This tutorial illustrates how to describe anime and manga hair with twelve step by stride drawings of common anime and manga hairstyles for a female character.

Drawing Anime & Manga Hair

Anime hair different hairstyles drawing examples
Anime hair with unlike hairstyles drawing examples

Anime pilus is frequently based on real hairstyles simply tends to exist drawn in clumps rather than private strands. One good reason for this is that if you are cartoon multiple frames of blitheness or multiple panels of a manga it will merely be besides time consuming to draw anything overly detailed.

A good approach to drawing anime hair is to split it into several different parts such equally the front, sides and back/top (as volition be shown for each hairstyle below).

For drawing characters that can go along with these hairstyles see:

How to Depict Anime Characters Tutorial

For more on drawing anime hair you tin also see:

  • How to Draw Anime Male Hair Step by Step
  • How to Draw Anime & Manga Male & Female Hair

Drawing Long Anime Pilus

Anime long hair drawing breakdown
Anime long hair drawing breakdown

Long straight pilus is probably i of the most common hairstyles in anime and is fairly piece of cake to describe.

Above y'all can see the breakdown of the long pilus drawing instance into:

  • Reddish – Front Hair
  • Light-green – Side Hair
  • Blue – Back/Top Hair

You can use a like breakup to drawing other hairstyles as well. Thinking of the pilus this fashion can make the drawing process a lot easier to manage.

Keeping this in heed we tin can move on to the actual drawing process.

Anime long hair step by step drawing
Anime long hair step past stride drawing

Step 1

Start past offset making a drawing of the head and an indication of the hairline. While in this particular hairstyle the hairline is less of import as information technology's full covered by the pilus it can withal help you ameliorate judge the overall length and position of the front and side pilus sections. Make the head/hairline cartoon fairly light so you can easily erase parts of it after.

Pace ii

Draw the pilus right over the top of the caput and hairline as in the instance to a higher place.

For this particular hairstyle where the forepart section of the hair has been cut adequately short yous can draw it in relatively small pointy clumps.

Make the "side hair" fairly long with it'south overall shape slightly curved. You tin likewise split it into several smaller clumps towards the ends.

Draw the acme part o the "back pilus" pretty much post-obit the shape of the head (a chip of a distance abroad from information technology) and then widening until it's finally hidden behind the shoulders.

Step iii

Erase the parts of the caput hidden by the pilus and add a few lines to show the inner folds of the front and dorsum pilus. You lot will generally want to position these folds in between the pilus clumps equally that is where these will usually tend to class in real pilus.

Step four

Next add some folds in the "dorsum pilus" to give a bit more definition of it's shape too so that it does not just look like a apartment cut out.

Yous can also add some basic shading to make the hair stand out a lilliputian flake more than once you lot cease the line drawing.

Drawing Short Anime Hair

Anime short hair drawing breakdown
Anime short hair cartoon breakdown

The brusque hair drawing example above is fairly similar to the long hair with the hair once over again cleaved downwardly into three basic parts of front, sides and back.

The actual breakdown of the drawing process can be as follows:

Anime short hair step by step drawing
Anime short pilus footstep past footstep drawing

Footstep i

Once again start the brusk hair drawing with the head and hairline. Same as the previous example the hairline volition not be every bit important here as information technology is in other hair styles just tin can nonetheless be helpful.

Step 2

All the same again very similar to the long pilus depict the "front end hair" section with a set of small clumps. For this item example the hair will be a fleck more messy so the clumps will curve more in unlike directions. If you lot want neater looking pilus you can draw them the same as the starting time instance.

Step 3

Same as before erase whatever parts of the caput hidden past the pilus and draw the bottom portion of the back hair. Generally it'south a skilful idea to get out this department of the pilus for the concluding function of the line drawing as in the front view of the head it will be in the dorsum backside most of the other parts of the hair. If you try and draw it start y'all without the other hair to sort of "frame" its position y'all volition probably end upward with some overlapping lines and accept to do extra erasing.

Step 4

Add the inner fords (merely one in this example) and if you lot like, some bones shading.

Drawing Trimmed Anime Pilus (Hime Cut)

Anime hime cut hair drawing breakdown
Anime "Hime Cutting" hair drawing breakdown

For trimmed hair draw the hair dodder with flat ends that expect like they've been cut off past sissors.

For a neat look the dissimilar hair clumps should generally be drawn pointing in the same management equally the clumps next to them and whatever shifts in direction should be gradual.

