This tutorial is made for Adobe photoshop, but it can easily be translated for other programs.

this tecnique can be used on all types of doll sizes, and is the one I use the most.

the base I've used are exclusive to the members of Eden Enchanted.

the first step is to choose your base. a good tip is to make the clothes first, I find it difficult to add clothes after I have made the hair. anywayz, make a new layer called "hair". draw the outline with your pencil tool.

now clean the outline.

floodfill in with a colour that's lighter than the outline.

pick your burn, set it to about 40% exposure and 1px. add stands following the way the hair goes(take a look at my example). don't overdo it though, that makes it look artificial.

add lighter stands with dodge. set it to about 30% and 1px. you can decide wether you want to set it to highlights or midtones, I prefer highlights

now darken the areas where the light don't get to so easily (like where her body casts shadow, where the waves goes inwards and at the hairroots). set your burn to 9 px and about 20% exposure, depending on the colour you're using.

smudge the shading, set your smudge tool to abour 60% strenght and 1px.

wee, here comes the fun part, the highlights! oookay, set your dodge to about 20& exposure and 9-15px size. add the highlights where the hair bulbs out, like where the waves go outwards and on the top of her head (take a look at my doll if you didn't understand what I meant..)

if you want, you can stop at the previous step, but I like more highlights than that. repeat the last step with a bigger brush, and your result should be something like mine.

congrats, you're done!!

unless you want the hair to look very artificial and over-shiny, don't go overboard you the highlights! it looks.. just gah.. lol

if you're not happy with the way the colour turned out, just recolour it! 

then you should add shadow underneath the hair, to make it look more 3D.. And add some clothes, of course XP

have something to say about my tut? just email me, but no "omg, your tut SUCKS!" please.. XD
you can also mail me your doll, and I'll show it here^__^