How To Draw Messy Bun Hair

Good news for the hairstyle enthusiasts. The oh so comfortable bun is a perfect opportunity to train your drawing skills. If you've already gotten into the habit of drawing single strands, you can now put your technical skills to the test once again. Learn how to draw a beautiful bun with a pencil.

Here is what you need in order to practice this step by step tutorial.

List of materials

HB Pencil
2B Pencil
Drawing paper
Kneaded Eraser
Reference Image

Instructions: How to draw hair in a bun

1. Sketch the bun

The first thing you should do is find a nice reference image on the Internet. On Instagram or unsplash.com you will find numerous hairstyles tied into a bun. If you got long hair yourself, you can just tie your it into a bun and snap a selfie from the side. You are ready to go.

Draw the shape of the head and the hairdo on the paper.

Note: Be careful not to apply a lot of pressure in the sketch, as these are only guidelines that should be invisible later on.

2. Identify the different components of the bun

The bun is usually drawn using two distinct sections.

The hair that lies close to the head, all of which is pulled together, and the hair that is in the bun itself.

3. Draw the hair flow

Next, you can indicate the hair flow to help shade the shape of each strand. You can do this bit by bit (as we do), or in one go.

Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, so the decision is yours.

3. Shade individual strands of the bun

Now shade the hair you just sketched out. Specify where the light source should hit the hair, before creating the reflections in different shades of gray.

4. Repeat steps 3 and 4

Repeat this sequence until you have finished drawing the front part of the bun. Then adjust the contrasts to achieve a harmonic tonality.

5. Finalize the details

Take a look at our guide on how to draw hair to see how small adjustments can make your hair look more realistic.

Draw some individual hair in the bun to make it look more realistic.

A few strokes with the kneaded eraser across the previously hatched background can also enhance this effect, making some lighter hair stand out.

6. Repeat the same procedure with the other area

Next, proceed to the remaining area. Draw the flow of the hair, shade the individual strands, enhance the contrasts and finally make a few adjustments to enhance the naturalistic quality.

7. How to draw a bun: Harmonize all parts of the hairdo

In the end, you should take a look at all parts of the bun again. If you notice any rough transitions or other imperfections, you can correct them in this step.

If the hairstyle harmonizes as a whole, you don't need to make any more adjustments to the bun.

How to draw a messy bun: Minor Adjustments

If you wish to learn how to draw a messy bun, you must not be as accurate in the shape of the bun. Let a few strands hang out to the sides or let some single hairs stand off the head.

The wrapping of the bun does not have to be perfect. This means that the hair strands can move in different directions and the hairstyle as a whole may not be as uniform, but rather messy.

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