how to get better at drawing anime faces

by Adah Eichmann 9 min read
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11 Tips To Get Better At Drawing Anime – Step By Step Guide

  • Get Into A Drawing Routine
  • Learn Basic Anatomy
  • Learn To Draw In Perspective
  • Learn About Value (Light and Dark)
  • Practice Mindfully
  • Learn From The Pros By Using References
  • Learn About Composition
  • Study Different Drawing Styles
  • Be Open To Criticism
  • Don’t Get Discouraged

More items...

11 Tips To Get Better At Drawing Anime – Step By Step Guide
  1. Get Into A Drawing Routine.
  2. Learn Basic Anatomy.
  3. Learn To Draw In Perspective.
  4. Learn About Value (Light and Dark)
  5. Practice Mindfully.
  6. Learn From The Pros By Using References.
  7. Learn About Composition.
  8. Study Different Drawing Styles.

Full Answer

How to draw faces for beginners?

  1. Start with a circle Draw a large circle and make a horizontal line below it for the chin. Then sketch the jawline. ...
  2. Draw guidelines on the face There are 2 ways to do this step: Ruler or no ruler. ...
  3. Draw eyes in the right spot On the face, mark the center line with 4 ticks spread equally apart. The eyes will sit roughly on this line. ...
  4. Draw a proportionate nose Extend the 2 lines where the inner corners of each eye are located. These guidelines will determine the nose’s width. ...
  5. Add the eyebrows Extend the nose’s bridge past the eyelids to define the brow bone (this step is optional). These lines should be very light! ...
  6. Use a triangle shape to draw lips Draw a vertical line down the center of each eye. This will mark the lips’ outer boundary. ...
  7. Add the ears The Center Line and Line 2 mark the general boundaries for each ear. In-depth tutorial on how to draw an ear from the front
  8. Draw the hair

How to draw manga faces step by step?

How to Draw a Manga Face

  1. To begin your Manga character, first, draw a circle. This will be the top of your character’s head and help shape all the other aspects of the head, such ...
  2. Find the center of the circle and draw a vertical line beginning at the top of the circle and ending below the circle by about half the circle's length.
  3. To get the proportion right, find the halfway point on the vertical guideline and draw a horizontal guideline across the width of the head.
  4. The ears, top to bottom, go from eye line to the nose line, the bottom of the nose just touches the nose line (as shown), and the corners of ...
  5. These are general rules for drawing Manga eyes. After you are familiar with Manga style, you can break these rules and get more creative.
  6. There are limitless options for noses, but in general, Manga noses are simple shapes with the bottom always at the nose line, but you can experiment with as complex ...
  7. The first step to adding hair is drawing the hairline. Keep it simple until you get more experienced.
  8. Next, you should block out sections of your Manga character’s hair. ...
  9. Now you need to shade the hair for the final touch. In general, Manga artists pick a section of the hair to be highlighted and shade accordingly.

What are the steps to drawing anime?

The shape of the lower part of the face is as follows:

  • Two downwards lines slightly angled inwards (towards middle of face)
  • A pair of light curves
  • Two more downwards lines that face more inwards than previous pair
  • Small curve for the chin

How to start drawing anime?

Written Resources

  • /ic/ Fundamental Art Advice Support Page. If you've never visited 4chan, the site consists of several sub-communities. ...
  • Complete Guide on How to Draw Manga. The folks behind Corel Painter, a piece of drawing software used by many artists, offer a collection of art tutorials meant to get ...
  • Clip Studio Paint Manga Tutorials. ...

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Why is it so hard to draw anime faces?

At first, anime may seem like an easy drawing style, but it is not as easy as it looks; anime drawing is rather hard. Anime is hard to draw because it requires the artist to have proper knowledge about anatomy, perspective, value, and many other drawing fundamentals, which aren't easy to master.

How can I improve drawing faces?

5 Tips For Drawing FacesPractice using value scales and drawing the sphere repeatedly, so they become second nature.NEVER attempt to draw portraits unless you've practiced drawing each of the facial features individually first. ... Take your time to achieve accuracy.More items...

