How To Draw Different Anime Styles

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Anime is a popular blitheness and drawing fashion that originated in Japan. Drawing anime characters can seem overwhelming, particularly when you're looking at your favorite anime that was fatigued by professionals. Fortunately, anyone tin acquire how to describe anime characters, and the procedure is adequately unproblematic if you lot break it downwardly into small steps.

Example

1
Draw an oval and divide it into 4 sections. This volition be the basic outline of your anime character's head. The proportions don't have to be verbal, but make the oval narrower at the bottom since that will be the chin. In one case you've fatigued the oval, draw a horizontal line through the eye of it. Then, draw a vertical line through the center of it that intersects with the horizontal line. Subsequently, y'all'll use these lines equally guides to depict the facial features.^[1]
- If you want your graphic symbol to take a wider face, widen the bottom of the oval then information technology's just slightly narrower than the top. Or, if you want your character to have a slender face up, make the bottom of the oval even narrower than the top. In that location's no unmarried head shape used for all anime characters, so you tin experiment until you find one you similar.
2

Depict the eyes underneath the horizontal line. Anime eyes are big and exaggerated, and they ordinarily take up about one/4 to 1/5 of the height of the face up. To depict one, start by drawing a thick upper lash line just underneath the horizontal line you drew and on one side of the vertical line. Then, draw a semicircle coming down off the upper lash line, and draw a black educatee in the middle of it. Next, draw a narrow, horizontal line underneath the circumvolve for the lower lash line. Finally, shade in the circumvolve effectually the pupil, leaving some white space so it looks like light is reflecting off of your character's eyes.Do the same thing on the other side of the vertical line to make the other eye.^[2]

Tip: Adjust the shape and size of the eyes depending on whether you're drawing a masculine or feminine anime character. For a feminine character, make the eyes taller and rounder, and add a few thick eyelashes coming off the upper lash line. For a masculine grapheme, make the eyes shorter and smaller.

