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How to Draw Anime for Beginners – In 6 Easy Steps (Full Guide)

Interested in how to draw anime for beginners? Well, we’ve compiled simple-to-follow steps to draw anime along with drawing anime tips.

Anime characters have exaggerated eyes, distinct features, and proportions. There are a few unmistakable traits of well-drawn anime characters, and we intend to give you some beginner steps to learning how to draw anime.

If you’re just starting out and curious about how long it takes to learn how to draw, whether it be anime or realism, check out our post here.

This guide is meant to be straightforward to help you draw anime faces and features!

Hopefully, you can follow along with these steps!

Link: How Long Does It Take to Learn to Draw Anime

How to Draw Anime Girl

Step 1. Outline the Girl’s Head, Neck & Shoulders

The head of anime characters is usually a bit bigger than that of a realistic head, but not too big that it becomes a caricature (Although, in some cases, anime characters are drawn with a head larger than the rest of their body. These are called “Chibis“, which is a smaller and more adorable version of an anime character.)

Link: If you are interested in learning what tools you need to draw anime or manga check out our post here.

First, draw a circle then create a vertical line in the middle of the circle. Right below the circle, draw a horizontal line. This will be the basis for the chin. Unlike a realistic head, the shape of an anime character is more easily defined. The chin is a lot sharper and the forehead is a bit bigger.

Now that you have your guide, connect the circle to the line, and from there create two slopes that’ll interconnect to make the chin.

Once you have a head, create the neck and shoulder.

Step 2.  Draw the Eyes/Brows

The next step is to draw the eyes and eyebrows. Anime girls tend to have larger eyes than anime boys (This isn’t exclusive of course. Some anime girls have smaller eyes and some anime boys have larger eyes, in general, anime girls are drawn to have larger eyes)

The placement is simple. Divide the head into two equal parts, you can do this by separating the head with a horizontal line. Below that line (which should sit at the very middle of the head), draw the eyes.

Step 3. Draw the Nose

Anime noses are simple. They’re simply a tiny upright check that is placed below the eyes.

Step 4. Draw the Mouth

A simple mouth can be drawn by only one line. Some artists add a small space in between that line (for whatever reason). If you want an open-mouthed smile, draw an upturned D. Inside that D, draw a curve for the tongue. If you want to add teeth, simply add a small line at the top and bottom.

Step 5.  Draw the Hair

The hair is the most important part of an anime character, if not the eyes. In some cases, the hair is what defines the character. Anime hair is usually made up of chunks of hair with pointed tips (unless the character has even bangs). Sometimes they even stick out and defy the forces of gravity.

The most simple type of anime hair on a girl is often one with bangs.

Step 6.  Add in Facial Details

By this, we mean shadows and highlights. Add shadows to the eyes and to the hair. To really make it pop, also add highlights. If you don’t know how shading works, have a look at our other article here: Why is Shading So Difficult?

How to Draw Anime Eyes

To draw anime eyes, all you have to do is recognize its basic shape.

Anime eyes come in different shapes. Usually, the shape of an anime character’s eyes will be drawn from their personality.

ShapeWhat They Usually Mean
Large, round Optimistic, innocent, young, playful
Square, rectangularSerious, mature, aloof
Small, sharp, triangularUninterested, been through hardships, emotionless

If you look at popular anime characters, you’ll see that this is mostly the case. For instance, Gon, the main protagonist of Hunter x Hunter who is young and innocent, is drawn with large round eyes. However, SPOILER ALERT when he eventually goes through a traumatic event and is portrayed to have grown much older, the shape of his eyes changes.

To draw anime eyes, first, figure out the basic shapes. Once you have that down, start with the outline. Then draw an oblong or a circle. In the middle of that, add a black circle for the pupil. To give the eyes life, add two little white spots at the corner of the pupil.

If you plan to add color to the eye, the simplest way to do this is to first create a gradient inside the eye (from black to whatever color you want the eye to be). After the gradient, add the pupil and the two white dots (make sure these dots aren’t the same size).

On the color of the eye, add a color lighter than the original color.

How to Draw Naruto

Naruto is probably one of the most, if not the most, recognizable anime character ever. So it would make sense for you to start your practice with him.

