INSTANT HAIR

 
Sample or Preset files are available at the main index Mastering Brushes for Photoshop.
Hair Brushes can add an additional level of realism to your work when used appropriately. *This Tutorial requires the user to have Hair Brush libraries in place already in order to complete the example below. (If you are without any, go to "Valuable Links" located under Menu. This page has links to various providers where you will be able to find some for Free.)
 
For this Exercise, Go to the Samples folder for this CD and Open it. Inside locate the File named The_Climb.psd, then Double-Click it and it will Open in photoshop. (Click on the blue bar Top of Layers palette and Drag palette to the Left as shown.)
 
 
1.) We'll start first by setting up the initial Color palette to work from. Click the Background Color swatch to Open the Color-Picker, then enter #330000 at the Bottom input box and click OK to apply. Now, click the Foreground Color swatch and change to #663300.
 
 
2.) Select the Zoom tool and click once on the work area to enlarge image to 100%. Select the Brush tool and Right-Click on the work area on the Left side of the image to Open the Brush-Picker. Select the Hard Round 19 pixels brush. Carry it over the work area and paint some initial hair to Create a shape. Use the Right scroll bars and Drag to Bottom to adjust working area to make the Bottom corner of the image visible.
(If the required brush is not available in the library, with the Brush-Picker Open... click the blue arrow (located Top Right corner and a pop-out menu will appear, Select Reset brushes. A dialog box will appear, just click OK and the correct library will load.)
 
 
3.) Go to the Layers palette and click the Create a new layer button located at the Bottom to generate a New blank layer. Open the Brush-Picker from time to time and Select different brushes as you work painting in initial areas around the face.
 
 
4.) At this stage, I switch the Brush Library to one of my specific Hair Brush sets and begin to stamp images from various brushes in the sets to areas in the Outer facial region.
 
 
5.) Continue with this process, Creating as many layers as you wish as you work. A second Hair Brush library was also utilized along the way. The particular Hair Brush sets used are commercial sets called Heavenly Hair 1, 2 and 3 by Ravnheart, ToxicAngel and can be found at Renderosity.com and can be purchased for a small fee. Stop applying them when you are pleased with a good base design as shown below.
 
 
6.) Time to start with the second Color. Press X on the keyboard to switch to the Background Color swatch. Reset the Brush Library back to the default set and start painting strands of Hair using the Hard Round 1 and 3 pixels brushes.
 
 
Continue with this process adding in small details until you have something similar below.
 
 
7.) With most of the work now completed... Let's go ahead and Save the File (as the next Step will remove layers). Go to File > Save. This will Save the Original file "The Climb.psd" with all your hard work and all layers intact. Next, go to File > Save As and change the name to something New. The New file will be Created and ready now for us to continue.
 
Go to the Layers palette and click the Eye icon OFF to the Background layer. Select the layer Above, then go to Layer > Merge Visible. (All of the layers creating the Hair will then Merge to one single layer.)
 
 
You can then click the Eye Icon back ON to the Background layer to return it's visibility but keep Layer 1 still Selected. Hold the Shift key now and Tap R until the Smudge tool becomes Selected. Go to the Options bar and set Strength to 50% and Select the Hard or Soft Round 13 pixels brush.
 
 
Go to the work area now and Smear areas of strands of Hair you wish to soften. Doesn't have to be too dramatic here, but it all adds to the finished result.
 
 
8.) This is the Stage that I usually dial in the overall Color of the Hair. Press Ctrl+U to Open the Hue/Saturation palette. Play with the Hue and Saturation sliders a bit. Here, I settled on a more red Hue and darkened it by Lowering the Saturation value. Just click OK to apply when you are finished with your adjustment.
 
 
9.) Now, here's the finishing Technique to add the real punch to the Hair! Hold the Shift key and Tap O until the Dodge tool becomes Selected. Go to the Options bar and change brush to the Soft Round 65 pixels, set Range to Highlights and adjust Exposure to about 14%.
 
 
Go to the work area and Drag brush over areas you wish to Lighten. The strands of Hair will Lighten now in a very dramatic way. (Change Range to Midtones for areas you wish to darken.) Here is my finished work.
 
 
Click here to see the finished image at Full Scale.
 
Copyright © 2006-2007 Glenn Schemenauer - Spacific Designs™ - All rights reserved.