{"id":1891,"date":"2012-12-30T16:17:23","date_gmt":"2012-12-30T16:17:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/?page_id=1891"},"modified":"2026-04-02T21:35:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T21:35:39","slug":"the-secrets-to-drawing-hair","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-hair","title":{"rendered":"The Secrets to Drawing &#8211; Hair"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"coursetitlecontainer\">\n<div class=\"coursetitle\">\n<h1><span>The Secrets to Drawing:<\/span> Hair<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"insertbackground\">\n<div class=\"removep\">\n<div class=\"videoflexwrapper\">\n<div class=\"videotop\">\n  <iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/103257509?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebartop\">\n<div class=\"vertalign\">\n<div class=\"logoimage\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/logosmall75.png\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebarcarddescriptiondark\"><span>JOIN THE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTOR<\/span><br \/>\n    Get ALL of our courses, ebooks, live lessons, critiques, lesson plans and more today.<\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebarbuttonholder\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sidebuttonsmem\">START FREE TRIAL<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<hr style=\"background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:1.5em;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/register-the-secrets-to-drawing\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sidebuttons\">BUY SINGLE COURSE $60<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperkscontainer\">\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><span>This course features:<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"far fa-clock\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/i>5 Hours of Instruction<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"fas fa-film\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/i>28 Videos<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"fas fa-book\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/i>26 eBooks<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"fas fa-shield-alt\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/i>30 Day Money Back Guarantee<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p>\n\n<div class=\"contentfix\">\n<div class=\"favorites\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tabs\">\n  <input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-1\" checked=\"checked\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-1\" class=\"label\">Description<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Lesson Description<\/h2>\n<p>Lesson Twenty-Five of <em>The Secrets to Drawing Course<\/em> focuses on the essential skill of <strong>drawing hair<\/strong>, an element that can add realism, character, and personality to any portrait. Hair is complex due to its texture, volume, and the way light interacts with strands, making it a challenging but rewarding subject. In this lesson, students learn to draw hair from start to finish using graphite pencils on white drawing paper, applying principles of shading, texture, and observation to achieve realistic results.<\/p>\n<h2>Introduction to Drawing Hair<\/h2>\n<p>The lesson begins with an introduction to the structure and characteristics of hair. Matt Fussell explains that hair is composed of individual strands, which collectively form the overall shape, flow, and volume of a hairstyle. Students are taught to observe the natural direction of hair growth, the way strands group together, and the effects of light and shadow on the hair\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n<p>Understanding hair as a combination of texture, value, and form helps students approach the drawing with both structure and creativity. Matt emphasizes that hair should be thought of as a three-dimensional object, not just a flat surface, to create depth and realism.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 1: Establishing the Hairline and General Shape<\/h2>\n<p>Students begin by lightly sketching the <strong>hairline<\/strong> and the general shape of the hair. This involves outlining the volume and flow of the hairstyle while maintaining proportional alignment with the head. Matt demonstrates how to observe the hair\u2019s mass and contour before focusing on individual strands, emphasizing the importance of starting with the overall form.<\/p>\n<p>By establishing the basic shape first, students create a foundation for adding details, texture, and highlights in later steps. Light guidelines are used to indicate the direction of hair flow and the division of hair sections, which will help in creating a natural and structured appearance.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 2: Blocking in Values<\/h2>\n<p>Once the general shape is defined, students begin <strong>blocking in values<\/strong> to create depth and dimension. Matt shows how to use a range of graphite pencils to define light, midtone, and shadow areas. The darkest areas are typically found beneath layers of hair or near the scalp, while highlights are reserved for sections where light reflects directly off the strands.<\/p>\n<p>Blocking in values helps students establish volume and three-dimensionality before adding fine details. Smooth, consistent strokes are used to gradually build tonal transitions, ensuring the hair appears natural and cohesive.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 3: Drawing Individual Strands<\/h2>\n<p>With the values established, students move on to adding <strong>individual strands<\/strong> and texture. Matt demonstrates techniques for drawing hair in small groups or sections, following the natural direction and flow. Using varied line pressure and pencil grades, students create a combination of fine and bold strands, which adds realism and avoids a flat, uniform look.<\/p>\n<p>Layering individual strands over the blocked-in values allows the hair to appear dense and lifelike. Matt emphasizes observing real hair or reference images to capture irregularities and natural variation, such as stray hairs, varying thickness, and changes in direction.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 4: Refining Highlights and Shadows<\/h2>\n<p>Next, students refine <strong>highlights and shadows<\/strong> to enhance the realism of the hair. Highlights are lifted or preserved using an eraser or lighter graphite, creating the illusion of light reflecting off the strands. Shadows are deepened in areas of overlap or where hair curves away from the light source, reinforcing the three-dimensional form.<\/p>\n<p>Matt explains that the careful balance of light and shadow gives hair its volume and movement. Smooth blending in midtone areas helps unify the drawing, while maintaining visible strands ensures texture and realism.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 5: Final Detailing and Finishing Touches<\/h2>\n<p>In the final step, students add finishing touches to bring the hair to life. Matt demonstrates how to refine stray hairs, enhance contrast, and sharpen highlights to make the hair appear vibrant and dynamic. Students step back to evaluate the overall flow, texture, and proportional alignment with the head, making minor adjustments as needed.<\/p>\n<p>Final detailing ensures the hair looks natural, cohesive, and integrated into the portrait, completing the drawing with a polished and realistic appearance.<\/p>\n<h2>Benefits of Studying Hair<\/h2>\n<p>Learning to draw hair develops observation, shading, and texture skills. It enhances students\u2019 ability to render complex forms, understand light interaction, and create lifelike portraits. Mastering hair also builds confidence in handling detailed, layered drawing techniques and reinforces the application of prior lessons on value, proportion, and form.