How to Color Hair With Colored Pencils: Strands, Shine, and Shadow

The fastest way to make colored hair look stiff is to fill the entire shape with short random lines. Real hair reads as larger locks first and individual strands second.

Quick answer: Map the flow, shade each lock as a curved form, leave a broken band of light, then add a few sharp strands over the top.

Color the big shapes before the strands

Look for the root, part, bends, and places where one section crosses another. Your pencil strokes should follow those paths from beginning to end.

1. Choose three values. Pick a shadow, middle, and highlight color from the same family, plus an optional accent.
2. Lay a light base. Cover each lock gently in the direction it grows.
3. Create shadow pockets. Darken roots, undersides, overlaps, and narrow spaces between major locks.
4. Preserve shine. Leave an irregular curved band lighter where the hair turns toward the light.
5. Add selected strands. Use a sharp pencil for a limited number of long tapered lines that cross the larger color shapes.

Different hair needs different marks

Straight hair favors long continuous strokes. Waves need marks that curve through each bend. Tight curls are better treated as linked ribbons or cylinders rather than hundreds of separate loops. Gray and very light hair still need darker roots and overlap shadows to hold their form.

What to avoid

• Drawing every strand with equal weight
• Using white lines across shadows where no light would reach
• Stopping strokes halfway through a lock without following its curve

Useful supplies

soft-core colored pencils and pencil extenders can make this easier, but technique matters more than buying a large set.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I make black hair look dimensional?

Build it with indigo, deep violet, or dark brown before adding black selectively. Preserve narrow cool or warm highlights.

Can I use a white pencil for shine?

Yes, but white works best over lightly colored paper. On a heavily burnished area it may have limited effect.

Why does the hair look striped?

The shadows and highlights may be too even. Vary their width, soften some edges, and group strands into larger locks.

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