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Hello everyone. After the release of my last skin, I got asked how I shaded the hair on that skin. I haven't really seen many hair shading tutorials, so I figured I should make one. I'll show you a simplified example of the hair on that skin with only 5 shades, while the original skin had 7 shades for the hair. In reality, you could do even more than that if you wanted.
Generally, each side of the head is made up of 3 different components, so I'll be showing you each three components and what they look like combined.
The back of the head is shaded like this. To understand why I put the shading and highlights where I did, think of the actual shape of the skull. It's not strictly round--instead it bulges out in the back slightly above center. That's why the highlight is higher than center.
The shading on the side of the head is pretty similar. Keep in mind that the 'front' of the head is where the arrow is pointing. I put the highlight slightly towards the front of the head. Also keep in mind that, like I said in the picture, the front first column of pixels is generally covered up by 3D hair put in the hat layer. When I put hair in the hat layer I like to have it wrap around the sides slightly--I feel this looks more natural than putting it only on the front.
The top of the head is probably the most complex part of the head to shade. The reason of this is because this is where the strands of hair from the sides meet, and this is where the part is. For skins with long hair, you should always include a part at the top of the head for realism. To get an idea why I shade my parts with one dark line and one light line, take a look at this lovely lady. Look at how the light creates a highlight on one side of her part while it leaves the other side in shadow. That's basically what I'm trying to replicate.
If this example seem too complex for you, try simplifying the colors a bit. Try only using one shade of highlighting as opposed to two, so the highlights are less complex to draw.
Before I finish this blog, I'd like to address some of the common problems I see when people shade hair:
-Many people shade hair vary lightly. While light shading might make sense for clothing (since clothing isn't shiny or reflective), hair looks better when it's shiny. Don't be afraid to make some bright highlights on your hair.
-Sometimes people will shade hair by only drawing stripes (or 'strands') and leave out any other shading. Remember, the head is rounded, so your shading should indicate that.
-Finally, most people don't hue shift their colors. I can't overstate how important hue shifting is! Out of everything, it's probably the simplest way to make your skins look eye-catching and professional. As an example, think of shiny dark brown hair. When the light hits it, it doesn't just look light taupey-brown, it shines a bright golden shade. Similarly, red hair will shine a coppery-orange shade and not just a pale red pink shade. For more information about hue shifting, check out my blog on the subject.
I hope this blog is helpful and informative. If you like it, please leave a diamond or comment! Thanks.
Generally, each side of the head is made up of 3 different components, so I'll be showing you each three components and what they look like combined.
The back of the head is shaded like this. To understand why I put the shading and highlights where I did, think of the actual shape of the skull. It's not strictly round--instead it bulges out in the back slightly above center. That's why the highlight is higher than center.
The shading on the side of the head is pretty similar. Keep in mind that the 'front' of the head is where the arrow is pointing. I put the highlight slightly towards the front of the head. Also keep in mind that, like I said in the picture, the front first column of pixels is generally covered up by 3D hair put in the hat layer. When I put hair in the hat layer I like to have it wrap around the sides slightly--I feel this looks more natural than putting it only on the front.
The top of the head is probably the most complex part of the head to shade. The reason of this is because this is where the strands of hair from the sides meet, and this is where the part is. For skins with long hair, you should always include a part at the top of the head for realism. To get an idea why I shade my parts with one dark line and one light line, take a look at this lovely lady. Look at how the light creates a highlight on one side of her part while it leaves the other side in shadow. That's basically what I'm trying to replicate.
If this example seem too complex for you, try simplifying the colors a bit. Try only using one shade of highlighting as opposed to two, so the highlights are less complex to draw.
Before I finish this blog, I'd like to address some of the common problems I see when people shade hair:
-Many people shade hair vary lightly. While light shading might make sense for clothing (since clothing isn't shiny or reflective), hair looks better when it's shiny. Don't be afraid to make some bright highlights on your hair.
-Sometimes people will shade hair by only drawing stripes (or 'strands') and leave out any other shading. Remember, the head is rounded, so your shading should indicate that.
-Finally, most people don't hue shift their colors. I can't overstate how important hue shifting is! Out of everything, it's probably the simplest way to make your skins look eye-catching and professional. As an example, think of shiny dark brown hair. When the light hits it, it doesn't just look light taupey-brown, it shines a bright golden shade. Similarly, red hair will shine a coppery-orange shade and not just a pale red pink shade. For more information about hue shifting, check out my blog on the subject.
I hope this blog is helpful and informative. If you like it, please leave a diamond or comment! Thanks.
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