How to Draw Black Hair

Illustration Breakdown

Mar 14

Written By Melissa Arancibia

Here’s a little step - by - step process on how I color dark black hair✨

1. Sketch

As always, I start with a sketch, making sure to study the reference.
I typically use the ‘Loose Sketch’ brush from my Sketch Brush Set — Brushes linked at the bottom.

Tip: an easy way to draw braids is to use the letter ‘Y’ and connect them

2. Base Colors

Next comes color blocking.

I started with a desaturated pink for the underpainting. This gives more interest to the hair and avoids it looking flat with one color.

The trick to making a painting look more interesting — whether it’s hair, skin, or any other subject — is to add subtle color variations. This helps the piece feel more alive.

3. Shading

This is where I start rendering.

With a dark desaturated blue, I begin placing the darker shadows where the light doesn’t reach.

Then I start building highlights in the middle of the braid while leaving some gaps for the underpainting to show through.

4. Rendering

Here I’m careful not to add reds or oranges, since those tones tend to make the hair look warmer. I want to keep it cooler, which helps the hair read as black rather than dark brown.

Using more greyish blues, I place additional highlights with the “Smooth Hair Brush”, following the reference.

5. Curls

For the curls, I’m using the same blues and purples as the braids.

Since the hair is quite dark, I can get away with adding a few strokes to give the illusion of hair without drawing each strand individually.

Tip: First draw the overall shape of the hair, then focus on the curls inside. I like to draw “C” and “S” shapes to build the curls.

6. Highlights

Here I add the brightest highlights to make the hair look extra shiny and glossy.

I add this on top of my already existing highlights to make them pop!

7. Details

For the finishing touches, I added the stars for extra detail, and that’s it — you’re done.

🖌️ Brushes used

Loose Sketch - Sketch Brush Set
Round Shading Brush & Render Build-up - Rendering Brush Set
Smooth Hair Brush - Hair brush Set

🎨 Want to learn more about how I draw hair?

Check out my ‘How to draw Hair’ Tutorial on YouTube for a full walkthrough on how I approach different hair styles! You’ll see how I construct everything from straight to curly hair.