[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Using the path tool and hair brushes to draw hair in GIMP.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Hair Brushes by Bliss
GIMP
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Open up GIMP with your bald headshot. Make the background transparent, so we can work underneath the model's head. Create two new layers, one above the screenshot layer and one below. Take a brush tool and draw the outline of your hair with the bits over the face on the layer above, and the outline of the hair on the under the head on the layer below the bald headshot.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Select one of the three Bliss Hair Drawing brushes, and set the spacing to 1.0, or it will come up as dots when you draw. Then, select the path tool and begin to outline your hair shape. Make sure you have clicked 'Stroke with a Paint Tool' and 'Emulate Brush Dynamics'. I start furhter in that I actually want the strands to begin because it fades as it begins so it starts a bit after the first point.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Go around all of the hair. Do not worry if it looks blunt and bland, because you can add more volume in the next step. Remember to keep the strands that go under neath on the underneath layer, and the strands on top on the upper layer.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Create a new layer above all of them, and select another one of the hair drawing tools, and repeat the last step, until you are satisfied with the basic appearance. Do not make it too big or too little. I used all three brushes.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, we are going to create another new layer. I am naming them as I go along for convenience, and merging them as I go along if necessary. This layer is flyaways. Take the path tool and direct it outside the hair outline, and choose a brush and stroke it. This creates a more natural look, rather than having each strand perfectly aligned.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Once again, repeat this step with different directions, sizes and brushes until you are satisfied.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, make another layer for the lighter shade of hair. Go onto your colour palette and make your colour a few shades lighter. Don't make it too dark because otherwise it will not be distinct, but if it is too light it will look to distracting and unnatural.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Continue stroking on a layer above the face. As I am making a hairstyle where it is supposed to look pinned back behind the head, I am having the hair span out from one point.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Continue to do this step with different brushes until you are happy. Mine looks rather messy, but I fix it all later. Now, get the free select tool and select any chunks of hair that cross over the parting, and delete them.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Continue to do this above and below the face and head, going along with the direction of the hair. You can add natural flyaways as you go along. Then, if there are any chunks that are going over the face or flying off, delete them. Only if it will not look out of place, for example have a large strand abruptly be cut off.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]At this point, before moving on to the next shade, I reduce the opacity if it looks too light. Then, create another new layer and repeat the last steps with another lighter shade.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]When you are happy with the shape, shade and overall appearance, you need to darken the roots. Make a new layer. Select a brush tool and draw around the roots in the darkest shade of your hair.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Select the smudge tool, and smudge the roots towards the tips of your strands until it looks convincing.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]If necessary, reduce the opacity. Then, if you are happy with the hair, right click in the layers box and click 'Merge Visible Layers'.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Select the 'Dodge' tool and scroll down and click 'Highlights'. Make sure you are using a round brush with a hardness lower than 100. Dab in areas you want to highlight in your hair to make natural shine.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]All done!
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