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This article was reviewed by Kelly Medford. Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art.
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Here is a tutorial demonstrating how to draw curly hair. Let's begin!
Steps
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Draw an outline of the head and shoulders. -
Visualize the type of hairstyle you like. Decide on what type of curl you wish for your drawing and which direction the curls fall.Advertisement
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Draw an outline of the hair using curly lines.
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Add more curly lines to fill up the outline you have drawn.
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Erase unwanted lines from your outline and you can also add other details to your drawing like the face.
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Color your drawing. If you aren't working with materials you can easily layer lighter colors on top, leave the highest points of the hair without color. These areas would be the top of the head and any major curls.
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![Screen Shot 2016 07 02 at 1.23.13 PM.png]()
7Add light colored strands of hair where the most light would hit the hair. This would be at the highest points of the curls, especially at the top of the head. -
![Screen Shot 2016 07 02 at 1.23.15 PM.png]()
8Add shadows to the hair around the part and by the neck. You can also put shadow where the hair overlaps and on any skin next to the hair. -
![Screen Shot 2016 07 02 at 1.25.51 PM.png]()
9Lighten the hair as a whole where the most light would hit. This again is the top of the hair and some of the larger curls.
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Draw an outline of the head and shoulders.
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Visualize the type of hairstyle you like. Decide on what type of curl you wish for your drawing and which direction the curls fall. Usually, long curled hair is a bit straightened near the roots while curls are more prominent near the tips.
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Draw an outline of the hair using long curved lines. Make sure to make the strands look soft.
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Add more curved lines to fill up the outline you have drawn to emphasize the curves of the hair.
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Add other details to the drawing like the face and erase unnecessary lines.
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Color your drawing. If you aren't working with materials you can easily layer lighter colors on top, leave the highest points of the hair without color. These areas would be the top of the head and any major curls.
-
![Screen Shot 2016 07 02 at 1.35.15 PM.png]()
7Add light colored strands of hair where the most light would hit the hair. This would be at the highest points of the curls, especially at the top of the head. -
![Screen Shot 2016 07 02 at 1.37.00 PM.png]()
8Add shadows to the hair around the part and by the neck. You can also put shadow where the hair overlaps and on any skin next to the hair. -
![Screen Shot 2016 07 02 at 1.40.54 PM.png]()
9Lighten the hair as a whole where the most light would hit. This again is the top of the hair and some of the larger curls.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I make the hair look thick?
Community AnswerUse shadowing and put light and dark colors right next to each other. When you're finished, blend it out. -
QuestionWhat kind of pencil works best?
Community AnswerPreferably an art pencil, but any kind will do. -
QuestionHow do I draw curly hair on males? Not just frizzy or messy, actual natural curls.
Community AnswerUse the first method and a reference photo to give you the best idea.
Video
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About This Article
To draw curly hair, start by drawing an outline of the character's head and shoulders, then visualize the hairstyle you want to create. Next, draw an outline of the hairstyle you envisioned by using curly lines. Then, add more curly lines to fill up the outline. Erase unwanted lines from your outline, then add other details to your drawing, like facial features and hair color! If you want to learn the differences between drawing curly hair that's long or short, keep reading!
Reader Success Stories
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"I definitely needed help drawing hair, and the best artist I know is 2 states away. I found this article, and it really helped me. My sketch looked dramatically better than normal. I strongly recommend using this article."..." more
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