Learn to draw a hair braid

Learning to draw a hair braid?

Follow the post till the end and you find it is not so difficult at all.

Here's a simple pencil sketch for kids, beginners or anyone who is keen to learn the art of pencil sketching. This sketching was done by my 11-year-old daughter who loves sketching with pencil and insists on using pencil nowadays more than color pencils. So while she was struggling to make this sketch, I clicked the pictures of the steps as she proceeded with the sketch and made a picture tutorial for all you with tips for improving the sketch. 

Hair Braid Pencil Sketch

Materials required:

HB pencil, 2B pencil, paper, eraser

Procedure:

Step 01:

Start with the rough outline of the braid, using an HB pencil.

Step 01: Draw Braid outline

Step 02:

Using the same HB pencil, draw the interlocking braid pattern as shown below.

Step 02:  Interlocking braid pattern

 Step 03:
Continue the pattern as you go downwards. Make sure the pattern becomes thinner as you go downwards as the braid becomes narrower towards the end.

Step 03: Continue the interlocking pattern downwards

Step 04:
Now, using a HB pencil only start hatching the braid. Start with a downwards stroke following the curves.

Step 04: Start hatching with HB pencil

Step 05:
Now, using a 2B pencil darken the top and bottom strokes, to accentuate the pattern.

Step 05: Darken the strokes using 2B pencil

Step 06:
Notice, that the mid part is left grey. Use an HB pencil to soften the strokes. You can fill up the middles part which looks white with a very light shade of grey using an HB pencil.

Step 06: Leave the mid parts white or fill up with light grey using HB pencil

Step 07:
Now the final step is to add some loose strands to make the braid look more realistic. Use HB pencil to make the loose strands.

Step 07: Add loose strands

Finally, the braid is done. Observe the sketches of the hair braid below. The long one looks incomplete, with strokes not evenly made. The second one of the left has made over-use of hatches, making it dense and it has lost the realistic effect. The third one on the bottom is closer to the effect we wish to achieve. Clear hatches and pencil strokes, with the 3D effect we wish to achieve.

Hair Braids 

Tip:

• Use a well-sharpened pencil to make clear strokes. Keep sharpening them if the lead of the pencil becomes blunt in between.
• Try cross-hatching to make it more realistic.

The picture below shows the final result we wish to achieve with cross-hatching.

Hair Braid Pencil Sketch

Happy sketching. Have a nice day ahead and stay safe.

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Easy Origami Bookmarks for Kids

While we are stuck indoors due to this pandemic called Coronavirus, we practice social distancing and keep ourselves safe at home, how can we make our kids involved in more productive ways...that's the question of the hour.

So the answer is different for everyone...while some would like their kids to play indoors, we at home need to follow a disciplined life even during this time. Begin your day with exercise, follow a healthy routine even when you are at home.

For kids who are finding it difficult to find ways to keep themselves from boredom, here's an easy origami tutorial for all you kids to be occupied with some craft activity.

Here's a short picture tutorial for an origami bookmark. This tutorial was created by my daughter so all you need to do is just follow the steps, make something useful and make productive use of your time.

Origami Bookmark

Material required:

• For origami: Square sheet of paper
• For decoration: black marker, glue, white paper cutouts, glue

Procedure:

Step 01: 
Start by making a diagonal crease at the center as shown in the picture below.

Step 01: Make a diagonal crease

Step 02:
Fold along the diagonal crease to form a triangular shape.

Step 02: Fold along the diagonal crease

Step 03:
Take the tip of the triangle paper and fold it up to meet the other tip (it should form a perfect mini triangle)

Step 03: Fold the paper up to meet the top tip

Step 04:
Fold the other half of the paper just like the other side (when both sides are folded it should look like a square)

Step 04: Fold the other tip up 

Step 05:
Open the folds and make sure that when opened it looks like the picture given below.

Step 05: Open the folds

Step 06:

Take the top flap and fold it down as shown below

Step 06: Fold the tip down

Step 07:
Now, fold the two sides again following the crease made earlier.

Step 07: Fold sides up

Step 08:

Insert the two flaps one by one into the pocket made as shown below.

Step 08: Insert small triangle tip inside pocket

Step 09:

Fold the other small triangle tip into the pocket (when finished it should look like the picture given below).

Step 09: Fold the other triangle into the pocket

Step 10: 

And Done...

Now you can decorate the bookmark to look like a cute animal of your choice and add small paper features to it, or you can draw a pattern of your choice on it for decoration. 

And yes after the entire exercise don't forget to wash your hands clean from all the glue or pen marks you would have gathered on your hands.

I hope you also enjoy making this animal bookmark and keep yourself safe while we all fight the pandemic together.

Have a good day.