CHAPTER
02
Popular Hairstyles
Female Hairstyles
Short Hair
For short hair, the easiest way to change the look is to change the shape of the bangs, the length of the sides, or the height of the back.
SHORT HAIR, SIDESWEPT BANGS
Drawing sections of hair behind the ear gives volume to the back and top of this hairstyle.
SHORT HAIR, TRIMMED BANGS
This style looks bouncy with the slight bends to the ends of sections around the face.
SHORT HAIR, PIECED BANGS
The ends of this style are curled under and shaded to give a light, soft quality to the hair.
SHORT HAIR, TIGHT BACK
This style accentuates the roundness of the head with volume and fullness.
SHORT HAIR, SPIKED ENDS, LONG BANGS
Extending the left and right sides of the back hair and making the ends irregular gives this look its spiked texture.
SHORT HAIR, FULL SIDESWEPT BANGS
With very few defined sections of hair, this look has a soft, thick texture with a lot of volume.
SHORT, BOBBED HAIR, SIDE PART
A “bob” is a chin-length cut that is the same length all around. Hair can easily tuck behind the ear and bangs are nearly as long as the sides.
SHORT HAIR, STYLED BACKWARD
This style is drawn with thin, fine sections that appear to hug the head without a lot of volume.
SHORT HAIR, BRAIDED BANGS
A simple braid pulls the hair off the face. A bow is added as a cute touch.
SHORT WAVY HAIR
Accentuate the bends of each section to illustrate hair with lots of body. The various curls to the ends of the hair will give it a tousled look.
SHORT HAIR PULLED BACK
In this hairstyle, the side sections have been pulled up and tied. The bundle of hair in the tie is small due to the shorter overall length.
SHORT HAIR, HEADBAND
Here, the hair is held back from the face with a headband. It has been positioned behind the bang line and tucked behind the ears.
Medium-Length Hair
When drawing medium-length hair, there are more opportunities for creative styles. The length allows the hair to be manipulated more easily into ponytails, braids, and other updos.
STRAIGHT, MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, CURLED ENDS
This style is drawn with a number of sections, which implies less volume.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, BANGS
This style appears full and thick, but you can lighten it up by drawing sections spreading out and separating.
WAVY MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, BANGS
This wavy style is less tousled than short wavy hair due to the ends being kept close together for a more controlled look.
WET, WAVY, MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR
You can give hair a wet texture by drawing long, thin sections of hair that hang down irregularly.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, PONYTAIL
Add interest to a standard ponytail look by drawing sections of hair around the face.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, LOW SIDE PONYTAIL
In this sideswept style, hair is pulled into a low ponytail, just behind the ear. A scrunchie is used as the hair tie.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, SIDES BRAIDED BACK
Sections of hair on the right and left sides have been braided and then joined at the back. They’re held in place with a wide barrette.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, FULLY BRAIDED
This princess-like arrangement is French-braided in three places and bundled together. The ends have been pinned under at the back of the neck.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, TWIN PONYTAILS
These ponytails are drawn with a lot of volume and shaggy ends. The bangs and small side sections also have volume.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, UNIQUE TWIN PONYTAILS
This style has an unusual set of twin ponytails that are gathered into playful loops. The ends pop out of the hair ties with a bouncy curl.
THICK, MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, HIGH PONYTAIL
This hairstyle features a large bundle of hair that is tied with a ribbon to create a wide, voluminous ponytail.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, FULL BANGS, PONYTAIL
Use a strand of hair to cover the elastic tie for a chic ponytail style. By curling the ends of the hair and letting it hang loose, the look is relaxed and comfortable.
Long Hair
Whether straight or curled, long hair can look simple or dramatic. The key to making long hairstyles interesting is to focus on how the ends are treated to express a variety of textures.
STRAIGHT LONG HAIR, BANGS
This hairstyle is drawn close to the head with long smooth lines to give the appearance of fine, straight hair.
STRAIGHT LONG HAIR, THICK BLUNT BANGS
The lack of clearly defined, thin sections of hair across the bangs gives this a fuller and thicker look.
WAVY LONG HAIR, CENTER PART
This bang-less, wavy look is achieved with a center part. The side sections of hair are cut to different lengths and frame the face.
LONG HAIR, STYLED ENDS
Create a look that defies gravity with this long, straight style. The ends are divided into sections and shown with a large curl. The side sections of hair are drawn short, at ear level.