To draw Naruto, simply follow the steps I laid out earlier. Start with a circle and a line beneath it as a guide for the chin. However, notice that Naruto’s chin isn’t as sharp as most anime characters. Because Naruto’s face is a bit rounded, his chin is flat.

Tip: When drawing an anime character, always draw from a reference! Even if you know the character by heart, you’re still bound to get some details wrong.

Once you have the shape of his face down, time to draw the hair. Before you draw the hair, make sure to draw his headband first. To do this, draw two curved lines then connect them on the side with wavy lines to represent the folds of the headbands.

Then, inside the headband, draw a rectangle with rounded corners. This will be where the Leaf Village symbol will sit.

Once you have that, you can proceed with his hair. Naruto’s hair is sort of made up of jagged spikes. Of course, you can’t just draw jagged spikes on his head with no direction. Draw first a curved line that will guide where you draw the spikes of his hair. Then draw the spikes by creating jagged shapes.

Next, draw the eyes. The shape of Naruto’s eyes is something similar to a circle. Sketch the shapes first on each side of the face. Remember, the length between the eyes is approximately the same length of an eye.

Once you have the shapes down, start sketching. Draw the upper part of the eyes first with the outer line thicker than the inner line. Next, draw the lower part of the eyes which is just two slightly curved lines.

The inside of the eye is made up of a slightly elongated circle (not exactly an oblong but it’s on its way), a small pupil in the middle, and a half circle in the upper right corner that’s meant to be the white spot.

After you’re done with the eyes, add his eyebrows, which are just two thick lines pointing toward the middle of his face beginning from his headband. After that, add the rest of Naruto’s facial features, his nose, his mouth, and most importantly, his whiskers.

When you have the facial features out of the way, draw the ears, which are in line with his eyes and nose.

Lastly, draw his neck and his clothes. His neck is in line with the pupil of his eyes. Then add two smaller lines on the inside of his neck going on opposite directions. For his clothes, start with two rectangular shapes with a small space between them just below his neck.

Connect these shapes with a curved line going upwards (stop when it’s in line with his ears). Then, draw the rest of the collar using curved lines. you can even add an illusion of texture by drawing smaller lines inside of the collar.

Differences between Realistic Drawings and Anime Drawings

The difference between realistic drawings and anime drawings is that anime drawings tend to have more exaggerated features than realistic drawings. For instance, the eyes and head might be bigger, the noses might be smaller, and their hair might be immune to gravity.

All that cannot be seen in realistic drawings. Realistic drawings follow specific measures for certain features. They’re meant to replicate what’s observable in reality, and while anime drawings do take inspiration from reality, they are still based on fiction.

For anime, similar to cartoons, suspension of belief is required. But unlike cartoons, anime features aren’t overly exaggerated.

Is Drawing Anime Easier Than Realistic?

I’d like to think drawing anime is easier than drawing realism.

There’s a lot of detail that goes into realism, as well as a lot of accuracies needed. It only takes one small misstep in realism for your drawing to look off, but in anime, you can get away with a few small subtle mistakes.

When it comes to shading, realism is also a lot more complicated. Shading for realism requires highlights, mid-tones, and dark shades, all of which need to be blended flawlessly. For anime, shade is usually one solid color that’s darker than the original color that is being shaded.

Of course, there are some cases where blending is required, but most of the animes that you see on shows apply simple shading. So, personally, anime is a lot easier to learn and draw than realism.

That said, it all depends on which type of drawing you do more.

People who draw more realistic portraits will find that drawing anime can be a bit challenging, and people who only draw anime will struggle with realistic portraits. This is why, as an artist, it’s important to branch out and try different art styles, because no art style will come easy, especially if you’re doing it for the first time.

Is Drawing Anime Easy?

Drawing anime is definitely not easy.

Although earlier I said drawing anime is easier than drawing realism, drawing anime is definitely not an easy feat. Sure over time, with practice, it’ll eventually be easy, but when you’re just starting out and learning how to draw anime, it can be challenging.

Anime is drawn from fiction but that doesn’t mean it completely ignores reality. You will still have to apply proper anatomy, study perspectives, and even shading to get drawing anime right. Details in hair and character clothes are something you have to keep in mind as well.

So no, drawing anime is not a walk in the park. It’s still an obstacle course and there are many hurdles to get through. If you really want to get better at anime, I suggest, before jumping into drawing a character, to study anatomy first.

