How To Draw Women Sample Chapter.

Chapter 10

Drawing Beautiful Hair

Drawing hair can be somewhat challenging. The trick is to build enough "fullness" to make it look real.

Here are some examples to go by and the step by step process you will use to create beautiful hair.

Just as with every other part of your drawing, use the grid and begin with an accurate outline.

Illus.#49

Include all the details you can see. Keep your pencil lines light. The lines in this illustration are darker so that you can see them.

Illus.#50

Add the darker tones with your #6 pencil. Make sure the tone lines are in the direction of the hair. Refer to the original and look for the darker areas as well as the areas that are "reflecting" light.

Useing a tortillion, blend the darker areas into the lighter areas. Ligtly and carefully shade over the outline of the hair to "soften it up". If you get outside the outline, remove the graphite with the eraser.

Where the dark and light areas meet, be sure to blend them together smmothly.

Now get out your "sharp edged" eraser and a piece of emery cloth. Take a piece of scrap paper and scribble a very dark spot with your pencil.

"Sharpen" the ink erasing side of the eraser (that's the gray or pink side) on the emery cloth. Now, "drag" the edge of the eraser across the scribble so that the eraser picks up the graphite.

With this now dirty eraser, begin to add detail. Create individual hairs. Keep rubbing the eraser on the scribble. Drag the dark areas into the light areas. As the eraser loses graphite, it will actually leave lines that resemble lighter hair.

Add more graphite to the scribble as needed.

Continue this process until you get the fullness and detail you need.

Add more tone with your pencil if you have to, blend with the tortillion and continue with the sharp edged eraser technique.

This process will take some time, but believe me, the results are well worth it.

Make sure everything is shaded and blended together smoothly. No pencil lines showing.

Illus.#51

Here is the finished hair. In this example, the light source is coming from the top, right side. Notice the reflections in the hair in that area. Also, notice how dark and shadowed the hair is in the lower, left side of the drawing. Always be aware of the light source.

To achieve the "whispy" hair ends, use the dirty, sharp edged eraser. Use quick strokes in the direction of the hair ends. Refer to your original.

This is just a sample of this chapter. I give many more examples of drawing hair in How To Draw Beautiful Women.

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