Playing with Hair

     Hair is a prominent feature in anime. Most anime characters are distinguished by their unusual hairstyle and/or hair color. Therefore, it's important to create a hairstyle that stands out. This section will guide you through the different kinds of hairstyles. You can also try to experiment your own hairstyles after you get through the basics.

          FALLING HAIR - Here's some techniques for making hair that falls. This is good for making long or short hair.

               STEP 1: Start with the bangs.
Use thin, quick strokes to create a frame around the face.

               STEP 2: Forming the Head
Now, it's time to round off the top of the head. This is kind of hard--sometimes, it will just look right. Think of it as an extention to the egg-shape.

               STEP 3: Let the hair fall.
Bring down the hair. Don't just draw it in straight lines because it will look too stiff. Use long quick strokes to create some locks of hair. But don't draw too many or it will look too busy.

          SPIKE IT!! - Spikey hair is always exciting. It tends to defy gravity and is always standing up on its own. Here's how to work on the gravity-defying spikey anime hair.

               STEP 1: Sketch bangs and frontal hair.
When spiking hair, the bangs don't fall around the face in a frame. Instead, they are uplifted, so you could see the hairline and forhead more clearly defined. Use short, quick dashes and zig-zags to create a hairline.

               STEP 2: Make it wild.
Although you could round off the top and back of the head and leave spikes in the front, try to be creative. Sketch out where you would round off the top and back of head, and from there, extend quick strokes. They don't have to connect at the ends, but just enough to define the spike.

          VARIATIONS - Try to experiment with the hairstyles that you've learned. For example, instead of spiking the hair up, how about making it fluffy? You can come up with other hairstyles by varying the way you use the techniques.