WAVY LONG HAIR, SIDESWEPT BANGS, SIDE PART
This hairstyle features high volume along the side part with hair drawn lifting off the head. The bangs are swept to the side, revealing most of the forehead.
LONG HAIR, STYLED TO ONE SIDE
For an elegant, mature look, gather the hair together and let it hang over one shoulder.
WAVY, LONG HAIR, SHAGGY CUT
This style has strong visual impact. The sections are cut at various lengths and drawn with an outward bend. Longer sections are drawn with waves and again, the ends are curled outward.
STRAIGHT LONG HAIR, TWIN BRAIDS
These large braids suggest that this character’s hair is very thick and heavy. The small bows that tie the ends add a sweet charm.
WAVY LONG HAIR, BRAID STYLED TO ONE SIDE
Drawing the hair larger and more rounded than the head gives this look volume. The hair gathered over the shoulder reveals the waves.
LONG HAIR, MESSY BUN
This messy bun is achieved with long hair bundled roughly to the back. Sections of hair are drawn falling loosely from the bundle for a tousled look.
STRAIGHT LONG HAIR, SIDE BRAIDS
This hairstyle features French braids framing the face. The braids drape in front of the ears with simple ties at each end.
LONG HAIR, BRAIDED CROWN
Here, bangs have been braided into a style that wraps from the front to the back in a crown-like finished look.
Advanced Hairstyles
Some female hairstyles require more thought when being drawn to appear natural and realistic. Here, you’ll learn what to keep in mind for advanced styles.
LONG HAIR, HIGH PONYTAIL
If you bundle straight hair into a ponytail, the hair will hang straight down from the tied position. Be sure to draw the hair being gathered flowing toward the center of the tie.
LONG HAIR, SIDESWEPT BANGS, PONYTAIL
Here, the hair is wrapped around the tie to hide the hair elastic. Because it is wrapped tightly, the hair looks like a ring.
WAVY LONG HAIR, HIGH SIDE PONYTAIL
The side pony in this hairstyle is tied at a higher position for a playful look. The hair hanging from the ponytail has a gentle bend for a soft, wavy appearance.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, LOW SIDE PONYTAIL
To give a side ponytail the appearance of being loose, draw the hair at the back with a sagging bend.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, LOW MESSY BUN
This updo features bundles of hair pulled into a ball near the back neckline. Shorter pieces have fallen loose from the bun to give this a less formal feel.
SHORT STRAIGHT HAIR, CLIPPED UP
This sleek style pulls the hair tight against the head. It’s twisted and clipped in place. The short, curled ends popping out the top of the clip suggest a shorter style when left loose.
CURLY MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, SIDES PULLED BACK
Here, the hair behind the ears is half-up and gathered into a twist. Seen from the front, the hair appears to flow from the hairline to the back of the head.
FULL SOFT HAIR, LOW TWIST
With minimal lines drawn for sections of hair, this style appears to be full and soft. The bulk of the hair is gathered into a low horizontal twist at the back neckline.
STRAIGHT LONG HAIR, TWIN PONYTAILS
The ends of the twin gathers of hair and side bangs are lightly curled inward to frame the character’s face.
SUPER-LONG HAIR, TWIN PONYTAILS WITH BOWS
The fine, straight texture of this character’s hair is emphasized by the thinness of the ponytails. Add a large bow to each ponytail to create a youthful impression.
WAVY SHORT HAIR, BANGS PULLED BACK
Adding volume to the raised bangs shows off the face and hairline. The slight bend in each section suggests a subtle wave.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, BANGS PULLED BACK
In this hairstyle, the bangs have been pulled back diagonally and tied with a ribbon. The side sections flow down around the face with gentle waves at the ends.
STRAIGHT LONG HAIR, LAYERS
In this hairstyle, hair has been cut into different, staggered lengths called layers. Each layer is curled slightly for a fuller effect.
CURLY LONG HAIR, TWIN PONYTAILS
Here, long ponytails have been coiled into one large curl on each side. They coil inward drawing attention toward the face.
WAVY LONG HAIR, LAYERS
Similar to the straight hair with layers, wavy hair can be cut with layers as well. The ends of the hair are drawn with irregular S-curves to emphasize the texture of the waves.
EXAGGERATED TWIN PONYTAILS
These giant spring-like coiled ponytails may look like an impossible hairstyle, but you can imply a sense of gravity by making the curls smaller toward the ends of the hair.