Once you understand basic anatomy, you’ll find the rest of the things you’ll have to learn a lot easier.

Drawing Anime Tips

Here are a few tips I have for drawing anime:

  • Learn the basics of drawing first (anatomy, shading, lighting, etc.)
  • Use references. It isn’t cheating. It’ll help you improve.
  • Don’t get stuck with one drawing. It’s natural to erase and go back but if you find yourself doing that a little too often for one drawing, accept the mistakes and move on.
  • Develop a practice routine where you try to improve on a specific aspect of anime drawing each time.
  • Use only one or two pencils. Anime drawing doesn’t really require a lot of shades so simply get your normal drawing pencil and a pencil with a darker shade.
  • Be patient. You’re gonna think it looks awful in the beginning, but the more you draw, the more you’ll get better. Eventually, you will no longer need a reference. So don’t give up.

How can I teach myself to draw anime?

There are many resources online that can help you to draw anime. For example, this article! If you’re more of a visual learner, there are also many videos on YouTube that can help guide you.

Like this one:

How to draw anime characters like a pro?

If you want to learn how to draw anime like a pro, first understand that every pro was once a beginner, just like you. With consistent practice, you’ll be just like your favorite manga artist someday.

Always practice with purpose. Don’t rush into things. The learning process is slow so if you start with learning how to draw anime facial shapes first, that’s fine. It’s important to not overwhelm yourself and focus on one thing.

Don’t be discouraged if you think your drawings are terrible. It won’t always be that way. You’re just starting out so it’s normal that you won’t get it correct right away.

In addition to that, try not to compare yourself to other artists. The easiest way to lose motivation is to look at a fellow artist’s work and judge your own work based on theirs. It’s always going to be different for each person so there’s no point in comparing yourself to another artist. Focus on your own drawing and your own progress and pay attention to nobody else.

Don’t take constructive criticism to heart. If someone offers you constructive criticism, know that it isn’t an attack on you as a person, it’s only an opinion on your drawing. Take their criticisms and learn from them.

No professional is born a master. Most, if not all of them, worked hard to get to the skill level they’re currently at. And if you want to be like them, then you gotta put in the work and practice. Soon enough, you’ll be considered a professional as well.

To get started with drawing anime or manga you need a drawing tablet and art program. So lets take a look at some good, beginner friendly options.

Here is our step-by-step guide for how to draw anime eyes. Drawing anime eyes should be simple and fun and we’ll explain how to do that with just these simple guides.

Anime eyes are a lot more expressive and exaggerated than realistic eyes. You should be able to easily see the emotion in a good drawing of an anime eye.

We will first go over some basic anime eye drawing tips and then go into how to draw a female anime eye as well as how to draw a male anime eye (there are some differences between the two that you should look out for*).

We’ve also included how to draw other features of the face like how to draw an anime nose, anime mouth, and anime hair. 

Anime eyes are actually quite simple to draw since you can easily break the eye down into a few simple shapes and then add minimal detail to make them pop.

Let’s get into some tips and our step-by-step guides for how to draw anime eyes!

Finished product!

Tips for How to Draw Anime Eyes for Beginners

Before we begin, let’s start with some general tips for drawing anime eyes.

  • Don’t worry about trying to be realistic
  • Don’t worry about drawing the eyes too large
  • Put emphasis on the size of the eye, pupil, and highlights
  • Focus on bringing out the expression that you’re trying to capture

The most important thing you should know is that anime eyes are nothing like real eyes so it’s pointless to try and make them realistic. You should instead focus on the expression and the shape of the eyes.

In anime, the shape of the eyes can often tell you a lot about the character. For instance:

ShapeWhat They Usually Mean
Large, round Optimistic, innocent, young, playful
Square, rectangularSerious, mature, aloof
Small, sharp, triangularUninterested, been through hardships, emotionless
Anime eyes often add to the portrayal of the character’s personality.

Of course, this isn’t always the case. At the end of the day, the shape of an eye can be boiled down to artistic choice, regardless of the personality of the character. However, generally speaking, the eye shape has something to do with the character’s personality.

