Draw braids

Last Updated: August 6, To create this article, 21 people, some draw braids, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewedtimes.

A hairstyle can have many functions in a portrait drawing. It can be drawn very simply to complete a portrait without drawing too much attention to itself, as it does in this portrait shading tutorial. It can be one of the main features of a portrait, as it is in this hair drawing tutorial , or it can be the focal point of your drawing or even the sole subject matter, as it is in my braid drawing here. However you choose to include hair in your portrait drawings, it is an exciting subject matter to challenge yourself with. Because this is a more advanced drawing tutorial, I have some suggested prerequisite video lessons for you to watch in order to get the most out of this lesson:. Finally, download the reference photo of this braid at the bottom of this page so that you can follow along with the tutorial, or draw along with me. Looking for more comprehensive video lessons?

Draw braids

However, you can use any brushes you want. When you make this line, keep in mind that the zig-zag should be bigger on the top and smaller on the bottom of your braid. Start elongating the lines from the zig-zag to create a longer curved line that touches the one that is on top of it. Turn off the layer where you have the guidelines, and, there you have the basic sketch for a regular braid. Draw more hairs on the edges and in the middle of the braid, saving an area in the center of each hair strand for the highlights. Start making darker hair strands on the edges of each strand of hair in the braid to give it more dimension. To make your braid look more realistic, start adding small hairs coming out of each section of hair. For the loose hairs, I used the " lone strand detail" brush from the hair set of Procreate brushes. The gaps in this zig-zag should be small for it to look like a fishtail braid instead of a regular one. Once you like how this is looking, add soft curved lines where the braid and the lines you did before meet to create the hair tie. Start to add soft shadows where on the edges of the braid and in the center area where the zig-zag is. Extra tip: You can use the same brush like an eraser to tidy up your drawing a bit. Start to make darker hair strands in the areas where there are more shadows, like in the center, and the edges of the braid. Using the hair brush as an eraser, start to add subtle highlights in the center of the hair strands. To finish your braid, start adding soft single hairs all over your drawing to make it look a bit messier and not so perfect.

Trying to learn everything all at once will only be draining and not very useful. Learn how to draw hair with this page workbook that will walk you through the stages of understanding how to draw any hairstyles, draw braids. Making sure that the contour lines of Lock B connect on either side of Draw braids A by using implied gesture lines will create an interconnectivity and cohesiveness in my drawing, making it look natural and believable.

Drawing braids can seem really complicated at first but it becomes quite easy once you get into the habit of drawing the basic shapes. Draw boxes that connect at adjacent angles to create a zig-zag pattern in the middle. Use light lines in this step because these will be the guidelines for the next step in the process. Pay attention to the proportions of these boxes, you can keep them all the same size or you can slowly make them smaller to give the braids a tapered shape. These boxes can be thought of as upside-down hearts that are stacked on top of each other.

You just need to follow a few simple steps. Only looking for help with one specific area of braids drawing? We start with a quick overview of the different steps you will take. A simple braid is usually made up of three roughly equal sections of hair which are interwoven in an overlapping pattern and tied at the bottom to hold the hair in place. Starting with one of the outer sections, you bring one section of hair over the middle section and pull it tight, therefore the section you started with is now the middle piece of hair. Repeat this step with the strand of hair that is now on the left side and bring it into the middle.

Draw braids

Last Updated: August 6, To create this article, 21 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed , times. Learn more Braids are a challenge that have frustrated many artists. The good news is that it often becomes easier with practice. Tip: Use the elbow and wrist to keep your strokes loose. Stay loose and relaxed. There's no need to be precise; a little chaos is a good thing when it comes to drawing hair.

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I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to draw a braid! Corners Darken in the corners where the hairs fold into each other, these regions receive less light than the top portions of the strands. Where are the most obvious 'sections', or divisions in the hair? Same with the lightest values: there are only a few areas where the lightest values are actually white. Drawing Paper : I'm drawing on a sheet of Strathmore Bristol paper, which is a lovely, smooth drawing paper that I've recently grown fond of. How much hair is below the tie depends on you! Not Helpful 22 Helpful In this 24 page workbook we will practice drawing 23 different hairstyles at 6 different angles each total of heads , I have found that this method of practice is great for developing the skills necessary to draw a variety of hairstyles :D This is also a great drawing activity that is low pressure and straight forwards, it is much easier to draw with direct reference in front of you so its a good way to relax and have some fun drawing! Furthermore, this makes the process of drawing the block-in much easier, because you realize that none of these lines are random! If you follow the contour lines of the lock of hair, you'll notice that they continue on the other side of the intersection. All Categories. All this to say: while contour lines are extremely useful in creating a line drawing, try not to become attached to them, as they can easily detract from the realism of your drawing once you start shading.

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In this case, most of the drawing is darker than the white of the paper. This picture uses a gold color on Add Glow mode and a purple color on Linear Burn mode. Written by. Put another way, for the rest of the drawing I'll oscillate between viewing each segment of the braid as its own entity with its own value extremes and edges, and stepping back to view the entire braid as a whole. Step 2: I start looking at each segment of hair as its own entity, which has its own value extremes lightest and darkest values , and distinct edge qualities. Inexpensive Paintbrush: I very briefly use an inexpensive paintbrush early on in the shading process to quickly cover up the white of the paper where I don't need it. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Even though this subject is made up of curves, I'm looking for major angle changes and indicating them with straight or slightly curved lines. How to draw a braid. It's easy to get caught up in detail and forget to view your drawing as a the whole, often missing important elements that form the bigger picture. Download Free Worksheet. I love the quality of a drawing, and don't want to hide that that's what it is! I discuss the stages of shading in more detail and demonstrate the process of shading a subject from beginning to end in my video course: Realistic Drawing Where are the most obvious 'sections', or divisions in the hair?