Anatomical Drawing -- Hair

General Principles §

• When it comes to drawing hair, it is best to think in clusters rather than strands. In order to give the illusion of strands, apply a bit of texturing and coloring.
• Hair should follow the surface of the head and its curvature.
• Hair should generally fall down (in the direction of Gravity). Exceptions exist depending on circumstance.

Front §

• The front section includes the mass of the hair at the front of the face (excluding any facial hair)

• The hairline is the edge of the hair growth on the forehead. There are different types of hairlines

  • Low hairlines are close to the eyebrows and make the forehead look shorter. Younger people typically have a low hairline.
  • Middle hairlines sit in the middle of the forehead
  • High hairline are close to the crown of the head. Typically older people have a high hairline (due to it receding)
  • Straight
  • Widow’s peak there is a distinctive V-shape
  • Triangular - the opposite of a widow’s peak giving the appearance of an off-center triangle.
  • M-shaped - this is typical of receding hairlines
  • Uneven - there is no apparent symmetry.
  • Bell-shaped

• Bangs / Fringes are strands of hair that fall over the scalp’s front hairline. They typically cover up to the eyebrows (but hairstyles can cover longer). Some example types are provided below

  • Blunt - have a sharp fluid cut running straight laterally .They typically work best with hair that is naturally straight or thick.
  • Wispy - have a soft, thin look. Typically works best with low hair densities.
  • Micro - short bangs that reach about an inch down the forehead.
  • Curtain - bangs that are cut shorter in the middle (giving a V-shaped frame for the face).
  • Side - similar to a curtain bang except off center, giving a slightly skewed V or a ramp shape (since the hair naturally curves away from the parting).
  • Long - bangs that reach beyond the eyebrows or even up to the cheeks.
  • Choppy - like blunt bangs except with a more textured look coming from variations in the length of each individual strand / hair clump.
  • Layered - bangs that have layers to add texture and volume. It is in between having no bangs and small bangs.
  • Feathered - typically for straight hair. The hair is layered with either a side or center parting. The hair would then be brushed to the sides to give a feathery appearance (like a bird) .
  • Shaggy - like curtain bangs except the bangs are wispy, and have choppy layers, giving an unkempt appearance
  • Bottleneck - combines curtain bangs with a wispy appearance. They give the appearance of a bottleneck because they start shorter at the top and grow longer at the sides

• Some general principles for bangs:

  • The bangs flow from the hairline.
  • Consider how far down the bangs reach. Typically they reach down to the eyebrows but they could be longer.
  • Consider hair density. Bangs will seem more wispy if the hair density is lower.
  • Bangs occupy volume and so they do not perfectly rest flat on the forehead. They must have a bit of a puffy appearance.
  • Bangs can be parted represented with a gap in the hair. The parting is either in the center or off to the side.
  • Bangs can be layered represented with having clumps of bangs that have varying lengths
  • A rougher appearance can be achieved by introducing small gaps (distinct from the main parting) or inconsistent hair lengths.
  • The texture of the bangs should match that of the rest of the hair — if the rest of the hair is straight, the bangs should be straight as well.

Sides §

• The side section includes the region of the hair which curves around the head. It includes the region above the ears and potentially flowing towards the neck.
• The side hair has volume. Make sure to not put the hair directly on top of the head / scalp. Instead, account for space above the scalp where the hair rests.
• Side hair can have layers which can be represented by having hair clusters of different lengths.
  • Hair in this case can be long or short.
• The side hair originates from the hair swirl. It is a line on the top of the head from which all hair originates and grows away from.
• Consider that the hair could be parted or not parted. In the case that it is parted, In the region where the parting happens it acts like a swirl from which the hair seems to originate out of.
• The side hair’s texture should be consistent with the rest of the hair. The following is a list of textures possible for side hair ¹.
• Walker’s Hair Types is a good listing for consideration
  • Type 1 - Straight - no natural curl. Completely straight from root to tip. Tends to be shiny and appears flat
  • Type 2 - Wavy - has a gentle wave pattern. Thicker than straight hair. Often has tangles or split ends.
  • Type 3 - Curly - more defined curl pattern from loose curls to tight spirals. Curls go in an S pattern.
  • Type 4 - Kinky - very tight Z curl pattern. Typically found in afro hair.

• Consider as well the thickness of the hair. This corresponds to how “visible” the scalp is.
  • A completely bald human will not have any hair, however keep in mind the shape of the head.
  • Convey “thin” hair using dots.
  • Thicker hair is conveyed using clumps of hair (as standard)

Back §

• The back section includes the mass of hair from behind the head and in the nape area.
• Aside from texture, the primary concern is hair length.
• Men’s hair will be typically shorter (at most only reaching up to the nape.) This is dependent, however, on hairstyle.
• Women’s hair will be longer.

Facial Hair §

Knots and Ties §

Links §

• The Hair Styler - a good repository for real life references for hair cuts.

• Anatomical Drawing — Head

Footnotes §

1. Note, this is applicable for front and back as well. ↩