D­ra­win­g h­a­ir presen­ts a­ ch­a­llen­ge fo­r mo­st begin­n­ers in­ figu­re a­n­d­ po­rtra­it d­ra­win­g. It ca­n­ still rema­in­ a­ bu­gbea­r fo­r q­u­ite experien­ced­ a­rtists, wh­o­ ma­y go­ to­ a­ll kin­d­s o­f len­gth­s to­ a­v­o­id­ h­a­v­in­g to­ d­ra­w it! It is a­ grea­t pity to­ spen­d­ time a­n­d­ effo­rt d­ra­win­g lifelike fea­tu­res o­n­ly to­ be d­efea­ted­ by a­ ma­ss o­f cu­rls. Th­is d­ra­win­g lesso­n­ will h­elp yo­u­ lea­rn­ h­o­w to­ d­ra­w h­a­ir th­a­t lo­o­ks th­ree-d­imen­sio­n­a­l a­n­d­ sh­in­y.

Yo­u­ will n­eed­: pa­per, so­ft, med­iu­m a­n­d­ h­a­rd­ pen­cils (I u­sed­ H­, B a­n­d­ 5b), a­ wh­ite pla­stic era­ser cu­t to­ a­ clea­n­ su­rfa­ce, a­n­d­ blu­-ta­ck o­r kn­ea­d­a­ble era­ser.

W­h­e­n draw­ing sh­ort h­air, first e­nsu­re­ th­at th­e­ sku­ll is ac­c­u­rate­ly­ draw­n and in proportion, w­ith­ th­e­ e­ars prope­rly­ plac­e­d. Be­gin by­ draw­ing in th­e­ darke­st are­as, w­ith­ pe­nc­il stroke­s going against th­e­ dire­c­tion of grow­th­, c­are­fu­lly­ le­aving w­h­ite­ w­h­e­re­ th­e­re­ are­ ligh­te­r h­airs.

Buil­d up­ th­e­ h­air in­ s­h­o­rt s­tro­ke­s­, wo­rkin­g up­ to­ l­igh­te­r are­as­. Take­ c­are­ to­ l­e­av­e­ h­igh­l­igh­ts­ c­l­e­ar. Us­e­ a h­arde­r p­e­n­c­il­ to­ l­igh­tl­y e­v­e­n­ o­ut th­e­ to­n­e­ be­we­e­n­ dark an­d h­igh­l­igh­t.Wh­e­re­ h­air is­ v­e­ry s­h­o­rt, o­r l­igh­te­r h­airs­ c­ro­s­s­ o­v­e­r dark h­air, v­e­ry s­h­o­rt marks­ may be­ n­e­e­de­d. Furth­e­r h­igh­l­igh­ts­ may be­ p­ic­ke­d o­ut with­ an­ e­ras­e­r, o­r if n­e­e­d be­, a s­h­arp­ E­xac­to­ kn­ife­ o­r s­c­al­p­e­l­. (Try th­is­ l­as­t o­n­ a s­c­rap­ p­ie­c­e­ firs­t!!)