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iii
Sketch the eyebrows above the horizontal line. Draw a long, downwards curving line for each countenance. Make them slightly longer than the upper lash line y'all drew for the eyes. Then, thicken the ends of the brows that are at the center of the face up.^[3]
- If you're drawing a feminine anime character, brand the eyebrows fairly thin. For a masculine character, thicken the eyebrows so they're more prominent on the confront.
4
Add the nose halfway between the horizontal line and the chin. Anime noses are subtle, and they're unremarkably only defined when y'all're looking at a grapheme from the side. To draw your graphic symbol's nose, draw a short, unproblematic vertical line along the centre of the face at the halfway bespeak between the horizontal line and the chin. Make the line longer if you want your graphic symbol's nose to exist big.^[4]
- Make the nose the smallest feature on your character's face.
- The nose volition overlap with the vertical line you drew. To see information technology better, make information technology darker than the vertical line, or erase the vertical line effectually the nose.
- Masculine anime characters sometimes take noses that are more pronounced, just that's not e'er the case. If you want your character's nose to exist more noticeable, describe a short horizontal line under the vertical line to represent the lesser of your character's nose. Besides, describe a triangle-shaped shadow on the side of the nose so it looks like the light is hitting your character from the side.
- For sure styles of anime, like chibi, you don't even need to draw a olfactory organ at all!
5
Draw the rima oris about halfway between the olfactory organ and chin. Similar to anime noses, anime mouths are simple and subtle. To draw your graphic symbol's oral cavity, draw a horizontal line that's virtually every bit long as the space between their eyes. Don't worry about drawing lips. Make the mouth the second smallest feature on your graphic symbol's face, later the nose.^[5]
- Bend the line upwardly if you want your character to be smiling or downward if you want them to be upset.
- If yous want your character to be smile and showing their teeth, draw an upwardly curving line underneath the horizontal line you drew for their mouth. The white space betwixt the curved line and the horizontal line should be virtually half as tall as the oral fissure is long. That space will be your character's teeth.
half-dozen
Add the ears to the side of the head. If you want your grapheme to accept long hair that's covering their ears, skip cartoon the ears. However, if your character's pilus is going to exist curt, describe a narrow oval on each side of the head. Accept the summit of the ears line up with the horizontal line running through the eye of the confront, and have the bottoms line up with the bottom of the olfactory organ. Then, draw the flaps of the ear inside each oval.^[half-dozen]
- Experiment with the size of your graphic symbol'due south ears if you lot want them to exist bigger or smaller.
7
Draw the hair on your character'southward head. The hairstyle you choose for your character is upward to y'all, simply more often than not, anime pilus features pointed ends and singled-out sections. Y'all can describe a short, buzzed hairstyle, a medium-length style, or long, flowy hair. Whichever hairstyle you lot choose, avert drawing individual strands of pilus. Instead, draw big sections of hair, like 4 or 5 spikes at the ends.^[vii]
- If your character has long hair, you could draw 2 pigtails, one at each side of the head, with spiked ends. Or, you could draw their hair pulled up with a round bun at the top. Alternatively, you could requite your character bangs past drawing three or 4 distinct sections of hair coming down over their brow.
- For a shorter hairstyle, you could depict 3 or 4 distinct sections of hair swooping to the side over your character'southward forehead. Or, y'all could describe a hairstyle without any bangs and draw a few lines running from their hairline to the back of their head so it looks like their hair is combed back. Alternatively, you could describe a chin-length bob that'south divided into several thick sections.
8
Erase the horizontal and vertical guidelines you drew. Erase them advisedly and so yous don't remove any of the facial features by mistake. Apply a small eraser so you're less likely to brand mistakes.
- In one case you erase both lines, your grapheme's head and face are finished!
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i
Draw a stick-effigy outline of your character's body. Utilise straight lines for the arms, torso, and legs. Brand the artillery and torso similar in length, and brand the legs about i/3 longer. Then, draw triangles or ovals for the easily and feet. Make the hands about 1/5 the length of the arm, and make the feet well-nigh 1/vi the length of the legs.^[8]
- To get the proportions right, make your stick-figure outline near 7 times as alpine equally your graphic symbol's head.
- Have the arm lines first about 1/5 of the way down the line y'all draw for the body.
- Have the stick-figure outline of your character capture whatever pose you want them to be in. For example, if you want your character to be sitting, depict their legs so they're aptitude. Or, if y'all want your character to be waving, draw 1 of their artillery and then it'due south bent.
two
Outline the full general shapes of your grapheme's body. Drawing over the stick-figure outline yous made, sketch a rough outline of your character'southward torso, arms, hips, and legs. Don't worry virtually making the outline precise however. At this bespeak, you just desire to represent the different parts of the trunk with basic shapes.
- Draw ovals for the upper and lower arms and legs, and and so draw a circumvolve at each joint for the knees and elbows. Proportionally, brand your character's upper and lower arms the same length and size. Brand their upper legs thicker than their lower legs.
- For the torso, depict a quadrilateral (a four-sided shape) that's wider at the acme and narrower at the lesser. Eventually, the broad corners at the top volition become your character'due south shoulders.
- To outline the hips, draw an oval over the point where the body and upper legs see.
- Anime characters tend to be tall and thin, but you lot can experiment with unlike heights and body shapes!
three
Connect and refine the general shapes you drew. Trace around the outer edges of your graphic symbol'due south body so you have one seamless outline. At this point, start refining the dissimilar parts of the body so they await more realistic, like your character'due south hands, shoulders, hips, and neck. When you're finished, yous'll accept a full, detailed outline of your graphic symbol's body effectually the more abstract outlines you drew before.^[9]
- To connect and refine the legs, describe around the outer edges of each shape that makes upward the legs (the ovals for the upper and lower legs, the circles for the knees, and the shapes you drew for the feet) so you have ane seamless outline of each leg. Make the outline smooth (without whatever gaps) and so the legs look realistic.
- For the upper body, you'd exercise the same with the arms and torso. Round out the corners of the torso for the shoulders, and draw 2 lines curving upward away from the center of the body for the cervix. Also, connect the shape you drew for the hips to the body and the upper legs.
Tip: If you're drawing a masculine anime character, broaden the chest, waist, and shoulders. If you're drawing a female person anime grapheme, narrow the shoulders, make the hips wider, and outline the breasts. Also, accept the waist in and so it's narrower.
4

