Any tips on making hair look realistic?

Question: Any tips on making hair look realistic!?

whenever i draw hair it ends up looking like a wig lolWww@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Dont try to make it look too perfect!. Add flyaways, a little frizz!. Your lines should not be perfectly straight everywhere!. also, you could trace photos of people's hair to get an idea of other details you could add!. also, the way light hits peoples hair usually creates a few thin lighter streaks on top!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

You may already know this, but draw hair 'like it grows!.' This means start at the roots and go down in sweeping motions!. Vary up the pressure you use on different strands and make sure they fall/flip in different directions!. Make sure your part is closer to the right or left side (not in the middle)!. Study photos of people's hair to get a better understanding of the curves that strands normally take!. If you can, try drawing from a live model!. Pay close attention to the color values at different sections of the hair, depending on where the light hits it!. With experience your hair will start to look more realistic!. :DWww@QuestionHome@Com

The "wig" look is common among beginning artists!. It occurs most often when you treat the hair as all one color, shade and as one piece!. One clue is to NOT draw every strand of hair! Learn to draw hair by blocking in the darks and the highlights, and then using a few select lines, suggesting the strands or locks of hair!. Learn to leave bare paper where there are highlights, or where the hair is lighter, thinner or near the face!. In addition, running the shadows in the hair into the shadows on the face can blend the hair intot he whole image, making it look more natural!.

Here is a pastel of Steve Irwin I did the day he died!. http://i56!.photobucket!.com/albums/g172/l!.!.!. As you can see I suggested his mussed, natural hair without giving it too much detail!.

This is one of my first colored pencil portraits, and two different "problems" to deal with in doing hair: thin hair with whisps, and thick, almost perfect hair in a dramatic cut: http://i56!.photobucket!.com/albums/g172/l!.!.!.

In this reductive charcoal drawing you will see how I treated a receding hairline and strong highlights -- I just let the hair fade out where the light hit it, and the hairline blend where it receded: http://i56!.photobucket!.com/albums/g172/l!.!.!.

And see how the sunlit hair disappears into the light in this pastel portrait!? http://i56!.photobucket!.com/albums/g172/l!.!.!. do not be afraid of lost and found lines when doing hair!. !. !. !.

Drawing from life is one of the best ways to learn to do hair!. !. !. quick 5 minute sketches focusing on the head shape, ear placement and the values in the hair will prepare you for more detailed work later!. See these working thumbnail sketches: http://i56!.photobucket!.com/albums/g172/l!.!.!. and http://i56!.photobucket!.com/albums/g172/l!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

try using different shadingsWww@QuestionHome@Com