This tutorial illustrates how to draw anime and manga hair with twelve pace by step drawings of mutual anime and manga hairstyles for a female character.

Drawing Anime & Manga Hair

Anime hair different hairstyles drawing examples
Anime hair with dissimilar hairstyles drawing examples

Anime hair is often based on existent hairstyles but tends to be drawn in clumps rather than individual strands. One good reason for this is that if y'all are drawing multiple frames of animation or multiple panels of a manga it will but exist too fourth dimension consuming to draw annihilation overly detailed.

A skillful approach to cartoon anime hair is to split information technology into several different parts such as the forepart, sides and dorsum/height (as will be shown for each hairstyle below).

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

How to Draw Anime Characters Tutorial

For more on cartoon anime hair you tin can also run into:

  • How to Describe Anime Male Pilus Stride by Step
  • How to Draw Anime & Manga Male & Female Pilus

Drawing Long Anime Pilus

Anime long hair drawing breakdown
Anime long hair drawing breakdown

Long straight hair is probably one of the most mutual hairstyles in anime and is fairly easy to draw.

Above you tin see the breakdown of the long hair drawing example into:

  • Blood-red – Front end Pilus
  • Green – Side Pilus
  • Blue – Back/Top Hair

You can employ a similar breakdown to drawing other hairstyles equally well. Thinking of the hair this fashion tin make the drawing procedure a lot easier to manage.

Keeping this in heed nosotros can movement on to the actual cartoon process.

Anime long hair step by step drawing
Anime long pilus pace by step drawing

Step 1

Start by first making a drawing of the head and an indication of the hairline. While in this detail hairstyle the hairline is less important as information technology's full covered by the hair it can nevertheless help you improve judge the overall length and position of the front and side hair sections. Brand the head/hairline drawing fairly light so y'all can easily erase parts of it later.

Step 2

Describe the hair right over the height of the head and hairline equally in the example higher up.

For this item hairstyle where the front section of the hair has been cutting fairly short you can draw information technology in relatively small-scale pointy clumps.

Make the "side hair" fairly long with it's overall shape slightly curved. You lot can also split it into several smaller clumps towards the ends.

Depict the superlative part o the "back hair" pretty much following the shape of the head (a chip of a distance abroad from information technology) and and so widening until it's finally hidden behind the shoulders.

Step 3

Erase the parts of the head hidden by the hair and add together a few lines to show the inner folds of the front and back pilus. You lot will mostly want to position these folds in between the hair clumps equally that is where these will usually tend to form in real hair.

Step four

Adjacent add some folds in the "dorsum hair" to give a bit more than definition of it's shape as well then that it does not just look like a flat cut out.

You can besides add together some basic shading to make the pilus stand out a little scrap more once you finish the line drawing.

Drawing Brusk Anime Hair

Anime short hair drawing breakdown
Anime brusque hair cartoon breakdown

The short hair cartoon example above is fairly similar to the long hair with the hair over again broken downwards into three basic parts of front end, sides and dorsum.

The actual breakdown of the cartoon procedure can be every bit follows:

Anime short hair step by step drawing
Anime short hair step by step drawing

Step 1

Again get-go the short hair drawing with the head and hairline. Aforementioned as the previous case the hairline will not be equally of import here every bit it is in other hair styles but tin can still be helpful.

Footstep ii

Yet again very like to the long hair describe the "front pilus" section with a set of small clumps. For this item example the hair volition be a chip more messy so the clumps will bend more in unlike directions. If yous desire neater looking hair yous can draw them the same as the first example.

Step 3

Aforementioned as before erase any parts of the head hidden by the hair and draw the bottom portion of the back hair. By and large it'southward a good idea to exit this section of the hair for the final office of the line drawing equally in the front view of the head it will exist in the dorsum behind most of the other parts of the hair. If you attempt and draw it showtime you without the other hair to sort of "frame" its position you will probably end up with some overlapping lines and have to do extra erasing.

Stride four

Add together the inner fords (just one in this case) and if you like, some basic shading.

