Materials Used

• IPad Pro

• Procreate App

• Brush: Edge 2.0 in the All-Star Pack (Procreate Brush Pack)

• Smudge Tool

• Different Colors

The Process

Preparation

I was thinking of the next artwork to create when I decided to improve my techniques on how I draw different hairstyles. In order to keep it simple to keep the focus on the hairstyle techniques, I used the same brush for every hairstyle the entire time. In addition to using one brush, I also didn’t add any features like a neck, shoulders, or even ears. Instead, I focused on the hair while still making note of where the features would be to keep the hair realistic.

Then, I looked at the different hairstyles that are out there and landed on five: all down, half up ponytail, two space buns with some of the hair down, two space buns with all the hair up, and one large bun.

The Colors

Too keep it simple throughout, I used one color for each hairstyle while making sure that each one was different than next. Staying with one color, I created color palettes that included the lightest tint to the darkest shade of that one color.

• All Down: Brown

• Half Up Ponytail: Purple

• Two Space Buns with Some Hair Down: Red

• Two Space Buns with All Hair Up: Blonde

• One Large Bun: Blue

The Techniques Used

Using the Edge 2.0 brush and different sizes of the brush, I drew out the hairstyle with the darker shade of the color first to get a base layer or outline of what it will look like. From there, I used the different shades of the same color to create the different layers of hair that created more volume to the hair on different layers so I can manipulate some strands of hair while keeping the rest of the drawing in tact. I used the smudge tool to blend the different shades of the color together so it can all blend together like one cohesive piece.

Once I enough layers for the hairstyle, on a separate layer, I used the lightest tint (but not white) to create the highlights of the hair and even single hair strands. Whenever I was on this step, for the majority of the time, I used the smallest brush size to get the hair as realistic as possible.

Below is the final hairstyle designs