SHORT HAIR, BRAIDED HEADBAND
In this example, a French braid is used to create a headband that holds much of the hair back. It is braided from behind the ear, across the top of the head, and down the opposite side.
SOFT WAVY HAIR, BRAIDED BANGS
French-braided bangs create an interesting look for feminine characters. The braid starts on one side, moves across the forehead, and ends behind the ear where it is tucked and pinned.
STRAIGHT LONG HAIR, SIDE BRAID
A braid positioned on one side will start thicker at the top near the head and become thinner as it reaches the end where there is less hair being incorporated.
STRAIGHT LONG HAIR, THICK SIDE BRAID
For this character, the side braid doesn’t narrow as much toward the end. This implies that the hair is thick.
CURLY LONG HAIR, HALF UP
Half-up hair with a wavy texture will have long S-curves drawn from the head to the ends. Here, a bow ties the hair back, which will make that area of the hair thicker with wider sections.
SOFT WAVY HAIR, BRAIDED CROWN
Sides sections of hair have been braided and joined together in the back to form a crown-like look. The outline of the hair is larger than the head to add to the full texture.
SHORT HAIR, TWISTED BANGS
The bangs are twisted inward and fastened with hairpins in this unique hairstyle. Height is added to the bangs on the left, near the part, to accentuate the twist.
STRAIGHT HAIR, TWISTED BUN
This hairstyle features hair bundled into a low bun that’s been twisted and pinned in place. Draw the flow of twisted hair toward the center of the bun for a three-dimensional effect.
SOFT HAIR, LOW SIDE BUN
With very few lines drawn for sections of hair, this hairstyle appears to be very full and soft. The hair is gathered into a low bun positioned tight behind the ear.
STRAIGHT LONG HAIR, BRAIDED BUN
For characters with long hair, it can be fun to combine styles. Here, the hair is braided and then wrapped into a large bun.
STRAIGHT HAIR, FRENCH TWIST
This style is great for a formal evening look. All the side hair and back hair is wrapped and pinned into a French twist. The bangs are left loose and swept to the side.
SOFT WAVY HAIR, SIDE PONYTAIL
This hairstyle for short wavy hair is embellished with a decorative hair tie. The curve in the hair of the ponytail implies this is wavy hair.
WAVY MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, UPDO
Women’s hair is often styled into updos for special occasions and formal events. Here, wavy strands of hair are drawn loose from the updo to create a softer appearance.
CURLY LONG HAIR, UPDO
In this formal hairstyle, hair is loosely braided in various places before being gathered into a low bun. To add interest, a decorative comb is tucked into the back of the hair.
CURLY MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, BRAIDED HALF-UPDO
This formal look features a French braid that starts on one side of the head and extends across the back. The remaining hair is loosely swept forward over the shoulder.
STRAIGHT LONG HAIR, SIDE PART, TWISTED UPDO
All of this character’s hair has been gathered and twisted into a horizontal bundle at the back of the head. The bangs are styled high in the front and curl down around the face.
Male Hairstyles
Short Hair
For male characters with short hair, the hair around the neckline is typically clipped close the back of the head and you can see the nape of the neck. It’s how you draw the ends of the hair that set these styles apart.
SHORT HAIR, NO PART
Without a visible part, this hairstyle is drawn with sections of hair growing out from the crown of the head. The jagged ends imply thick, textured hair.
SHORT HAIR, SIDE PART, LONG BANGS
This character’s bangs have been drawn with a large arch at the side part to give height and volume as the bangs sweep to one side.
CURLY SHORT HAIR
Layer short hair with loosely curled hair on top of the head for a unique style.
SHORT HAIR, LARGE COWLICK
This hairstyle defies gravity with sections lifted off the top of the head. The hair with the most volume is situated at the crown of the head and grows straight up.
SPIKED SHORT HAIR
This is a hairstyle you don’t see every day. Styling gel creates defined sections of hair that radiate out from the crown of the head.
SHORT HAIR, BLOWN OUT
This is a unique way to show your character’s playful side. Here, the hair has been blown dry in a way that has it standing on end.
SHORT HAIR, SIDE PART, STYLED BANGS
The bangs in this hairstyle have been drawn lifted off the head in some sections and falling forward in others. This creates interesting volume and texture.
WAVY SHORT HAIR
Give the appearance of wavy hair by drawing curves in the short sections. The ends should overlap and randomly stick up for a three-dimensional effect.
SHORT HAIR, SHAVED SIDES
A hairstyle with the sides shaved and the top of the head left longer is called “two-block.”