Drawing Trimmed Anime Hair (Hime Cut)

Anime hime cut hair drawing breakdown
Anime "Hime Cut" pilus cartoon breakdown

For trimmed hair draw the pilus clump with flat ends that look like they've been cut off past sissors.

For a not bad look the unlike hair clumps should generally exist fatigued pointing in the aforementioned direction equally the clumps side by side to them and whatever shifts in management should be gradual.

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

Step 1

Start by cartoon the hair and indicating the hairline. For the "Hime Cut" the hairline will again exist covered past the hair.

Step 2

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

Step 3

Now describe in some pocket-size splits into the front and side parts of of the pilus to brand them wait more than natural. Erase the line in between the splits when yous are washed. You lot tin besides erase whatever parts of the head that are covered by the hair.

Step 4

Finally again similar to the starting time example add some lines to the hair in the back to evidence it'due south various inner folds. Try and draw these with adequately random spacing and slightly varying curves. If you space everything evenly and make all the curves trace one another also closely the pilus volition non look very natural.

Drawing Long Messy Anime Hair

Anime long messy hair drawing breakdown
Anime long messy pilus drawing breakup

The long messy hair is somewhat like to the first example but with some extra hair clumps. Again it can be divided upward into three 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 ane

As the other examples start by commencement drawing the caput and hairline. Drawing the hairline will help y'all brand sure that none of the splits between the pilus clumps for the "front pilus" become too far up.

Step two

To brand the hair look more messy depict the front hair clumps pointing into different directions and of varying shapes and curves. Y'all can draw some that are wavy and some that juts curve in ane direction.

Draw the very eye portion of these clumps reaching further down. You can do the aforementioned with the outer clumps on the sides of the forepart section. This volition again give more of an impression of pilus that has non been well groomed.

Step three

Now depict in some additional hair clumps randomly sticking out of the dorsum sections of the hair. This will make the otherwise bully looking back hair look messy likewise. You tin also add a pair (or more than) clumps to the inner parts of the "side hair". You can either erase the outlines of the hair where you lot want to draw these or add them and erase the overlapping outline afterwards. Next you tin add in some split lines in betwixt the hair clumps same as some of the other examples. To finish the line drawing again erase the parts of the face and head that are covered by the hair afterwards.

Step iv

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

Drawing Anime Pony Tail /Tied Back Hair

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

Some other fairly common anime hairstyle is the ponytail. You will notice that there is basically no side hair in this particular instance (other than the tiny bits of the hairline on the sides). So the pilus can pretty much just exist splits into the front end and back sections. The back consisting of the hair over the elevation of the head and the pony tail.

Draw this type of hair every bit follows:

Anime ponytail hair step by step drawing
Anime ponytail pilus stride by step drawing

Step 1

Draw the head and indicate the hairline which for this hairstyle is slightly more than important than the previous examples every bit some of information technology will exist visible in the concluding drawing as already shown.

Pace 2

You can pretty much frame the front hair for this hairstyle with just three curves. Two for the sides and one for the bottom. Equally mentioned there is very fiddling side pilus in this example equally the hair is pulled dorsum revealing parts of the hairline.

Draw the back pilus just slightly over superlative of the head somewhen merging into the sides.

Though usually pony tails will face directly backwards for anime pilus you lot can draw it slightly more to one side and then that it'southward shape is more than visible. Otherwise the pony tail tin can just expect similar a crash-land on the head. Yous can describe the pony tail with a sort of question marker like shape. You can also add a modest carve up at the end.

Step 3

Same equally for the "Hime Cut" draw in some small splits into the forepart section of the hair and erase parts of the bottom line of the "front hair" to make spaces in betwixt them. As well erase the parts of the head hidden by the hair.

Pace 4

Yous can once more give the hair some light shading if y'all like. You can also optionally describe in a few more lines into the hair to make it look a little more dissever up than the "Hime Cut" which tends to have more dense "front pilus".

