How to Draw Realistic Hair Styles

 💇‍♀️ How to Draw Realistic Hair Styles (Curly, Wavy, straight – Step by Step)

Learn how to draw realistic hair in different styles: curly, wavy, and straight. This step-by-step pencil tutorial teaches beginners how to create texture, volume, and shine for lifelike portraits.

🌟 Introduction:

Hair is one of the most expressive parts of a portrait. Straight hair looks sleek, wavy adds softness, and curly hair gives energy and volume.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn all three types with techniques to make each style realistic.

✏️ Step 1: Draw the Hair Outline for Any Style

Start with a soft outline of the head.

Decide the hairstyle — draw the outer volume first:

Curly → round, bouncy shapes

Wavy → flowing S-shapes

Straight → smooth curves falling down

> 💡 Tip: Don’t draw every strand yet; focus on volume first.

✏️ Step 2: Section the Hair

Divide hair into sections according to flow: front, sides, back.

This helps you maintain natural movement and prevent messy strands.

✏️ Step 3: Add Individual Strands (Style Specific)

Curly: Use spiral or looping strokes; emphasize tight curls near the scalp.

Wavy: Light S-shaped strokes along the flow; alternate thickness.

Straight: Long straight strokes; vary pressure to show depth.

✏️ Step 4: Add Shadows and Depth

Identify shadowed areas for each hairstyle:

Curly → inner curls and under layers

Wavy → under waves and behind hair strands

Straight → behind hair layers and scalp edges

Use 2B for light shading and 4B/6B for dark areas.

✏️ Step 5: Add Highlights and Fly aways

Use an eraser to lift out highlights along the hair flow.

Add a few stray strands for realism — hair is rarely perfect!

🎨 Materials Used:

HB pencil (outline)

2B–6B pencils (shading)

Kneaded eraser (for highlights)

Tissue / blending stump

🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Drawing all hair strands individually → looks unnatural.

Forgetting volume → hair looks flat.

Uniform shading → hair loses depth.

💡 Creative Practice Idea:

Pick one hairstyle daily and sketch it from different angles.

For example, curly hair from the front, side, and back.

Try exaggerating volume and highlights for more artistic flair.

📺 YouTube Integration (optional):

Which hairstyle do you want me to do next — curly, wavy, or straight?

💬 Comment below so I can create a bonus tutorial for you!

If you want, I can continue with the next post 👉

How to Draw a Side Face (Step by Step for Beginners) — including nose, lips, eye, and profile structure.