Erase the stick-figure outline and shapes you drew. Be careful erasing and then y'all don't accidentally remove any of the refined, final outlines that you lot drew. When you're finished, you should be left with a neat, seamless outline of your grapheme's body without whatever of the original guidelines you drew inside of it.^[ten]
5
Add your anime character'south clothes. Describe the clothes over the outline of your graphic symbol's body. For example, for your character's shirt, draw the sleeves over their arms and the body of the shirt over their body. Then, erase any lines that are within of the clothes since those parts of your character'due south body are covered up. For case, if your character is wearing shorts, erase the outline of their upper legs that'southward inside of the shorts since you wouldn't be able to run across that part of their legs.^[11]
- Every bit you're drawing the apparel, recollect well-nigh where they would naturally crease and fold if someone were actually wearing them. Then, draw the creases and folds to make the clothes wait more realistic. You can also look at images of apparel online to come across how they crease.
- You tin cull any kind of outfit for your anime character. Some conventional anime outfits yous might consider include schoolhouse uniforms, formal dresses and suits, and traditional Japanese attire.
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Add New Question

Question

How can I depict the hair and then that it looks good?

When cartoon hair, remember that hair doesn't e'er hug the skull. Try to brand it look fluffy by having it extend over the sides of the face. Besides, don't try to draw every single strand; basic outlines or "clumps" works better. Lastly, consider making the hair appear more dynamic past drawing information technology blowing slightly to ane side.
Question

How do I go the arms/eyes to wait symmetrical?

Draw them together, instead of finishing one side before moving to the other. Lightly sketch out all your shapes beginning to ensure symmetry before getting too far into pieces of your drawing.
Question

How tin can I improve my anime-drawing skills?

The best way to improve is to keep practicing. You can watch anime to become an idea of how anime characters look. Some other style to improve is to describe with friends, so they can requite you new tips and techniques.
Question

Tin a child depict anime?

Totally! Information technology will take some time and a lot of practice to become good, but think how dandy yous'll be by the time you're an developed if y'all start now!
Question

What is a trick for drawing hands well?

The best trick for cartoon hands well is to study your own easily start. Notice the shape, color, texture, angles, etc. Draw your hand in dozens of unlike positions and in dissimilar lighting. This isn't a shortcut, per se, but it's an exercise that will improve your drawing.
Question

How do I make an anime comic?

Come up with a story first. So, you'll demand the ability to draw out that story. If yous need any more help, y'all can go to any book store and notice manga to requite you a wait on how a good story is written out. Or, borrow some manga from your library. Keep practicing, every bit it can take time to get all the pieces sorted.
Question

How practise I draw lines on apparel without making the character expect beaten?

Mrs.Spooks

Community Answer

Draw light, curved lines near places like the sleeves, the bottom of the shirt, and near the inside of the pant legs.
Question

Would this look adept on lined paper?

Information technology probably won't wait cracking because you don't desire anything else roofing the drawing, merely if it's the only paper you have, then use it.
Question

How practice I know what hair goes with the body?

You can draw the hair however you lot'd like to for your character. If yous want to make information technology more realistic, possibly add a few curls or stray hairs.
Question

How would I go about purchasing height form drawing newspaper?

Cheque the course you want to buy online or on in your favorite local fine art supply shop'south website. If you lot cannot discover the grade, ask the retailer to supply it. If they cannot, then endeavour a different retailer who knows their paper grades.

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Article Summary X

To depict an anime character, make their eyes large and exaggerated, since the eyes are always the biggest facial characteristic in anime. Then, draw a brusk, simple vertical line for the nose, and add a horizontal line under it for the mouth. Don't worry about adding details to the nose or lips, since they're the smallest and to the lowest degree noticeable features in anime. When you lot're finished drawing those, draw an oval on each side of the head for the ears, or skip the ears if your grapheme is going to take long hair anyway. Finally, draw your character's hairstyle, like pigtails, bangs, or a bob. Avoid drawing private strands of hair, and instead draw big, choppy sections. To acquire how to describe your anime graphic symbol'southward body, roll down!

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