodge Tool in Photoshop for that. Highlights can dramatically change the way your doll looks. Highlights usually go where you would expect hair to shine. For this doll I added highlights on the top of her head around the part. Also highlighted some individual strands of hair where they bend out. This step requires a bit of practice. Don't worry if you don't get it right first time! Just keep trying! Click the picture on the left to see the larger view.

Below is my other doll, Lessien. I used the same technique for her hair as well.
You can see that technique works even better on a bigger doll.


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