How to draw braids, step by step.

Establish your line of action.

This is the basic line that shows the motion and shape of the braid. “Even if the braid is static and falls straight down the back, you still need a line of action,” says chibi artist Shiela Larson. For example, where the braid hits the shoulders, there will be a slight curve. “It’s important to not just have the braid go straight down. You want to give it some life.” To start out, it can also be helpful to draw a simple head shape to work around.

Start with a basic shape.

Braids are a pattern, so the next step is to find a basic repeating shape that will loosely represent your braid. Draw that shape over your line of action. Fashion illustrator Josefina Fernandez uses a repeating Y shape for her braids. With the Y method, you connect the ends of the Ys using a rounded, inverted C shape to achieve a natural flow. Larson opts for a zigzag shape as her centerline, and connects each point with the same curved C shape all the way through.

No matter what shape best suits your art, one universal tip for braided hair is to always work with curved lines and stay away from straight ones. “It’s important to avoid making your lines extremely pointed and sharp. Unless it’s a really tight braid, it’ll always have a rounded quality,” says Larson.

Draw in details.

Once you have the shape of your braid outlined, you can refine your drawing and fill in the details, such as individual hair strands and highlights. “The way you create the lines should be the actual direction of the hair. It should look like brushing or combing the hair,” says Fernandez. “Curl your strands of hair into each other,” advises Larson. “It shows the flow of where that strand goes. It’s all about layering.”

And don’t forget to draw the end of the braid. “The hair will be pinched where the hair tie is, and then it poofs out at the end,” says Larson.

Shade your braid for dimension.

The most important element for lifelike hair is the shading. Different color or tonal values in the braid will keep your drawing from looking flat and give it that sense of dimension. “You need at least three tones to make it look realistic,” says Fernandez. A good rule of thumb is to think of these shades as your roots, base color, and highlights. To render your highlights, where the light hits the hair, you’ll want to leave those areas mostly unshaded. But don’t leave them completely white. Instead, “blend out the highlights. It ties everything together and makes it look like there’s actually hair in the highlight,” says Fernandez.