Rendering Hair Tutorial

Rendering Hair Tutorial

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :｡ﾟ☆ ───

I thought I would upload something a bit different this time around ♡

I usually prefer to render hair with cell shading but I have been doing a lot of research and re-learning over the past couple months to improve my art. I put together this little tutorial for rendering hair to help anyone who struggles with it like I do!

Anime Hair-Ography Challenge

Join other deviants in this contest / challenge for the chance to win some awesome prizes!

Ends:

April 30th, 2025 11:59 PM

(UTC -08:00)

 ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :｡ﾟ☆ ･ ───

Step 1:

Sketch

Start with your hair sketch! Have fun with it! The more "imperfect" and "messy" it is, the more natural and full of life it will feel. Don't be afraid to let it flow!

Step 2:

Base Color

Fill in the base color of your choice! Whether it’s red, brown, yellow, blue—go wild! The possibilities are endless.

Step 3:

Shadows

Now, add your first layer of shadows. These don’t have to be harsh—think of them as a guideline for the next step. Place them where the light wouldn’t directly hit the hair.

Step 4:

Darker Shadows

Time to deepen those shadows! Add a darker shade to give the hair more depth. These will go under the directly lit areas and in the sharper creases of the hair. This step helps everything pop!

Step 5:

Highlights

Now for the magic touch—highlights and bounce light! Highlights go on the areas hit directly by light, while bounce light appears on the opposite side, reflecting from the surroundings. For example, if your character is near water, the bounce light could have a soft blue tint! Don’t be afraid to experiment—highlights don’t always have to match the hair color perfectly to look amazing. Play around and have fun with it!

I truly hope this helps and I had so much fun putting this tutorial together! I can't wait to make more tutorials in the future ♡

I am allowing for free downloads of this tutorial.

All I ask - If you re-uploaded it, that I be credited for being the original creator. ♡

Program: Procreate

Device: Apple iPad Pro + Apple Pencil

Time: 2.5 hours

ᘏ ⑅ ᘏ   ഒ

꒰˶  - ˕ -꒱ ⌒)ᦱ

 ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :｡ﾟ☆ ･ ───

♡ Support + Connect with Me! ♡

Linktree ♡ Twitch ♡ Etsy Shop ♡ Tiktok ♡ Instagram ♡ Twitter ♡ Patreon ♡ Discord ♡ Youtube ♡ Facebook ♡ Cara ♡ ArtFight ♡ BlueSky