How do you make anime faces unique?

0:0015:21Tutorial: Drawing Unique Face Shapes - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe cheekbones. And the jaw line and more specifically the cheekbones and the jaw lines. Really doMoreThe cheekbones. And the jaw line and more specifically the cheekbones and the jaw lines. Really do define a lot of the facial shape.

How long does it take to get good at drawing faces?

Drawing as an experienced artist requires at least five years of drawing practice, theory, and various sets of skills. After five years of consistently drawing every day, it is very realistic you can achieve creating drawings like the above. At this point, you'll probably be able to draw anything you study.

How do you start sketching faces?

Step 1: Start with a circle. Draw a large circle and make a horizontal line below it for the chin. ... Step 2: Draw guidelines on the face. ... Step 3: Draw eyes in the right spot. ... Step 4: Draw a proportionate nose. ... Step 5: Add the eyebrows. ... Step 6: Use a triangle shape to draw lips. ... Step 7: Add the ears. ... Step 8: Draw the hair.

How do you draw anime face types?

2:2316:43How to Draw Faces for Beginners | Anime Manga Drawing TutorialYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut I try to keep the eyebrows. Within that space not going over that line but going above it andMoreBut I try to keep the eyebrows. Within that space not going over that line but going above it and then the eyes again will go in the line that goes across in the middle that I call the eye. Line.

How do you make an anime smile?

2:3138:54HOW TO DRAW SMILING HAPPY EXPRESSIONS (Real Time)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThis will be doing the same sort of thing but just a little bit wider. And sweeping down to theMoreThis will be doing the same sort of thing but just a little bit wider. And sweeping down to the outside edge a bit more. And then i'm just going to come down. Here bring in that shape.

How do you draw anime face proportions?

To create a style that will look good and not monstrous, always keep these basic proportions: half of the head as a line marking the eyes, the nose halfway down the lower half, and the mouth around one-third of the distance under the nose.

How much time should I spend drawing anime?

When determining your drawing routine, I recommend you dedicate at least one hour a day to it. However, if you can practice drawing for more hours a day, by all means, do it. Depending on the amount of time you draw daily, the time it takes to learn to draw anime can be shorter.

How to make your drawings look better?

That’s, in fact, the natural process of learning anything. Just keep drawing and practicing every day ; when you give yourself the time to improve, results will naturally show.

What do you learn from drawing references?

When you use references, you technically learn everything from them, whether it’s good or bad. So if you study drawings from an artist that makes mistakes, you’ll learn those mistakes. Try to follow artists you know are very good or have a good drawing background.

Can anyone learn to draw?

Of course, some people have some predisposition to draw better, but I assure you they went through thousands of hours of drawing practice before getting to the level they are right now. With enough practice, anyone can learn to draw because drawing is a skill, not a talent.

Is it okay to stop drawing?

This step might look like a random one to complete the list, but it is not. Making drawing a fun experience is crucial if you want to do it long-term. If you’re going to get better at drawing, you will need to be disciplined and consistent; there are no shortcuts. However, it’s easy to stop drawing if you start to feel like it’s a tedious or stressful experience, so make sure you add activities you enjoy doing or practicing!

Can you change the sun's position in a drawing?

For instance, you cannot change the sun’s position when taking a picture, but you can do it in a drawing by drawing the sun in a different place.

Can you draw lions without references?

But if you study lions for weeks or months and you have drawn a lot of them, you’ll probably be able to draw them without using extra references. Tip #6: Be careful with the references you pick to study. When you use references, you technically learn everything from them, whether it’s good or bad.

When drawing a picture, should you keep it simple?

There are already so many things, that you have to care about and keep in mind. Like light, composition, anatomy and more. So try and keep the message of the picture and the shapes as well as the design as simple as possible .

Can you compare yourself to the masters?

Don´t compare yourself to the Masters. Another very common beginner’s mistake. You can compare your drawing to other drawings from a good artist but don´t discourage yourself. So often I see beginners artists that finish a drawing and then ook up their favorite artist online and compare it line by line.

