When making real time hair cards, we talk a lot about breaking down references. But how do we do this? I thought I'd share a little blog of how I like to use my references. I originally shared this over on Twitter, I'm going to try and post little tips on hair creation more regularly over there.
First off, where's the best place to find references? Pinterest has some amazing ideas and when you click through, it often takes you to fashion sites with decent resolution images and some of these sites and lots of "How to wear your hair a certain way" type posts that can spark a new idea!
YouTube hair tutorials are also fantastic for finding 360 turn arounds as well as how the underlying style is created! There is a wealth of knowledge there especially for 4a, b and c hair types.
So you've found your main reference, but what hair type is it? Deciding on the hair type can help you find more references and help you have consistent textures when you come to create them. Image from HaveGoodHair.com
Hair type is broken down in to Type 1-4 and a, b, c. The higher the number the more curly/kinky the hair is. The higher the letter, the tighter the curls/coils are resulting in more dense hair.
Now it's time to breakdown our reference. I like to work from big shapes to small. Start with the silhouette, then major clumps. Find your negative spaces and where the shadows and contrast are. Then the breakup clumps and finally flyaways. Here are some paintovers I like to make before starting the hair project.
For curly hair, I find it extra important to find the shadowed areas in a reference so that I can show depth when I come to place the cards. Keep coming back to your references as you create your hair and try to maintain the darker areas.
Afro textured hair can often be harder to read because it can be so dark and thick, you may have to up the contrast to really pick out the thinner clumps.
Here's a look at how I started my reference board for a previous hair style. I was going for a sci-fi cut that wouldn't really exist in real life (unless you were pretty brave with your styling) so I took a bunch of different styles and mashed them together!
Now, how do I apply all of this referencing to a 2D texture plane? Remember, you can always change your textures as you work. Iteration is good! Also, remember to optimise your texture space. Got a big empty section? Throw some flyaways in there! Got a little bit of space down the bottom? Add some short transitional hairs for the hairline!
Some final thoughts: breaking down a reference takes practice like everything else and I always recommend going slowly - god knows I often forget this and mess up! It's good to gather lots of references of similar styles but have a 'master reference' that you are aiming for. And finally, have fun! Making real time hair shouldn't be soul destroying! Find cool references and make it your own!
I've written creation breakdowns for my pink hair and the mohawk hair but there are some fantastic breakdowns and tutorials for hair creation all over the place. Here are some of my favs:
- Scruffy by Tomos Hywel Evans
- Ponytail + Bun Breakdowns by Jansen Turk
- Making HAIR Textures for Games [BEGINNER TUTORIAL] by Daniel Hill
- Realtime dreadlocks by Hazel Brown
- Elisa Castagner often shares her references and textures!