Choosing a hairstyle for your OCs!

Bad hair days. We’ve all had them…But your OC doesn’t have to! Choosing a hairstyle for your OC can be difficult, and it can be easy to stick to something basic when you don’t know what else to do. But fret not! We’re gonna look at some ways to make things easier! So get your brushes and scissors ready! Or, uh…Your pens and pencils? Maybe bring the scissors anyways. Just in case. 

Choosing a hair length!

One thing to consider is how long you want your OC’s hair to be! Different hair lengths can give a different feel to your character. 

Shorter hairstyles might make your character seem more active or energetic. Such styles are also helpful for characters who have to interact with lots of mechanical parts! It’s easy for hair to get caught in moving parts, so characters might keep their hair short to avoid that. Or, an OC might keep their hair short so they don’t have to worry about keeping up with hair care as much!

Longer hairstyles might give your OC a more elegant or graceful feel. It can say your character might care a little more about their appearance, since long hair usually takes more effort to care for than short hair! Long hair also opens more possibilities for different looks, since there is a lot of variety to long hairstyles. 

Mid-length hairstyles can be a nice balance between the two! They can have both an active feel, or an elegant feel depending on how it is handled. A more mid-length hairstyle can be short enough that it doesn’t get in the way of activities, but long enough that it still feels chic. Or, similar to the shorter hairstyles, it can be easier to take care of than with long hair!

Here’s some things to think about when choosing a hair length!

• Is my character more athletic or have a more active role?
• Would long hair be more of a hazard for them because of their job?
• Are they more energetic or outgoing?
• Are they more elegant and classy?
• Are they a bit of both?

Thinking about the overall length of your OC’s hairstyle and how it might be affected by their character or their role can be a great way to start brainstorming other aspects of their hairdo! Some hairstyles won’t be possible with one hair length, but would be possible with another. Is your character a mechanic working with lots of dangerous mechanical parts! They might have a shorter haircut, so that their hair doesn’t get caught! Are they a part of an elegant royal family? They could have longer hair that leaves room for plenty of extravagant hairstyles! Are they a dangerous assassin who likes a more sophisticated look? Maybe their hair is midlength, short enough that it doesn’t get in the way, but long enough that it feels refined!

Questions like the ones above can give you more of an idea on what to do with your OC’s hair length! That’s not the only thing to consider though, since it's not a hard and fast rule! Some long hairstyles might have a more active look, and some shorter hairstyles can have a more elegant look! 

A good example of using hair length would be Lyon’s OC Azavael! Azavael is an angel, and he has long, flowing hair that makes him look ethereal, powerful, and angelic!

Drawing attention to the face!

Wait wait wait! You may be thinking, “why are we talking about faces?! I thought we were talking about hair!” Well, just hear me out for a moment! When considering what hairstyle you should give your OC, you should consider what parts of the face you’re drawing attention to with different hairstyles!

So what do hairstyles have to do with face shape? Well, different styles look different with different face shapes! Hair can almost serve as a frame for the face, and so it guides the audience to certain areas of the face, or takes attention away from certain areas! For example, an OC with a rounder face shape wearing their hair out of their face or pulled back might make their face look more round. Or, the same character having bangs along the side of their face can make their face seem less round and give their face a little more balance. 

Think about how some colors look different next to other colors! A bright color may look even brighter next to a duller color. Face shape and hairstyle can work together in a similar way! There are lots of different hairstyles, but there are lots of different face shapes too. Some face shapes can include round, oval, square, diamond, and heart-shaped! Professional hairstylists are even taught how styles will look with certain face shapes, so why not use that knowledge for character design too? You can always try looking up some videos on what hairstyles look best with different face shapes if you’re at a loss on what to do!

Using face shape to consider what your OC’s haircut might be fun to create different kinds of looks! It can help give each character a unique style that’ll help the audience differentiate the characters from one another! Sometimes it’s easy to give characters similar looks, but considering what you want to emphasize about an OC might help add some variety! You can use a combination of different face shapes and hairstyles to create a diverse cast of characters, and make it easy for your audience to tell who is who.