Drawing Anime Pilus Over One Heart

Anime hair over one eye drawing
Anime hair over i center drawing

For the hairstyle with hair over one center you can yet over again split the hair into the front, sides and back. In this style the front section of the hair will exist adequately large and sort of merge into the "side hair" next to the covered center.

Anime hair over one eye step by step drawing
Anime hair over one centre stride by step cartoon

Footstep 1

Depict the head and the hairline same equally the other examples.

Step ii

For this particular hairstyle draw the front hair clumps going far plenty downwardly the confront to fully encompass one centre. For the "side hair" you can draw the section on the side of the covered eye somewhat blending into the front hair.

Depict the back hair split into tow curves that pretty much hug the shape of the head as they become down eventually sticking out in clumps to each side.

Footstep 3

For the very bottom department of the front hair draw a few small clumps sticking out around the acme of the neck area. Erase whatsoever overlapping lines from the caput that should be hidden by the hair when you are done.

Step four

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

Drawing Anime Pigtails

Anime pigtails hair drawing breakdown
Anime pigtails hair drawing breakdown

The pigtails are another very common fashion of anime hair. Same equally the ponytail instance you can see that this particular drawing can pretty much be broken down into the forepart and dorsum section of the hair. With the "back hair" split into the hair covering the head and the pigtails. There are really merely tiny bits of actual "side hair".

Anime pigtails hair step by step drawing
Anime pigtails pilus step by step drawing

Footstep 1

Describe the head and the hairline. In this example a big section of the hairline will be visible in the final drawing. It will also help united states place the front department of the hair.

Step two

Though most of the pilus in this item example will be pulled back you tin depict some clumps for the forepart section of the pilus to just one side to brand the hairstyle look a piffling flake more interesting.

As already mentioned there will pretty much exist no side pilus other than the tiny $.25 effectually the summit of the ears. Draw the superlative/dorsum section of the hair blending into that side pilus.

For the actual pigtails draw them similar to the "Ponytail" example vaguely resembling two questions marks in their overall shape with one beingness flipped over.

Step three

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

Stride iv

Add a few more than 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 cartoon

This hairstyle can again be split up into three parts with the forepart, side and back hair. The front section of the hair yet is a petty unlike from the previous examples.

Anime combed hair step by step drawing
Anime combed pilus pace past step drawing

Footstep 1

Draw the head and hairline. The hairline in this example will be particularly useful for placing the front function of the pilus.

Stride 2

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

This will be the "forepart hair" tucked underneath the sides which will exist combed down over height of it. Draw the dorsum hair with a fairly obvious split in the middle with two curves going in each direction. This volition aid show that the hair has sort of been neatly combed to each side.

Step 3

Add some minor hair clumps for the lesser background pilus.

Step 4

Finally you can add together a footling clump of hair hanging down from the middle of the front section of the pilus. As sometimes the hair in that area will be to short to be tucked under the sides and part's of it may hang down. This will make the hairstyle look a lilliputian more natural and interesting. Finally add together some fold lines to the front sections of the pilus going to the sides to help show that the hair is tucked underneath there.

Drawing Curly Anime Hair

Anime curly hair drawing breakdown
Anime curly hair drawing breakdown

Curly hair is probably the virtually challenging anime hairstyles to draw. This particular hairstyle can again be split into the forepart sides and back with the front end hair beingness similar to the previous example.

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

Step 1

Beginning the drawing the the head and hairline sketch.

Step ii

From the hairline draw two lines going towards the sides of the head to indicate the forepart pilus. To bear witness that the pilus is curly you lot can depict these lines in lite waves.

The "side pilus in this example will be completely curled. Y'all tin can first draw some lines at the base of operations of the curves to indicate the volume of the hair that will then transition into the sort of "spires" of pilus below.

To draw the actual curls first depict the parts of them that are in the foreground. Y'all can sort of think of them as a cone that'south been sliced on an angle and pulled autonomously.

Stride 3

At present erase any parts of the head subconscious by the hair to avoid confusion and add the groundwork lines of the pilus curls. You lot can retrieve of these equally the forepart parts filled over.

Finally y'all tin draw some splits at the end of each curl.

