Photoshop Techniques - Hair

This tutorial focuses on Photoshop Techniques used for coloring the hair of your character.  Earlier tutorials walked you through both the skin and eyes of your character and a later tutorial will walk you through clothes.  This tutorial works for any version of Photoshop you are using.

Photoshop Techniques – Step 1: Outline

Create a new layer and trace the outline of your hair.  As you can see, this doesn’t have to follow your original sketch completely.  Follow the sketch where it works, but step away from it where you see improvements needed.

Photoshop Techniques – Step 2: Base Color

When coloring the hair of your character, you may find it easier to set down the base color before doing the outline.  Simply color in the area of the hair and then lock the pixels.

Photoshop Techniques – Step 3: Multiply (Shadows)

Duplicate your base layer.  If you are following these Photoshop Techniques in the correct order, your duplicated layer will have locked pixels.  Color the hair in your duplicated layer white; then, using the base hair color, add shadows to the hair.  These shadows should be very fine (done with a 1-3 point brush) and should look like individual hair strands.

Hair shadow techniques are typically best done with a graphics tablet, as you can create individual strands that look natural and thin.  There are many tablets available in our online store.

Set the layer to Multiply and the shadows will appear above your hair color.

If you are not satisfied with the number of shadows in your hair, or you want to add more depth by creating a few darker shadows, follow this next Photoshop technique.  Go back and duplicate the base hair color again.  Paint the hair white, then add in the shadows, this time using a color one shade darker than the original hair color.  Set the layer to Multiply.

Photoshop Techniques – Step 4: Color Dodge (Highlights)

Create a new layer and set that layer to Color Dodge.  With a small (1-3 point) brush, add highlights to the hair.  There should be less highlights in the hair than there are shadows, unless the character is in a very well-lit environment.  Highlights should be found in both lit and shadowed areas.  If your layer is set to Color Dodge, the highlights in the shadowed area will naturally be dimmer than those in the lighter areas.  This will help you to have depth and a more realistic look.

Photoshop Techniques – Step 5: More Highlights

If you want just a little more brightness to your image, create a new layer.  Use the Eyedropper Tool to select the highlight color created by the Color Dodge Layer.


Double-click the color in the left menu to bring up the Color Picker pallet.  Using the arrows on the vertical bar, create a lighter version of the color and click OK. 


Add a few last highlights to the lightest areas of the hair. 
 

Photoshop Techniques – Step 6: Finish

To finish this stage of your character, create a new Set and move all Hair layers into the Set.  Once all the Hair layers are in place, lock the Set and Save.  You have now finished the Photoshop Techniques tutorial for hair.  You may proceed back to the tutorials on skin or eyes, or proceed forward to the tutorial on clothes.