Towards Understanding How To Paint Hair

Hair, is a three dimensional object.

Take time to try to create a 3D shape, with sharp edges in a paint-over to see it in full.

Use the mid tone as the main color, and then just cast all the shadows.

Once you see the 3D shapes, there is no more trouble with painting hair.

Smooth out the edges, add highlights and you are done.

Same applies to a crazy beard, of close up fur of an animal.

But when hair gets more complex, carefully outlining the 3D shape takes too long.

This is where all the artists start explain, how to do hair.

They talk about blocking out the area, but that’s just crazy talk for laying down the shadow.

Or some may do the mid tone first, and shadow second.

The mid tone and dark colors, are enough to capture the 3D shape.

Couple more colors, smudging or picking, gets the job done.

Hair is difficult to understand, because artists skip the 3D shape.

And start laying down the color, that the 3D shape eventually creates.

That’s what is going on, teachers don’t emphasize the 3D shape.

It is worth mention that a beginner, may try to draw an outline of hair, and then add lines.

But that is too mixed up, because the outline does not have the 3D information.

So even if they correctly add highlights, there will be no 3D shape.

The brain will not see hair, but just something that is a maybe.

Finally, when you have an intricate hair do, or hope to create one.

Think in terms of tubes, that is what a roll of hair is a long round object.

You can imagine, weave and shape tubes, much easier than hair.

To convert a tube to a roll of hair, you just add a highlights, sometimes just one little line.

Eventually, like all the other artists, you’ll find faster ways and shortcuts.

But even then, if you get stuck, with a complex arrangement you will return to thinking in 3D.