Tips How To Make a Good Hairstyles

Next, I'm  going to go over some different  types of hairstyles, but before  I continue, I want to go over a  few things regarding the  placement of the hair on the head.

No matter  what hairstyles you are going to  draw, the hair always grows from  the same region of the head, as shown by the example in the middle. It grows out from the entire back part of the scalp, from the forehead to the back of  the neck (not just the base of  the head, but down the back of  the neck, too). It isn't just  plopped onto the top of the head.  You can generally get away with  not paying attention to this  fact, but if you are drawing hair  that has been pulled back or hair  that is trimmed really short,  then it will be important that  you know where exactly the hair  is placed.

One  reoccuring problem I've noticed  with a variety of artists is that  they do not take into account the  fact that there is a skull  underneath the hair. Sometimes  artists draw the hair too small  for the head, as in the example  at the bottom. The bangs stick  out, but there is no forehead  beneath them; the hair curves  down on the head far too low,  cutting the head off and making  the skull oddly shaped and flat.  This is not a good thing. ^_~ If  you need to, draw out the  character's entire head before  adding the hair, so that you are  it will fit and look natural.  Well, as natural as anime hair  can look.. :D

Okay, now  that I've gotten that taken care  of, here are some examples of different anime hairstyles, all with short hair. Hopefully it might give you some ideas. Notice  also that many of these can be  used for either male or female hairstyles. I'm sorry  these aren't as detailed as some  of the previous examples, but you  still get the basic idea and shape of each style (hopefully).

Here are  some different examples of longer, flowing hairstyles; again, some of these can be used  for either male or female, so  don't whine at me for only drawing hair for one gender.. ^_~  In contrast  to the shorter hair styles,  you'll note that a lot of these  are composed of long, curving lines. When drawing longer hair,  try to avoid making the lines perfectly straight; make sure  that the hair follows the form of  the head and the body, esepcially  if it is sitting on or over the  shoulders.

When  drawing longer hair, you'll  especially want to make sure the  lines follow the shape and flow  of the hair, rather than have it  simply fall down in straight  lines regardless of the hair's  shape. It will give your  character's hair much more depth  and form if you make your lines  work for you; make them show that  the hair turns and twists, not  that it just sits there on the  character's head, or that the  main outline of the hair is curvy  but the interior strands are all  straight.

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