How To Draw Dreadlocks

In this step-by-step tutorial, we will learn how to draw dreadlocks in different shapes and forms. By the end of the tutorial, you will have the skills to add unique hairstyles to your models making your fashion sketches really stand out. So grab your pencils and washout further ado, let’s get started!

6/10

12 min

drawing paper
pencil
eraser
markers
colored pencils

Step 1: Face and head shape

When drawing any type of hairstyle it is crucial to remember that hair grows over the head, not directly over the face. Always show some of the skull on top of the forehead and on the sides of the temples – this will save your hair drawings from looking flat.

To follow along the tutorial, you can download the image bellow or draw your own faces with the help of “How to draw 3/4 view face” , “How to draw front view faces” and “How to draw profile faces” tutorials.

To learn how to draw faces of different ethnicities and any face angle you can imagine, check out I Draw Fashion’s online course “How to draw Faces“

Step 2: Head planes

When we start drawing the locks, we will need a mental map of the planes of the head. Don’t draw anything for now, just remember that we have two planes we care about: the top plane (in blue) and the side plane (in pink). When you think of the head and the skull it’s much easier to imagine it as a bloated square instead of a sphere. This way you can easily differentiate the top from the side planes.

Step 3: Rough outlines

We will sketch three different ways of wearing dreadlocks – falling down, gathered on the side and updo hairstyle. All start with a rough shape showing the overall silhouette. Draw the hair parting too and don’t press too hard with your pencil yet – this is a preparational step only.

Note that there is “air” between the skull and the hair outline – otherwise it will be flat and unrealistic.

Step 4: Locks centerlines

It’s time to draw the locks centerlines that will guide us on the direction of each strand. The goal here is to stay within the initial rough silhouette of the hairstyle and avoid using straight lines! We will draw curved lines starting from the middle of the top plane and we will make sure they wrap around the skull like visible in the profile view.

The more centerlines you draw – the thinner and more the dreadlocks will be. For thick dreadlocks go with fewer centerlines.

One of the possible issues you might have with this step is deciding where to begin your lines from. The “How To Draw Hairline” tutorial will help you with this.

Step 5: Add volume to the dreadlocks

Now that you have drawn the locks centerlines, let’s give them some volume. Draw parallel lines to the left and right of each centerline. It is okay of you have some “bald” space between the locks in the profile view.
To finish each lock, draw rounded end. It is not needed to match all the locks in length -it looks more natural when the length of each strand varies a little.

Step 6: Tangled

The last step in our dreadlocks tutorial is to add texture and make them look tangled. You can do so with random lines of your choice, as long as the lines are not straight.
Each lock is like a thin soft cylinder. The tangled lines need to show that this cylinder is not flat, but curved. No matter how messy you draw the tangled lines, they need to go around, not across the soft cylinders!

Step 9: Finish the weave

When you color the illustration, make everything in one flat color and just the tangles from Step 6 will be lighter or darker in color. When you color the hair black, the tangles can be light gray. When you color the hair pink, you can make the tangles darker pink. Play around with different color combinations and see what looks best.

Being able to draw different hairstyles will allow you to create a more powerful message communicating your design ideas. The hair is like an accessory and can make or break the whole outfit as we know.
My hope is that this step-by-step dreadlocks tutorial would inspire you to design out of your comfort zone and think of outfit ideas to complete this awesome hairstyle!

For the ultimate resource on how to create any hairstyle from you imagination, check out the online course “HOW TO DRAW HAIR“

Happy drawing!