Posted on by Ben Lustenhouwer

How to paint hair in oil paint?

Here I give some advice how to paint hair in oil paint.

  • 1. Always provide softness where the hairline meets the background.
  • 2. Painting individual hairs is one of the biggest pitfalls. Make simple planes that show the character of the hair. Avoid the “Spagettie haircut” How? SQUINT! Close your eyes almost and look through your eyelashes. Now you only see the larger volumes and certainly no separate hairs. Try to achieve this simplification in your painting.
  • 3. Paint sporadically “bouncy” hairs. Do you see a hundred? Make three!
  • 4. Mauve is often a solution for those parts of the hairstyle that captures light. (Mauve is a combination of ultramarine blue + crimson + white)
  • 5. Another point of attention is the transition from the hair to the forehead. Make it softer. Exaggerate that softness!

General advice, See as much colours as possible in every hair complexion. For example, in red hair there is also green.

How to paint hair. some advice
Make the softest possible connection of the hairdo with the background.

 

How to paint hair.
Some dark accents are often more effective than light ones.

 

How to paint hair. some advice.
Even in blond hair are more dark parts that you might think.

 

How to paint hair. some advice.
Gel in the hairdo? Show that!

 

How to paint hair. some advice.
An almost bald head? Make a soft and gradual transition where the bald scalp meets the hair.

 

How to paint hair. some advice.
White hair also has colour!

 

How to paint hair. some advice.
Is the hairstyle rebellious? Exaggerate that!

See also this post.

10 Replies to “How to paint hair in oil paint?”

    1. Yeah, I thanks I really appreciate your effort over these tips…

      It’s really helping me as a beginner in drawing!

      May God bless you more

      Victor Moses Réinz…..
      From Nigeria

  2. Dank je Ben,
    Heb nog even wat info bij je bekeken nadat ik een portretje heb gemaakt met juist wel scherpe haarbegrenzingen.
    Met hartelijke groet,
    Frank Lustenhouwer

  3. Really useful! Thank you very much! 🙂 Working on my first portrait in oil and I was nervous about doing the hair. I feel better after reading this.

  4. so how do I make the edges softer ? and any tips for painting (oil) a fringe on a woman’s forehead ?
    great hair tips thank you.

    1. I sometimes do with rubbing my finger. Or with a big long haired brush in a zigzag movement. It all depends on how much paint you are applying. The more paint the easier

Comments are closed.