Anime hime cut hair step by step drawing
Anime "Hime Cut" hair step by pace drawing

Step 1

Start by drawing the pilus and indicating the hairline. For the "Hime Cutting" the hairline will again be covered past the pilus.

Step 2

For the initial cartoon of the actual pilus you tin start with the sides followed by the back. You can indicate the front end section of the hair with just one line.

Pace 3

Now depict in some pocket-sized splits into the forepart and side parts of of the hair to brand them wait more natural. Erase the line in between the splits when you are washed. You can also erase whatsoever parts of the caput that are covered by the hair.

Step 4

Finally once more similar to the starting time example add some lines to the hair in the back to show it'due south various inner folds. Effort and depict these with fairly random spacing and slightly varying curves. If you infinite everything evenly and make all the curves trace one another too closely the pilus will not look very natural.

Drawing Long Messy Anime Hair

Anime long messy hair drawing breakdown
Anime long messy hair cartoon breakup

The long messy pilus is somewhat similar to the first example only with some extra hair clumps. Again it can be divided up into 3 parts like all the other examples so far.

Draw the long messy hair as follows:

Anime messy hair step by step drawing
Anime messy pilus step by step drawing

Step 1

As the other examples beginning past first drawing the caput and hairline. Drawing the hairline volition help you brand sure that none of the splits betwixt the hair clumps for the "front end hair" go too far upward.

Step 2

To make the hair look more messy describe the front hair clumps pointing into unlike directions and of varying shapes and curves. Yous can describe some that are wavy and some that juts curve in i direction.

Draw the very eye portion of these clumps reaching farther down. You tin can do the same with the outer clumps on the sides of the front department. This will once more give more of an impression of hair that has not been well groomed.

Footstep 3

Now draw in some boosted hair clumps randomly sticking out of the back sections of the hair. This volition make the otherwise neat looking back hair look messy as well. Yous can besides add together a pair (or more than) clumps to the inner parts of the "side hair". Y'all tin either erase the outlines of the hair where you desire to draw these or add them and erase the overlapping outline later. Next you lot can add in some split lines in between the hair clumps aforementioned as some of the other examples. To end the line drawing once more erase the parts of the face and head that are covered past the hair after.

Footstep 4

As this example besides has long back hair you lot tin can once more depict in some of it's inner folds to make that department look more like actual hair. You can also make them a chip more wavy than the other examples to again make the hair look more than messy.

Drawing Anime Pony Tail /Tied Dorsum Pilus

Anime pony tail hair drawing breakdown
Anime pony tail hair drawing breakdown

Another fairly common anime hairstyle is the ponytail. Y'all will notice that there is basically no side pilus in this particular example (other than the tiny bits of the hairline on the sides). And so the hair tin pretty much just exist splits into the front end and dorsum sections. The dorsum consisting of the pilus over the top of the head and the pony tail.

Draw this type of hair equally follows:

Anime ponytail hair step by step drawing
Anime ponytail hair footstep by step cartoon

Stride ane

Draw the head and indicate the hairline which for this hairstyle is slightly more important than the previous examples as some of it volition exist visible in the final drawing equally already shown.

Step ii

You can pretty much frame the front hair for this hairstyle with simply three curves. Ii for the sides and one for the bottom. Equally mentioned there is very fiddling side hair in this example as the hair is pulled back revealing parts of the hairline.

Describe the back hair just slightly over tiptop of the head somewhen merging into the sides.

Though usually pony tails volition confront directly backwards for anime hair you can depict information technology slightly more to one side so that information technology's shape is more visible. Otherwise the pony tail can just expect similar a crash-land on the head. You tin can draw the pony tail with a sort of question mark like shape. You can besides add a pocket-size split up at the end.

Step 3

Same every bit for the "Hime Cut" draw in some small splits into the front end section of the hair and erase parts of the bottom line of the "front hair" to make spaces in betwixt them. Likewise erase the parts of the head hidden past the hair.

Step 4

You tin can again give the hair some light shading if you like. You can also optionally describe in a few more lines into the pilus to make it look a piffling more than split up up than the "Hime Cutting" which tends to accept more dumbo "front hair".

Drawing Anime Pilus Over One Eye

Anime hair over one eye drawing
Anime hair over one heart drawing

For the hairstyle with hair over ane eye you can yet once again split the pilus into the forepart, sides and back. In this style the front end department of the pilus will be fairly large and sort of merge into the "side hair" next to the covered eye.

Anime hair over one eye step by step drawing
Anime hair over one eye step past footstep drawing

Stride ane

Draw the head and the hairline same as the other examples.

