How to Create Hair Strand Brush in Photoshop? – Beginners Tutorial

Creating realistic hair strands in Photoshop is easier than you think! In this beginner-friendly tutorial, I’ll show you how to make your very own custom hair strand brush from scratch. Whether you’re working on portraits or creative illustrations, this brush will help you add natural-looking hair details effortlessly. No prior experience is needed—just follow along step by step, and by the end of this video, you’ll have a handy tool for all your hair editing needs!

These videos are from our Master Selections in Photoshop Course.

Part 1

This part focuses on creating realistic hair strands in Photoshop using brush settings rather than downloaded brushes. The instructor explains how a regular soft round brush can be modified to behave like a hair strand brush by adjusting the Transfer settings. Special attention is given to differences between using a pen tablet and a mouse, showing why pressure sensitivity makes a major difference. The video also explains practical workflows, non-destructive painting, and why even an inexpensive tablet can dramatically improve hair retouching results.

Part 2

This part demonstrates two advanced ways to create custom multi-strand hair brushes in Photoshop. First, the instructor shows how to design a brush from scratch using random dots and convert it into a reusable brush preset. Then, a more powerful method is explained: creating brushes directly from real hair in an image using contrast, black-and-white conversion, and Levels adjustments. The video highlights how randomness, spacing, and brush settings affect realism and explains when custom brushes are worth the effort versus downloading pre-made ones.

Time Stamps

Part 1

0:00 – 0:40
Introduction to creating hair strands using brushes. Overview of three methods, starting with the fastest approach.

0:41 – 1:12
Using the default soft round brush as a base. Emphasis on modifying brush behavior rather than creating a new brush.

1:21 – 2:30
Opening Brush Settings and explaining the Transfer option. Introduction to opacity control while painting.

2:27 – 3:40
Using Pen Pressure with a tablet. Demonstrates how pressure affects opacity, mimicking real pencil or hair strokes.

3:42 – 4:16
Practical use: painting subtle hair strands, sampling colors, and hiding edge imperfections naturally.

4:21 – 5:34
Alternative for mouse users: using Fade instead of pen pressure. Limitations compared to tablet-based workflow.

5:37 – 6:43
Strong recommendation to use a pen tablet. Affordable tablet options discussed and why tablets are a game-changer for Photoshop.

6:49 – 7:02
Transition to the next method: creating brushes that generate multiple hair strands at once.

Part 2

0:00 – 0:38
Introduction to creating a multi-strand custom brush from scratch.

0:39 – 1:16
Creating a new document and drawing random dots with varying sizes and tones to simulate hair strands.

1:23 – 2:15
Importance of randomness and spacing. Cropping the dots to define the brush shape.

2:18 – 2:46
Converting artwork into a brush using Define Brush Preset.

2:51 – 3:58
Refining the new brush: adjusting Spacing and Transfer (Pen Pressure) for natural flow.

4:01 – 4:40
Testing the brush and explaining how dot randomness affects realism.

5:05 – 5:59
Creating a brush from real hair in an image using high-contrast areas.

6:00 – 7:27
Converting hair to black and white, using Levels to strengthen contrast for brush accuracy.

7:43 – 8:33
Turning the processed hair into a brush and applying it naturally under the subject’s head.

8:56 – 9:16
Comparison with downloaded brushes and explanation of when manual brush creation is worth the effort.

9:19 – 9:44
Wrap-up and preview of upcoming lessons on sky replacement and advanced selections.