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