How do you paint wet hair?

[satch]

I've been through the hair tutorials. I am trying to paint someone in the rain. Long wet hair, reasonably close up.

Thanks for any insight.

Satch

[Idiot Apathy]

How do you paint wet hair?

With a reference...

Sorry but there is no magic trick.

[madster]

Yes there is. Just as there are tricks to painting dry hair. Just as there are tricks for basic body proportions...there are always little tricks here and there.

The main thing with hair is it's shine, wet or dry. Yes, you still should look at and study some reference images of wet and dry hair in order to acquaint your mind with the effect you will be trying to achieve.

Whereas dry hair "fluffs" outward from the head somewhat, wet hair clings to the skull, basically dropping straight down from the ears onward. Curly hair might display loose 's' strands. Ends will be stringy, with facial features easily discernable beneath.

But shine will be diminished.

Dry (clean) hair is composed of layers of keratin, which slightly overlap. Clean hair makes those layers act like countless little angled mirrors.
Wet hair coats all those little overlapping reflective cells with an overall reflective surface, but the tensile strength of the water makes is like covering all the little mirrors with a giant reflective blanket. You don't get as much sheen, as much as a light source reflection that is more subdued in value. That's also part of why hair looks darker when wet, since water is a clear substance...

~M

[Idiot Apathy]

Those aren't magic tricks, those are keen observations :P.

[Datameister]

Yeah, there aren't any "magic tricks" except for the kind of careful observation that madster is demonstrating. Use lots of photo reference (and real life reference, if possible) and study the way light interacts with the hair. When you're actually painting it, use mostly hard brushes and make sure that you're thinking about the hair both as a whole and as individual strands. Good luck!

[satch]

Thanks everyone. I of coarse have been looking at reference, but was just wondering if there was a technique that worked for one of you that would help. I think I'm getting it though. Thanks.

Satch