Is it worth learning the fundamentals of drawing?

The fundamentals of drawing will help you with everything, that you want to draw no matter what style you want to draw in. I know, fundamentals can be annoying and hard to learn but it is well worth it. You don´t have to master all the fundamentals but if you want to improve your ability to draw then you should at least have a basic understanding ...

Is anatomy part of drawing?

Anatomy is part of the Fundamentals of drawing but it is so Important, that I mention it here as a separate point. Learning Anatomy should be the very first thing, that you learn when you are drawing figures.

How to draw realistic anime eyes?

To do this by draw a horizontal line through the middle of the face and draw the eyes below that line. Space the eyes so that you can fit another eye between them.

How to draw an anime mouth?

Anime mouths are usually drawn without lips but you can add them if you want a more realistic looking mouth. Position the mouth with the bottom lip halfway between the bottom of the nose and the bottom of the chin. Draw the mouth itself as a curve with a break in the middle where the lines curve slightly downwards.

How many lines are there in anime?

Realistic anime head drawing. Anime characters generally have fairly round faces. The bottom portion of an anime face is commonly drawn with two major sets of lines, one going down from the top of the head to around the mouth area and one more from there to the chin.

How to draw hair?

To better understand how to draw the hair it can also be very helpful to think of it as being split into tree parts (as shown in the example above): 1 Red – Front Hair 2 Green – Side Hair 3 Blue – Back/Top Hair

Is it hard to draw anime?

Drawing a realistic looking anime face is a little more challenging than drawing a “standard” anime or manga style face. While the actual drawing process itself is not much more difficult the challenge comes in balancing between semi-realistic facial features and maintaining an anime look.

How to draw a face?

Draw the head. Draw a vertical line through the middle of the head to help you place the facial features more evenly on both sides of the head. Draw a horizontal line through the middle of the head and draw the eyes below that. Draw the nose halfway between the middle of the face and the chin.

What is the effect of style on anime?

Style is not the only thing that effects the shape and size of anime heads. The characters age is also important. Kids tend to have rounder faces and heads bigger in comparison to the rest of the body. For more on drawing the faces of characters of different ages you can see: How to Draw a Cute Anime Girl Step by Step.

What are the Chibi's faces?

Chibi Anime Heads & Faces. Chibi characters are very stylized. They tend to have very wide faces, rounded chins and huge eyes while the nose is often not drawn at all. These types of characters also usually have heads that are giant compared to the rest of the body.

Can you draw a Chibi face?

In the very stylized chibi faces you can avoid drawing the nose all together. You can draw the mouth pretty much the same across most styles (single line). Though in some very realistic anime styles or if the character is wearing lipstick the mouths are drawn slightly different.

How to draw a face?

STEP 1- DRAWING THE JAW. You should start by drawing the Jaw and left side of the face. First, draw a curved convex line for the forehead, next a concave line for the side of the face . After you should draw another convex line towards the center and another one after to the right. The pointy end will be the chin.

What is anime art?

Anime, also known as manga, is one of the most popular art styles. You can find tons of anime comics, movies, and drawings in general on the internet. The cool thing is that in this tutorial I will teach you how to create your own anime drawings.

Where is the bottom part of the hair drawn?

The bottom part will be surrounding the neck and laying on top of the shoulders.

How to draw a face?

When drawing a face, always start out by using “guide lines.”. A guide line is a vertical and horizontal line that will guide your illustration for the face. The cross section where the guide lines meet is where the nose will be. The guide lines also determine which direction the face will be pointed in.

What is the best place to learn about drawing?

A museum is also a great place for you to learn about the different drawings that exist. Get acquainted with various styles, methods, and practices of drawing. The best thing about seeing other styles that exist and practicing drawing is that you’ll start to discover your own style, too.

How to get your hand used to sketching?

Making shapes such as circles, squares, and triangles to get used to drawing curves, edges and corners is also a great way to get your hand used to the sketch pad . These exercises might seem mundane at first, but they help develop basic skills that you can build towards drawing more elaborate things moving forward.