Stride 2

For this particular hairstyle depict the front end pilus clumps going far enough down the face to fully cover one center. For the "side hair" you can draw the section on the side of the covered middle somewhat blending into the front end pilus.

Describe the back pilus carve up into tow curves that pretty much hug the shape of the head every bit they become down eventually sticking out in clumps to each side.

Step iii

For the very bottom section of the front hair describe a few small clumps sticking out effectually the elevation of the cervix area. Erase any overlapping lines from the head that should be subconscious by the pilus when you are washed.

Step four

To wrap up the drawing you lot can over again add a few lines to show some splits and curves of the hair going from betwixt the pilus clumps.

Drawing Anime Pigtails

Anime pigtails hair drawing breakdown
Anime pigtails hair cartoon breakdown

The pigtails are some other very common fashion of anime hair. Aforementioned as the ponytail case yous can see that this particular drawing can pretty much be cleaved downward into the front and back department of the pilus. With the "back hair" split into the hair covering the head and the pigtails. In that location are really just tiny bits of actual "side hair".

Anime pigtails hair step by step drawing
Anime pigtails pilus footstep past footstep drawing

Step 1

Draw the caput and the hairline. In this instance a big section of the hairline will exist visible in the final cartoon. It volition also help u.s.a. place the front department of the hair.

Step ii

Though nearly of the hair in this particular example will be pulled dorsum you can draw some clumps for the front department of the hair to simply ane side to make the hairstyle wait a footling fleck more than interesting.

As already mentioned there will pretty much be no side hair other than the tiny $.25 effectually the top of the ears. Draw the acme/back section of the pilus blending into that side hair.

For the actual pigtails describe them similar to the "Ponytail" case vaguely resembling ii questions marks in their overall shape with one beingness flipped over.

Step 3

Now add some random pilus clumps sticking out from the pigtails to make them look a footling more interesting and erase any overlapping lines that this creates. As well erase the outline of the head where it's hidden by the hair.

Step 4

Add a few more lines to indicate some folds in the hair to the pigtails and optionally some shading.

Drawing Neatly Combed Anime Hair

Anime neatly combed hair drawing
Anime neatly combed hair drawing

This hairstyle can again be split into three parts with the forepart, side and back hair. The front department of the hair however is a piffling dissimilar from the previous examples.

Anime combed hair step by step drawing
Anime combed hair step by pace cartoon

Step one

Depict the head and hairline. The hairline in this example will be particularly useful for placing the forepart part of the hair.

Step 2

Draw the side sections of the hair with steady cures somewhat hugging the shape of the face. Roughly from the center of the hairline draw two curves going downwards towards the "side hair".

This will exist the "front hair" tucked underneath the sides which will be combed down over elevation of it. Draw the back hair with a fairly obvious divide in the middle with ii curves going in each direction. This volition aid show that the hair has sort of been neatly combed to each side.

Footstep iii

Add some small hair clumps for the bottom groundwork hair.

Step iv

Finally you can add together a little dodder of hair hanging downwards from the middle of the forepart section of the pilus. As sometimes the hair in that area volition exist to curt to exist tucked under the sides and part'south of information technology may hang down. This volition make the hairstyle look a lilliputian more natural and interesting. Finally add together some fold lines to the front end sections of the hair going to the sides to help show that the hair is tucked underneath at that place.

Drawing Curly Anime Pilus

Anime curly hair drawing breakdown
Anime curly pilus drawing breakdown

Curly pilus is probably the most challenging anime hairstyles to depict. This particular hairstyle tin again exist split into the front sides and back with the front hair existence like to the previous case.

Anime curly hair step by step drawing
Anime curly hair step by step drawing

Pace 1

Start the drawing the the head and hairline sketch.

Pace 2

From the hairline draw two lines going towards the sides of the head to indicate the front pilus. To show that the hair is curly you can draw these lines in lite waves.

The "side hair in this example will be completely curled. You can first describe some lines at the base of the curves to indicate the volume of the hair that will then transition into the sort of "spires" of hair below.

To draw the bodily curls first depict the parts of them that are in the foreground. You can sort of recall of them as a cone that's been sliced on an angle and pulled apart.

Step three

Now erase any parts of the head hidden by the pilus to avoid confusion and add the background lines of the hair curls. Yous tin can recall of these as the front parts filled over.

Finally you tin can draw some splits at the end of each curl.

Step 4

For the final step you lot can describe a trivial squiggle of hair hanging down from the middle of the front section and add some lines to the bottom of the background hair to indicate some inner folds. Make these lines more than wavy than in the previous examples to prove that the hair is curly.