Step iv

For the last step y'all can depict a little squiggle of pilus 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 wavy than in the previous examples to prove that the hair is curly.

Drawing Anime Hair Buns

Anime hair buns drawing breakdown
Anime hair buns drawing breakdown

The pilus bun'due south are somewhat more than rare just yet popular style of anime hair. This fashion can also exist split into the front end, side and back hair.

Yous tin can draw the hair buns hairstyle as described beneath:

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

Step 1

Over again first the drawing with the head and hairline.

Stride 2

Draw the "front hair" in small clumps pointing towards the heart of the confront and the sides same every bit most of the other examples.

Draw the "side hair" with low-cal curves somewhat "hugging" the face.

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 part of it hidden behind the "back pilus".

Footstep 3

For this stride simply erase the parts of the head that are hidden by the hair

Step 4

Draw some o the inner curves of the hair bun. You can pretty much draw these at random merely attempt and somewhat follow the outer bend of the bun with at to the lowest degree a few lines. This will help create that sort of "ball of yarn" expect that hair buns tend to have.

Drawing Short Messy Anime Hair

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

The brusque messy hair is again piece of cake to carve up into the front, side, and dorsum sections.

You tin draw it in the post-obit steps:

Anime short messy hair step by step drawing
Anime short messy hair step by step drawing

Pace ane

Same as other examples describe the caput and hairline to starting time.

Footstep 2

Depict the front section of the pilus with the outer clumps sticking out to the sides instead of resting on the forehead similar most other examples.

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

Draw the background hair with a slightly split to 1 side and the two curves that come out of it eventually transitioning into hair clumps on each side of the head.

Pace 3

Now add a pair of wavy clumps to the upper split are of the background hair and some other pair of clumps to the inner areas of the "side pilus". Erase the parts of the hair where you add the clumps and erase whatsoever parts of the caput/face lines covered by the hair.

Stride iv

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

Drawing Short/Low Anime Pigtails

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

For the terminal example of anime pilus in this tutorial we have the short/low pigtails. Equally most other examples in this tutorial these tin can again exist split into the sides, front and back/summit hair.

Draw this particular hairstyle as follows:

Anime short low pigtails hair step by step drawing
Anime short low pigtails hair step by stride drawing

Pace 1

Showtime by cartoon the head and hairline as all the other examples.

Step ii

Add the forepart department of the hair first as in this example information technology will be sticking out a lilliputian more than to the sides overlapping the side sections. Draw the "front hair splitting into fairly small clumps and do the same for the ends of the "side pilus".

Make the "dorsum hair" pretty much post-obit the shape of the head.

Finally add together the pigtails at the bottom of the head with small splits at their ends.

Step 3

Clean up the drawing past erasing the parts of the head hidden by the hair.

Step 4

Add some lines to show the heads inner curves and fold. In this case but 1 for the front hair clump.

Pilus Highlights

Pilus highlights tin really make hair stand out even without whatsoever additional complex shading and are fairly piece of cake to add.

For drawing them check out:

Different Means to Describe Anime Hair Highlights

Determination

When drawing hair it can be very helpful to organize information technology into carve up sections. Not simply will this help you get a better grip on how to describe it just it will also allow y'all to more than easily alter the hairstyle by irresolute its diverse parts. For more hairstyles you can experiment by mixing different parts of the front, side, and back sections of the hair in this tutorial or by adding entirely new designs.

For shading these hairstyles come across:

How to Shade Anime Hair Stride by Step

For more than on drawing anime and manga fashion pilus see:

  • How to Depict Anime Hair Blowing in Different Directions
  • How to Draw Anime Pilus in 3/iv View Step by Step
  • How to Describe Wet Anime Hair Step past Step

If you would like to acquire how to describe the caput with all of the facial features check out the:

How to Draw an Anime Girl's Head and Confront

For drawing hats and caput ware see:

How to Draw Anime Hats & Head Ware

This tutorial has been almost completely redone and updated with new fine art only you can see the erstwhile examples below.

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