How do I Paint Ginger Hair in My Portraits?

Painting a portrait of someone with red hair may spur the artist to reach for orange or red oil paint, believing the pigment will resemble red hair. The result is often a garish or carroty hue that fails to convince. What pigments can the artist use to paint realistic ginger hair in a portrait?

Portrait Painting with Red Hair

How to Paint Red Hair
Rachel Shirley

The portrait artist may review issues that arise when painting someone with red hair. The following problems often need addressing:

• Using any red pigment simply because the hair is labelled “red.”
• Using identical colour mixes for all ginger-haired subjects.
• Darkening red hair with black, resulting in dirty colours.
• Highlighting red hair with white, creating unwanted pinks.
• Failing to vary tone or thickness at the hairline, causing the hair to “bleed” at the scalp.
• Choosing background colours that clash with red hair.

How to Paint Realistic Ginger Hair

Sensitive observation is key. Good photographic reference helps; avoid flash or artificial light, which can flatten or distort colour. Natural daylight is best.

• Dispel preconceptions: violets, blues and creams can appear in red hair.
• Hair thickness varies between crown and scalp. Mix a little flesh colour into the red at the hairline, then add fine detail with a thin sable.
• Avoid black. Darken ginger mixes with blue or violet instead.
• Look for unexpected hues in highlights — blue or purple may appear depending on lighting.

Choose backgrounds carefully. Avoid peaches, pinks or yellows. Dark cool colours — forest green, midnight blue, rich earths — complement red hair beautifully.

Hair Colour Ideas for Portraits with Red Hair

Red hair encompasses many hues, from honey to auburn. The following colour mixes may help establish base tones:

Auburn or chestnut hair: burnt umber, a little permanent rose, burnt sienna, white.
Very red ginger hair: cadmium red, burnt sienna, a little burnt umber, white.
Golden brown: burnt umber, burnt sienna, a little cadmium yellow, white.
Honey or gold: burnt sienna, white, a little burnt umber for darks.
Strawberry blonde: burnt sienna, a little permanent rose, white.

My YouTube video shows a speed painting of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. Venus has ginger hair; the hair section begins at 1:26. The colour mixes used were white, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson and burnt umber.

Techniques of Painting Hair

Suggested highlight mixes include burnt sienna and white for creamy hues, or a little cadmium yellow for spun gold. White with ultramarine creates cool highlights; permanent rose produces pale violets.

Avoid fine strokes everywhere. Suggest detail selectively — around highlights or stray strands. Backlit ginger or auburn hair can appear golden and luminous.