Drawing Anime Hair Buns

Anime hair buns drawing breakdown
Anime pilus buns cartoon breakdown

The hair bun's are somewhat more rare but yet popular style of anime pilus. This style can besides be dissever into the forepart, side and dorsum hair.

You tin draw the hair buns hairstyle equally described beneath:

Anime hair buns step by step drawing
Anime hair buns step by step cartoon

Footstep 1

In one case once more start the drawing with the caput and hairline.

Step ii

Describe the "front hair" in small clumps pointing towards the middle of the face and the sides aforementioned as almost of the other examples.

Draw the "side hair" with light curves somewhat "hugging" the confront.

Make the "dorsum hair" pretty much curve around the shape of the head.

Finally draw the actual hair buns with somewhat of an oval shape for each with role of it hidden behind the "back pilus".

Footstep 3

For this step simply erase the parts of the head that are subconscious by the hair

Step four

Draw some o the inner curves of the hair bun. Y'all tin pretty much depict these at random but endeavor and somewhat follow the outer curve of the bun with at least a few lines. This will help create that sort of "brawl of yarn" await that hair buns tend to accept.

Drawing Brusque Messy Anime Hair

Anime short messy hair drawing breakdown
Anime short messy hair drawing breakdown

The short messy pilus is again like shooting fish in a barrel to split into the front, side, and back sections.

Yous can draw it in the post-obit steps:

Anime short messy hair step by step drawing
Anime brusk messy hair step by step cartoon

Step 1

Same as other examples depict the head and hairline to start.

Pace two

Draw the front end section of the hair with the outer clumps sticking out to the sides instead of resting on the forehead like most other examples.

Add the side sections with the splits at the ends sticking out in contrary directions.

Depict the groundwork pilus with a slightly dissever to 1 side and the two curves that come out of it eventually transitioning into hair clumps on each side of the caput.

Step 3

Now add a pair of wavy clumps to the upper split up are of the background hair and another pair of clumps to the inner areas of the "side hair". Erase the parts of the hair where y'all add the clumps and erase any parts of the caput/face up lines covered by the hair.

Pace 4

Add together the bottom portion of the background hair cartoon in small clumps pretty much the same equally the other shorter hair examples in this tutorial.

Drawing Brusque/Low Anime Pigtails

Anime short low pigtails drawing breakdown
Anime short low pigtails drawing breakdown

For the final example of anime pilus in this tutorial nosotros have the short/low pigtails. As most other examples in this tutorial these can once more exist carve up into the sides, front end and back/height hair.

Describe this particular hairstyle as follows:

Anime short low pigtails hair step by step drawing
Anime short depression pigtails hair pace by footstep cartoon

Step i

Starting time by drawing the head and hairline as all the other examples.

Pace two

Add together the front section of the hair commencement every bit in this example it will be sticking out a piddling more to the sides overlapping the side sections. Describe the "front pilus splitting into fairly small clumps and do the same for the ends of the "side hair".

Make the "back pilus" pretty much following the shape of the head.

Finally add together the pigtails at the lesser of the caput with small splits at their ends.

Pace three

Make clean up the drawing by erasing the parts of the head hidden by the hair.

Step 4

Add together some lines to show the heads inner curves and fold. In this case only one for the front hair dodder.

Hair Highlights

Hair highlights tin can actually make pilus stand out fifty-fifty without whatever boosted complex shading and are adequately piece of cake to add.

For drawing them cheque out:

Different Ways to Depict Anime Hair Highlights

Conclusion

When drawing hair it can be very helpful to organize it into separate sections. Not only will this help you get a improve grip on how to draw information technology only it will also allow yous to more easily change the hairstyle by irresolute its diverse parts. For more hairstyles you can experiment past mixing unlike parts of the front, side, and dorsum sections of the hair in this tutorial or by calculation entirely new designs.

For shading these hairstyles come across:

How to Shade Anime Hair Step by Footstep

For more on drawing anime and manga style hair see:

  • How to Draw Anime Pilus Blowing in Different Directions
  • How to Draw Anime Pilus in 3/4 View Step by Stride
  • How to Draw Wet Anime Hair Step by Step

If you would similar to learn how to draw the caput with all of the facial features check out the:

How to Draw an Anime Girl'due south Head and Face

For drawing hats and head ware see:

How to Draw Anime Hats & Head Ware

This tutorial has been near completely redone and updated with new art but you can run into the onetime examples below.

examples of how to draw anime and manga hair
Examples of how to draw Anime and Manga pilus