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Shape Balance
Vadim Futowsky54minLong

Shape Balance

A haircutting course for curly hair that the client also wears straightened. You'll learn to combine line, graduation, and layering techniques to create a universal, balanced shape.

Result and process

  • Shape Balance - photo 1
  • Shape Balance - photo 2
  • Shape Balance - photo 3
  • Shape Balance - photo 4
  • Shape Balance - photo 5
  • Shape Balance - photo 6

About the course

Shape Balance is a course on designing a haircut for hair that works both ways - curly and wavy - which the client wears interchangeably in its natural and straightened form. The course shows how to combine line, graduation, and layering techniques into one cohesive system that controls weight, movement, and shape regardless of the final styling. It's a hands-on session in intentional decision-making, allowing you to build a haircut that's universal yet full of character, without locking it into a single cutting formula.

Vadim Futowsky guides you step by step through a process that starts with analyzing the inspiration and the client's real styling habits. He shows how to anticipate hair shrinkage after drying, how to plan a fringe length that works in both wearing versions (middle part), and how to blend the straighter lower sections with the more tightly curling top into one cohesive whole. The key here is building shape with intention - maintaining balance between the front, sides, and back while avoiding disconnection or accidental weight.

What you'll see in this course

  • Intentionally combining three techniques - line, graduation, and layering - into one system for controlling shape and volume
  • How to plan length on wet hair, anticipating the final lift and shrinkage of curly hair
  • Designing a fringe that works in both stylings and keeps the middle part functional
  • A technical sectioning approach that simplifies working with heavy hair weight and lets you combine different techniques without losing the shape
  • Building a full, stable back on hair with varying curl patterns, with weight control at the bottom of the haircut
  • How to choose cutting angles and elevation to avoid aggressively shortening the top and keep weight where it's needed
  • The full styling process in two versions: natural diffuser drying and blow-drying straight while preserving volume

After this course, you'll start designing haircuts for curly and wavy hair with flexibility, giving your client a genuine choice in their everyday styling. You'll understand how decisions about angles, sections, and combining techniques affect the final shape balance, and you'll learn to create cohesive, three-dimensional shapes that work both in their natural state and once straightened.

What you will learn

  1. 01How to combine line, graduation, and layering into one cohesive system.
  2. 02How to plan length on wet hair, anticipating shrinkage after drying.
  3. 03How to design a fringe that works in both straight and curly versions.
  4. 04How to blend sections of hair with different curl patterns into one whole.
  5. 05How to intentionally build shape and control weight in a haircut.
  6. 06How to avoid disconnection and smoothly blend the front, sides, and back.

Before you start

This course assumes you already have:

What's inside

Full access with the course
  1. Shape Balance - Planning a haircut for two stylings1:01

    01Planning a haircut for two stylings

    We need to create a haircut that can be both straightened and worn curly.

  2. Shape Balance - Creating graduation with the line technique12:47

    02Creating graduation with the line technique

    I'd cut this more like a line, just lifting the hair to a minimal degree.

  3. Shape Balance - Controlling the cut on curly hair17:32

    03Controlling the cut on curly hair

    I cut on the outer part, because the hair curls, and that gives me more control.

  4. Shape Balance - How graduation creates layers on curls24:57

    04How graduation creates layers on curls

    If the hair curls, that section will sit higher, and layers appear.

  5. Shape Balance - A safe cutting angle at the back of the head29:19

    05A safe cutting angle at the back of the head

    It's better and safer to change this angle to something a bit bigger, around 45 degrees.

  6. Shape Balance - Cutting the strongly curling top35:19

    06Cutting the strongly curling top

    Remember, the top at the back curls strongly, so we go almost into a line.

  7. Shape Balance - Evaluating the haircut without products38:11

    07Evaluating the haircut without products

    It's very important for me to see how everything looks naturally, without products.

  8. Shape Balance - Checking the blend in the problem zone51:22

    08Checking the blend in the problem zone

    In the problem area, where the hair was straight, now everything blends and doesn't stand out.

FAQ

Will this technique only work on very tightly curly hair?
The technique is designed specifically for hair that works both ways - hair the client wears interchangeably curly and straightened. The goal is to create a haircut that keeps its balance and looks great in both stylings.
My client has straighter hair at the bottom and more tightly curled hair at the top. Does the course cover this?
Yes, the course covers exactly this case in detail. Vadim shows how to plan the cut to blend sections with different curl patterns into one cohesive, balanced shape, avoiding disproportion.
Does the course cover designing a fringe for this type of haircut?
Yes, Vadim explains in detail how to plan and cut a fringe so it's functional in both wearing versions - curly and straight. He shows how to keep it working for a "middle part" style.
What tools does Vadim use for this haircut?
The entire haircut is done with scissors. The educator shows how to use them to control the shape and build soft lines that work well on both curly and straight hair.
Does this course teach one specific haircut?
The course teaches a working system and intentional decision-making, not copying a single haircut. You'll understand how to combine techniques to adapt the cut to different hair types and client expectations.
How long is this course?
The video course runs 53 minutes and shows the entire cutting process step by step, from analyzing the inspiration and sectioning to the final styling in two versions.

Details

Duration
54min
Season
Season 3
Hair length
Long

Educator

More courses
Vadim Futowsky

Vadim Futowsky

Educator · 5 courses

Vadim Futowsky is the founder of THE UNION HAIR LOUNGE salon in Warsaw, with six years of experience in barbering. In his teaching, he focuses on fundamental principles, deconstructing hairstyles into basic shapes: square, circle, and triangle. He shows how to consciously combine layering, graduation, and line techniques to build any precise form from them.

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