What are the tools used in drawing?

Pencils. Pencils are basic tools for drawing. You can use a pen if you’d like but for beginners, and many professional illustrators, pencils are used as the staple item for drawing. This is because drawing requires drafts and sketches to get the shape you want.

Why are colored pencils good for beginners?

Colored pencils are great for beginners who are getting into drawing because they are erasable. Colored pencils are excellent tools for experimenting. They are cost-efficient, and great for learning how to use color on a page before diving into more complex tools like oil and acrylic paints, and ink.

How to draw a sprite?

Begin with a light sketch using your pencil. Don’t press down on the sketch pad too hard. Be sure to sketch out the eye in the shape of a circle.

What is still life drawing?

A still life is replicating an object you see before you onto the sketch pad. Start out with something simple like a ball or a piece of fruit. Before you will be able to draw from imagination try to make few exercises. Below are some step by step instructions on how to get better at drawing specific things.

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Step 1 – Drawing A Semi-Realistic Looking Anime Head

Step 2 – Drawing The Eyes

  1. Watch anime or read the manga to see what other character designs look like and practice drawing them so you can try multiple styles. Thanks! Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
  2. Keep practicing a little every day so you can get better and improve your drawing skills. Thanks! Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
  3. Try drawing regular faces to practice anatomy and better your skills at drawing. Thanks! Help…
See all 4 tips on www.wikihow.com

Step 3 – Drawing A Semi-Realistic Nose

Step 4 – Drawing The Ears

  • Position the eyes the same as you would for more traditional looking anime characters (as suggested in other tutorials here on AnimeOutline). To do this by draw a horizontal line through the middle of the face and draw the eyes below that line. Space the eyes so that you can fit another eye between them. Draw the eyes vertically narrower than commo...
See more on animeoutline.com

Step 5 – Drawing The Mouth & Lips

  • While traditional anime noses are often just draw with a dot (in the front view) for a more realistic looking style you can draw a nose that is a lot closer in shape and proportions to a real one. Position the nose as you would for a traditional looking anime character with the bottom of the nose being between the chin and the horizontal halfway point through the face. (again same as …
See more on animeoutline.com

Step 6 – Drawing Semi-Realistic Anime Hair

  • Draw the ears pretty much as you would with most other anime styles. Draw the top of the ears to align with the top of the eyes and the bottom of the ears to align with the bottom of the nose. For detailed examples of drawing anime ears check: How to Draw Anime and Manga Ears Please note that the ears in this tutorial will eventually be fully covered by the hair and erased for the final ste…
See more on animeoutline.com

Step 7 – Cleaning Up The Drawing

  • Anime mouths are usually drawn without lips but you can add them if you want a more realistic looking mouth. Position the mouth with the bottom lip halfway between the bottom of the nose and the bottom of the chin. Draw the mouth itself as a curve with a break in the middle where the lines curve slightly downwards. You can also draw it wider than more traditional anime mouths. …
See more on animeoutline.com

Step 8 – Drawing The Small Details of The Eyes

  • Anime hair is generally drawn in pointy clumps. For more realistic looking hair you can still view it as a set of clumps but without the pointy ends. Instead leave the end of the clump “open” and draw some lines into these openings to give an appearance of hair strands. This will create a hair that is still fairly easy to draw but looks more realistic. To better understand how to draw the hai…
See more on animeoutline.com

Step 9 – Finishing The Drawing by Applying Shading

  • For this short step you can simply erase the parts of the head and face that are covered by the hair. Once you are done you should have a clean line with all of the facial features in their places.
See more on animeoutline.com

Conclusion

  • After you have the basic line drawing of the face you can go ahead and add in the small details of the eyes. For a step by step breakdown of drawing anime eyes see: How to Draw Female Anime Eyes Tutorial While the eyes in that tutorial are slightly different from those in this example pretty much the same drawing steps still apply. Simply tweak them to look more like the the ones in th…
See more on animeoutline.com