How to draw curly hair - a free curly hair drawing guide
Learn to draw curly hair step-by-step, practicing shapes, texture, and shading to create realistic curls using pencils and erasers. Download the PDF for complete instructions.
Photos of curly hair drawing examples
Step-by-step guide to draw curly hair
Step 1
Gather your materials and sit at a clean flat surface.
Step 2
Place a reference photo of curly hair where you can see it clearly.
Step 3
Lightly draw a simple head or face outline with an HB pencil to guide hair placement.
Step 4
Mark the hairline and the part using light short pencil marks.
Step 5
On scrap paper practice S curves spirals and loops until you feel comfortable drawing them.
Step 6
Map the overall hair flow by drawing light sweeping curved lines across the head outline.
Step 7
Build groups of curls by drawing S shapes loops and spirals along the flow lines and vary their sizes.
Step 8
Add inner strand lines inside some curls to create texture and show layers.
Step 9
Shade shadow areas under curls at the roots and where curls overlap using a softer pencil like 2B or 4B.
Step 10
Gently blend shaded areas with a blending stump or cotton swab to soften the tones.
Step 11
Use the eraser to lift tiny highlights on the outer curves of curls.
Step 12
Erase any stray pencil marks gently to clean the drawing.
Step 13
Darken final lines and important shadows to finish the curl details.
Step 14
Take a photo of your finished drawing and share your creation on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use if I don't have a blending stump or a 2B/4B pencil?
If you don't have a blending stump or a 2B/4B pencil, use a cotton swab or tissue to gently blend shaded areas and substitute the softest pencil you have (or press more with an HB) when shading shadow areas under curls.
My curls look flat or messy—what step can fix that?
If curls look flat or tangled, follow step 5 by practicing S curves and spirals on scrap paper, then remap the overall hair flow with light sweeping curved lines before building varied-size curl groups in step 6.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?
For preschoolers, simplify by drawing short curved strokes with a soft crayon or HB and skipping shading and inner strand lines, while older kids can follow steps 6–9 using inner strand lines, 2B/4B shading, and a blending stump for texture.
How can we extend or personalize the finished drawing?
To personalize or extend the activity, create several versions changing the part (step 4) and curl sizes (step 6), lift highlights with the eraser, try colored pencils, then darken final lines and photograph each result to share on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to draw curly hair
DO'S & DON'TS: How to Draw Curly Hair | Step by Step Drawing Tutorial
4 Videos
DO'S & DON'TS: How to Draw Curly Hair | Step by Step Drawing Tutorial
How to Draw Curly Hair in 3 Steps | Step by Step Tutorial for Beginners
Easy way to draw realistic curly hair // step by step tutorial
Drawing Curly Hair: A Basic Guide for Beginners
Facts about drawing and shading hair with pencils
✏️ Graphite pencils are graded from 9H (hard, light) to 9B (soft, dark) — softer B pencils are great for rich curl shadows.
🧽 A kneaded eraser can lift graphite like a cloud to make soft highlights inside curls without harsh edges.
💇 Curly hair throws more tiny shadows and highlights than straight hair, which helps artists create depth and bounce in curls.
🌀 Many artists build curls from simple C- and S-shaped strokes — repeating and varying those shapes makes hair look natural.
📐 Measuring curl size and direction with quick pencil sighting (use your pencil as a ruler) helps keep proportions believable.
How do you teach a child to draw curly hair step-by-step?
What materials do I need to teach a child to draw curly hair?
What ages is learning to draw curly hair suitable for?
What are the benefits and variations of a curly hair drawing activity?
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