EASY Painting Hair for BEGINNERS! How to paint realistic hair with acrylic paint, by Artisan Gift Collection on YouTube. 8 min 40 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 40 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Squeeze out three acrylic colours: a dark brown for shadows, a medium brown for the main hair colour and a light brown or cream for highlights.
Thin each colour with a little water on your palette so it flows from the brush. Keep the paint creamy, not runny.
Paint the whole hair shape with the medium brown as a base. Let it dry before adding darker or lighter strands.
Load a small round brush with dark brown and paint thin strands in the direction the hair grows. Use the tip, not the side, of the brush.
For wavy hair, paint loose S-shaped strokes with the medium brown, then add darker curves along the lower edge of each wave.
For curly hair, use short curved strokes or small dabs. Build clusters instead of drawing single ringlets.
For coily hair, make small loops or dots with a fine brush. Keep them close together and vary the size.
Add light brown or cream highlights last, using fewer strokes than the dark strands. Stop before the hair looks striped.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep your brush barely damp, because too much water makes acrylic hair look muddy and flat.
Let each layer dry before adding the next one, or the colours will blend into a single tone.
Paint in the direction of the hair and taper the end of each stroke for a more natural look.
Practise on scrap paper first, especially the curly and coily strokes.
Questions
Can I paint hair with just one brown?
Yes, but you will get more depth with three values: dark, medium and light. You can make them by mixing brown with black and white or cream.
How do I stop acrylic hair looking stiff?
Thin the paint slightly and use light strokes. Avoid covering every strand with the same thickness.
Do I need to varnish the painting?
Not for practice. Once the acrylic is fully dry, a thin varnish can protect the surface if you plan to display it.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
