Drawing Hairlines
Ready to learn more about drawing hairlines?
We’ve mentioned it before, but the hairline is always the first order of business once you have constructed the subject’s head.
The hairline anchors your character’s head and the hair flows out from it.
Hair Stems from the Part
When drawing hairlines on female characters, the main body of the hair will flow from the parting if her hair is quite long. In this example you can see how the hair stems from the part and falls about the head.
Pay attention to the surface direction that is drawn in on the “underside” of the hair on top of her head.
Even if the style of the hair changes, for example if it partially covered the right side of her face, the basic principle would be the same, the hair would flow from the part.
Changing the Angle
Instead of having a character looking up, let’s examine a character who is looking down.
When drawing hairlines, remember to follow the basic rules of construction and ensure the skull is properly built.
The same rules will apply. The hairline is your anchor and you will draw the hair flowing from the hairline and the part in particular.
Once you have established the hairline and the part, draw in the hair, paying attention to how gravity will affect how the hair lies on your characters head.
In this example, notice the hair being tucked behind the ear. This allows us to see the character’s face, while the other half of her hair dangles freely.
We hope this article on drawing hairlines has helped you. Why not check out all the videos in our Drawing Hair and Clothing Video Course?