ARTISTIC THEME
Colored pencil palettes for hair
Explore palettes for blond, brown, black, red, gray and fantasy hair. Compare highlights, base tones, transitions and shadows, and open each combination directly in the Atlas. Polychromos is a particularly useful option for building strands through layers and controlled strokes.
168 palettes · 6 brands · 5 color roles
How colors are organized in hair palettes
In a hair palette, the five pencils do not represent separate strands. Together they form a scale that lets you preserve highlights, maintain the main color and build volume among roots, waves and overlapping areas.
Light
The lightest shade protects highlights and areas receiving the most light. It does not need to cover everything: it works best in selected strokes.
Base
Determines whether the hair reads as blond, brown, copper, gray or black. This color connects most of the strands.
Transition
Connects the base to the shadows so the change in value is gradual and the hair stays soft.
Accent
Introduces a warm or cool reflection that gives the hair character without changing its dominant color.
Depth
Strengthens roots, gaps between strands and overlapping areas. Apply it sparingly so the hair does not become a dark mass.
Hair palettes to compare in the Atlas
Explore different base colors and levels of contrast. Open a combination to see the exact pencils and compare how the result changes between brands.
Dark brown hair · Natural
Five pencils organized around this combination, balancing light, main color, nuance and depth.
Open Dark brown hair · Natural in the AtlasDark blonde hair · Natural
Five pencils organized around this combination, balancing light, main color, nuance and depth.
Open Dark blonde hair · Natural in the AtlasSoft copper hair · Natural
Five pencils organized around this combination, balancing light, main color, nuance and depth.
Open Soft copper hair · Natural in the AtlasJet black hair · Natural
Five pencils organized around this combination, balancing light, main color, nuance and depth.
Open Jet black hair · Natural in the AtlasHow to read and apply these palettes
First observe relationships between lightness, temperature and depth; then adapt pressure and layer order to your paper.
Artistic interpretation
Hair cannot be resolved with a single brown, yellow or black: it needs changes in value, temperature and saturation to separate strands and create volume. These palettes combine a light, a base tone, a transition, a reflection or tint, and a depth color.
With Polychromos, gradual layering preserves stroke direction and lets you adjust roots, crossings and illuminated areas without turning the hair into a flat mass. Cool shades can enrich shadows and warm shades can add reflections, but both should blend with the hair’s local color.
Practical application
Start with light pressure and always follow the direction of growth and the curve of each strand. Reserve the paper or the lightest shade for highlights, spread the base color across the main mass, and use dark tones only at roots, separations and overlapping strands.
Alternate long and short strokes, avoid drawing every hair with the same intensity, and test the mixture on the same paper before saturating the artwork. In the Atlas, compare natural and higher-contrast versions according to the volume and finish you need.
Frequently asked questions about hair palettes
Simple answers for adapting combinations to your pencils, paper and way of coloring.
Do I need black to color dark hair?
Not always. A very deep brown, blue-gray or dark violet often preserves reflections better. Save black for the deepest points.
How do I keep hair from looking flat?
Separate large areas of light and shadow first. Then add strokes following the strands, without drawing every hair from the start.
Can I adapt a hair palette to another brand?
Yes. Look for equivalents in lightness, temperature and saturation. Identical names are unnecessary if each pencil keeps the same role in the scale.
In what order should I apply the colors?
It often works well to start with the light base, add transitions and finish with depth and reflections. On dark paper, the order can be reversed to recover highlights.
Turn the combination into a useful palette for your drawing
Open the Atlas, check the exact pencils and substitute each color with another that performs the same visual role.
Open this theme in the Atlas