WAVY SHORT HAIR, SHAVED SIDES
In this two-block style, the sides are shaved with a fade effect and the top of the head features wavy hair.
SHORT HAIR, BANGS STYLED BACK
The sides of this hairstyle are shorter than the top, but not fully shaved. The bangs have been styled to flow back from the forehead.
SHAVED SHORT HAIR
The shape of the head is the key to characters with shaved hair. Draw fine lines along the hairline of the bangs and the crown on the back of the head to express how the hair grows.
Medium-Length Hair
Men’s medium-length hair is long enough to cover the ears and neckline. The finished look can easily change by styling the bangs differently or adding texture.
STRAIGHT MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, LONG BANGS
In this style, the bangs hanging forward are divided over each eye. The center section tapers to a point. Those sharp points are repeated throughout the ends.
WAVY MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR
Here, bangs have been styled to flow back away from the face. Overall, the hair has bounce and lift. This is achieved by drawing the ends of sections curling up slightly.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, PARTED BANGS
The key to this hairstyle is to draw the hairline in the center of the bangs and draw the hair slightly raised.
LOOSE MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, STYLED BANGS
This expressive look features bangs that are styled to flow up and over to one side. The texture of the hair is shown with fine lines and crisscrossing ends.
WAVY MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR
Draw smooth lines that extend from the crown of the head and into the bangs. With just a few defined sections of hair and a larger silhouette, this look appears full and soft.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, HIGH CROWN POINT
The crown is in a higher position on top of the head in this loose style. Sections of hair radiate in a swirl from the crown point. You can imply a cowlick by drawing some hairs sticking straight up and flopping over.
WAVY MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, STYLED BANGS
In this wavy hairstyle, the bangs are styled backward to flow away from the face. The height of the bangs implies the hair is thick and has volume. Draw the hair bundles curling irregularly to give a windblown impression.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, BRAIDED SIDES
Draw the side section of hair with small braids that are tight to the head for this unique hairstyle.
Long Hair
Long hairstyles for men are drawn with the hair extending past the chin, to the collarbone, or past the shoulders. Like female hairstyles, longer hair can be tied in interesting ways.
STRAIGHT SUPER-LONG HAIR
For men with slender features, drawing slanted bangs, such as M-shaped bangs, will give them a sleek look. Here, the hair is so long in the back that you don’t see the ends.
WAVY LONG HAIR, CENTER PART
This shaggy, unkept look is implied by drawing many small sections of hair with curled ends. Note, the bangs are split at the middle and drawn flopping to the sides.
CURLY LONG HAIR, RECEDING HAIRLINE
As men age, their front hairline recedes. In this style, the hairline is pushed back at the temples, and the back is long with ringlet curls.
LONG HAIR, LONG BANGS, CENTER PART
Draw straight hair from the top of the head to the ears, and wavy hair from the ears to the bottom, to suggest tousled, messy hair.
LONG HAIR, COMBED BACK
In this long hairstyle, the bangs and sides of the hair flow to the back, suggesting a windblown look.
SUPER-LONG HAIR, SHAGGY ENDS
For a wild, exaggerated hairstyle, draw sections of hair at different lengths while gradually shortening each one from the waist to the top of the head.
STRAIGHT LONG HAIR, SIDE PONYTAIL
This long hairstyle is an asymmetrical look for male characters. A ponytail of hair is gathered low on one side and tied with a decorative metal clip.
LONG HAIR, TOP HALF PULLED BACK
The top of this character’s hair has been pulled back into a half ponytail. Sideburns in front of the ears have been added as well.
Unique Hairstyles
Hair with Ears
The key to drawing characters with animal ears is to create a hairstyle that makes use of the texture of the animal hair as the base.
MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, CAT EARS
Straight hair works well with the shape and texture of cat ears. Here, the hair is drawn as a simple bob, which makes the ears easily visible.
WAVY MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR, FOX EARS
Echo the texture of animal fur in human hair with this shaggy hairstyle. Draw the ends of sections of layered hair sticking out and crisscrossing for a lifelike effect.
Elemental Hair
Fictional hairstyles influenced by natural elements, such as wind, water, and fire, can be divided into two styles: hair made of the element itself, or hair that takes on the shape of the element.
WATERY HAIR
Hair made of water should be drawn like flowing water. Round the ends and use bubbles instead of highlights.
FIERY HAIR
This character’s hair represents the element of fire. The sections of hair have been drawn to look like flames with irregular ends.