So, with choosing a hairstyle, you should think about where you want your audience’s focus to go, or what you want people to notice about your OC! Here’s some things you can think about when considering your OC’s face shape when choosing a hairstyle!

• Does my OC have a rounder, or more angular face?
• Do they have a more prominent forehead or chin?
• Do I want to emphasize their features, or try balancing them out?

Thinking about what you want your audience to notice or guess about your OC can be a fun thing to consider when choosing a hairdo! Do you have a kind and sweet OC? You could give them a rounder face and a short round bob to give them a friendly look! Maybe you have a tall, intimidating villain. You could give them a long face and long hair to give the illusion of more length! What about a popular character who’s an expert in appearances? You could give them a hairstyle that balances out their face instead of emphasizing certain features, that subtly shows their knowledge in style!

Questions like the ones above can help you decide how you want to go about an OC’s hairstyle! If you want to emphasize the roundness of an OC’s face, you can give them short hair on the sides of their face with a rounded edge to the strands. This will give your OC the illusion of having an even rounder face! The same thing will work with more square faces by giving them a short, straight hairstyle! Long hair along the sides of a longer face can give the illusion of even more length to the face. On the other hand, breaking up the symmetry with a side part can balance it out!

Styled, or left alone?

Another thing you should consider is whether your OC should have their hair styled, or down and left alone! Just like with hair length, whether your character wears their hair styled or just leaves it alone can say a lot about them. Maybe they like their hair long, but can’t have it get in the way of their day to day tasks! They might put their hair in a ponytail or bun. Or maybe they leave their hair down, because they’re too tired to try and style it. Different hairstyles might have a more professional and sleek look, and some might feel more playful, fun, or sporty!

You’ll definitely want to consider your OC’s personality too! Personality can play a huge part in how your OC will wear their hair, just like with outfits! When I was little, I was pretty shy, and I used to use my long hair as almost a shield so I didn’t have to look at people. An OC might do the same if they’re also shy or not very confident! On the other hand, a confident character might wear their hair up in an extravagant hairdo that draws more attention to them.

• Are they a more serious or professional character? Serious characters often want a more refined look. Impressions are important, so a more serious character that knows this might make sure they always look their best. Or, they might have an important job that requires people to trust them. A royal with disheveled, messy hair probably wouldn’t be as trusted as one with a dignified hairdo.
  • A more serious character might be sure their hair looks nice and tidy, with no loose strands poking out. They might have a refined hairstyle, that’s dignified but not too excessive. If they keep their hair down, they’ll likely make sure it’s brushed and neat.
• Are they more fun-loving or wild? A carefree character might take their hairstyle a bit less seriously. Or, they might be completely serious about being unserious! If they’re more fun-loving, they might have a silly or overly-crazy hairdo that represents that. They might not care as much as to what people think, and they’ll style their hair however they want without worry as to how they’ll be perceived! 
  • A more carefree and fun OC might have more messy or unkempt hair since they’re always on the go! Some character’s might not even bother brushing their hair…They’ve got better things to do! If they style their hair, they could have wild, crazy hairstyles that show off their goofy personality!
• Are they more shy? A more shy OC might use their hair as a subconscious defense mechanism. They might style their hair in a way that makes them go unnoticed, or hides their face from view. A shy OC would probably want as little attention on them as possible, and their hair might reflect that!
  •  A shy OC might leave their hair down so it’s easier for them to hide their face. If they wear their hair up, they probably won’t wear something elaborate! Something elaborate would draw attention to themselves, and your OC likely won’t want that! They might stick to a more simple hairdo, that would go unnoticed by the people around them!
• Are they hiding something? Some OC’s might have something to hide, or something they just don’t want other people to see. Maybe they have a scar that they don’t like people to notice. Or maybe they don’t have human eyes, and instead have eyes that look more monsterish. They might use their hair to hide it, or just make it less noticeable!
  • A character who’s hiding something might have long bangs that hides their face. Or, they might have side swept bangs that just hides one side of their face. A secretive OC might wear their hair long and down, so it’s easier to keep whatever they're trying to make sure stays a secret out of view. 