<\/p>\n<h2>Mastery of Drawing Hair<\/h2>\n<p>By the end of Lesson Twenty-Five, students have completed a detailed graphite drawing of hair from start to finish. They have learned to construct the hairline, block in values, draw individual strands, and refine highlights and shadows for realistic results. This lesson equips students with the skills necessary to depict hair convincingly in portraits, adding depth, texture, and personality to their artwork. Mastery of drawing hair prepares students to complete full facial and portrait studies with confidence and technical proficiency.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-2\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-2\" class=\"label\">Materials<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Lesson Materials<\/h2>\n<p>Graphite pencil, white drawing paper.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-3\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-3\" class=\"label\">Resources<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Lesson Resources<\/h2>\n<p><i class=\"fas fa-exclamation-triangle\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>Distributing any content downloaded from this site is strictly prohibited and against the terms and conditions of use.<\/p>\n<p><i class=\"fas fa-lock\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>Download eBook<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-4\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-4\" class=\"label\">Curriculum<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Course Curriculum<\/h2>\n<div class=\"curriculumcontainer\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-introduction\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 1: Introduction (5:03)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-line\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 2: Line (14:25)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-shape\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 3: Shape (8:19)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-form\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 4: Form (13:00)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-value\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 5: Value (11:59)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-space\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 6: Space (6:13)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-one-point-perspective\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 7: One Point Perspective (12:58)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-two-point-perspective\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 8: Two Point Perspective (12:13)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-three-point-perspective\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 9: Three Point Perspective (10:27)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-basic-drawing-techniques\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 10: Basic Drawing Techniques (15:03)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-drawing-from-life\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 11: Drawing From Life (9:01)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-drawing-from-photos\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 12: Drawing From Photos (15:25)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-composition\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 13: Composition (12:20)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-graphite\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 14: Graphite (9:00)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-charcoal\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 15: Charcoal (10:32)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-drawing-with-ink\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 16: Ink (9:00)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-color\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 17: Color (14:28)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-colored-pencils\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 18: Colored Pencils (11:56)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-oil-pastels\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 19: Oil Pastels (11:51)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-soft-pastels\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 20: Soft Pastels (11:21)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-facial-proportions\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 21: Facial Proportions (13:56)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-the-eye\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 22: The Eye (14:05)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-the-nose-and-mouth\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 23: The Nose and Mouth (12:24)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-the-ear\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 24: The Ear (4:51)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-hair\" class=\"curriculumselected\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 25: Hair (14:02)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-basic-figure-drawing\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 26: Figure Drawing (20:00)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-foreshortening\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 27: Foreshortening (12:54)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-secrets-to-drawing-conclusion\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 28: Conclusion (2:58)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebarbottom\">\n<div class=\"relatedcourse\">Your Instructor<\/div>\n<div class=\"instructor\">\n<div class=\"instructorimage\">\n<div class=\"instructorpic\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/images\/mattauthor.jpg\" alt=\"Matt Fussell - Instructor\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"instructorname\">Matt Fussell<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instructordes\">\n<p>Founder of The Virtual Instructor, artist and teacher. Matt makes learning art easy to understand and enjoyable.<\/p>\n<p><div style=\"padding-top:10px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/author\/admin\">Learn more about Matt<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relatedcoursescontainer\">\n<div class=\"relatedcourse\">Related Courses and Classes<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/portrait-drawing-the-smart-way\" class=\"sidebarbottom-curriculum\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftlean\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Portrait Drawing The Smart Way<\/div>\n<div class=\"rightlean\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Portrait-Drawing-The-Smart-Way-Course.jpg');\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/realistic-portrait-drawing-with-pencil\" class=\"sidebarbottom-curriculum\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftlean\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Portrait Drawing with Graphite<\/div>\n<div class=\"rightlean\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/pencil-portrait-drawing-400.jpg');\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/portrait-with-charcoal-old-man\" class=\"sidebarbottom-curriculum\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftlean\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Portrait Drawing with Charcoal<\/div>\n<div class=\"rightlean\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Portrait-Drawing-with-Charcoal-400.jpg');\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Secrets to Drawing: Hair Description Lesson Description Lesson Twenty-Five of The Secrets to Drawing Course focuses on the essential skill of drawing hair, an element that can add realism, character, and personality to any portrait. Hair is complex due to its texture, volume, and the way light interacts with strands, making it a challenging [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"paget-iframe.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1891","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1891"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45949,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1891\/revisions\/45949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}