You can also consider whether they enjoy styling their hair, or if they even know how! Some people don’t care as much about hairstyles, so they just leave their hair be! Others might not style their hair because they have trouble doing so.

The hairstyle your OC wears, or whether they style their hair at all, can give the audience a subconscious impression about them! The above ideas are just some things you can think about, and they might be interpreted in different ways. You can even use common ideas to surprise your audience! Using certain ideas in a way that’s unexpected can be a fun way to confuse your audience. Maybe an OC’s hairstyle hides their face in a way that makes them seem like they're hiding something…But really they’re just a nice and normal person.

Your OC’s hairstyle can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be! You could do something more realistic that you’d see day to day, or something crazy like you’d see in an anime! If you have a more realistic world, you can look and see what kinds of hairstyles you see around you. If your world is more fantasy and fictional, you can observe different movies or shows of the same genre and see what kinds of hairstyles the characters wear!

Here are some hairstyles ideas to get the creativity flowing!

• Braids
• Buns
• Ponytails
• Half up, half down
• Side Swept
• Midpart

Taking the time to put some thought into the hairstyle your OC wears can be rewarding and fun! Do you have a business character who’s story is set in the real world? Maybe they have a neat, slicked-back hairstyle or a tidy bun. Maybe your OC is a magical pop star! They could have long, twirling pigtails that would be impossible for a regular human! Are they royalty? Maybe they wear their hair in a grand, expensive hairstyle that the common folk wouldn’t be able to afford.

Different versions of an individual hairstyle can have a different feel as well! A long braid down the back can have an elegant feel, while two side braids might have a more childish or playful feel! A high ponytail off to the side might feel more youthful too, while a centered ponytail can feel more graceful! The same applies to how messy or well-kept a hairstyle is. An OC might have a hairstyle that normally would seem more elegant, but if there’s lots of stray hairs poking out it can feel more messy!

A good example for using hairstyles to give off a certain impression would be Becca’s OC Chrystie! Chrystie wears her bangs in her face in a way that makes her seem mysterious and strange!

What’s their hair’s shape or type?

One more thing you could think about is the type of hair your OC has! Some hair types can include straight, wavy, curly, and coily. The type of hair your OC has or the shape it gives off can be a fun way of thinking about how different hairstyles will look as well! Sometimes, an OC can have more than one type too. For example, an OC might have hair that starts out straight, and ends wavy toward the bottom. Another example may be an OC curling their bangs, but leaving the rest of their hair alone! 

Just like with the actual style itself, a character’s hair type or shapes can be another way to show off their personality or character! Long, straight, sharp angles can give a character a more serious or dangerous look, while curves, soft, and fluffy shapes can make a character seem more friendly or lively. These aren’t hard and fast rules either, so you can mix and match and see what works best for your own OCs! Here are some things you can think about when considering the hair shape of your OC!

• Should my OC have sharp angles as part of their hairstyle?
• Should they have more rounded curves as a part of their style?
• Should they have a bit of both?

Thinking about the type of hair your OC has can be a great way to figure out the rest of their hairstyle! You can use their hair type to determine the overall shape of their hair, and decide what hairstyles will achieve the effect you want for them! 

A good example of using shape and type for choosing a hairstyle would be Seaweed’s OC Malphas! Malphas has straight, sharp hair that gives her a dangerous, unpredictable look!

Choosing a hairstyle for your OC can be pretty fun! You can put as much thought, or as little, as you want to it. And at the end of the day, don’t stress too much about it! Experiment, mix and match, and just have fun!