What Materials Do You Need to Draw Anime Eyes

If you are following along with these steps and drawing anime eyes in pencil you may need the below drawing materials and supplies:

Pencils:We recommend 2B and 4B pencils
Erasers:A kneaded eraser is preferred
Reference image:A detailed reference image
Sketchbook or paper:Truly any type of paper will do but for graphite drawings,
we recommend smoother paper like this one from Strathmore
Tortillon/Blending Stick:this will make blending and creating shades much
easier and smoother

Related: If you are interested in other recommended drawing materials for beginners take a look at our full post here

What Are Some Common Anime Eye Shapes?

There are three most common anime eye shapes and they are: round, rectangular, and triangular.

As I mentioned earlier, eye shapes in anime often indicate the character’s personality. For instance, if an anime character has huge round eyes, they will be portrayed as innocent and optimistic. Rectangular eyes are given to characters that are more mature and aloof.

Sometimes, the eye shape of an anime character changes depending on the emotion of the character. A great example of this is the popular anime character Gon from Hunter x Hunter. (SPOILERS! If you haven’t watched the show)

For the most part of the anime, Gon, who is a 12-year-old optimistic kid, has huge round eyes. His eyes help to portray his childlike innocence, but when the tides change and a tragic death causes Gon to “grow up”, not only does his entire personality change, but his eye shape also changes from round to rectangular.

This helps show the deadly shift in Gon’s personality. If Gon’s eyes were still round, it wouldn’t make as much of an impact.

That said, this isn’t always the case. After all, the eye shape of an anime character is an artistic choice. There are a lot of ways to add to the character’s personality like color schemes and wardrobe. Sometimes the eye shape doesn’t matter AT ALL, but for the most part, artists use different eye shapes to help depict the character’s personality.

To see how easy it is to draw eyes by figuring out the shape first, have a quick look at this video:

How to Draw Anime Eyes Step-by-Step Guide

To draw simple anime eyes, figure out the shape of the eyes first. For the sake of example, we will draw the typical round anime eye. Then draw the upper lash and the lower lash. The upper lash is thicker than the lower lash.

Next, draw a circle inside of the eye and a smaller circle for the pupil.

Color in the circle and then start shading the upper portion of the iris. Create a gradient-like effect by smudging the shade with your finger or a blending stump.

Create two smaller circles to mimic the light’s reflection on the eyes. This can be done by using an eraser.

How do you draw female anime eyes?

Female anime eyes tend to be rounder with less sharp angles. To draw female anime eyes, begin by sketching a round shape.

Next, use a curving upper lash line and a lower lash line. Make the upper lash thicker than the bottom lash of the eye.

Then, add an oval inside the eyes for the iris and make a smaller oval inside the iris for the pupil.

Color inside the pupil with your pencil then add a bit of gradient at the upper part of the iris by doing some shading and smudging. Then create small circles with your eraser to represent light reflecting off the eye. This adds life to your eye.

Lastly, add lashes to your drawing. This one is optional as sometimes anime eyes don’t have lashes, however, for the sake of example, we will add lashes to the eyes.

How do you draw male anime eyes?

Alternatively, male anime eyes have sharper angles and are smaller and sometimes less expressive. To draw male anime eyes, start with the shape of the eye first. Make them smaller and narrower than female eyes.

Make a thick upper lash line and a thin line at the bottom part of the eye. Most male anime eyes don’t have lower lashes.

Next, draw a circle inside of the eye and a smaller circle inside of it. This will be the iris and pupil

At this point, the process is basically the same as drawing a female eye. Color in the pupil, add a gradient at the upper part of the iris, and erase two small circles to represent light hitting the eye.

How do you draw anime eyes from different angles?

To draw anime eyes from different angles, the most important thing to do first is sketch the head at the angle you want.

Next, with the use of lines, draw the shape of the eyes first, based on the angle of the head

From there on, you can simply follow the same steps you did for drawing regular anime eyes. Thicken the upper lashes, draw circles for the iris and pupil, then shade and color.

How to draw anime nose

The nose of an anime character is probably one of the easiest parts to draw. In most cases, it’s either just a dot or a sideways “L”.

To add more detail to the nose, you can create a thin line from the bottom of the nose and have it curve all the way to the top. This will give the impression that the nose has depth. You can also add another dot to represent nostrils.

How to draw anime mouth

An anime mouth can be done by drawing a curved line, however, that’s only if you’re creating a simple smile.

If you want to draw an open-mouthed smile, first draw a side-ways “D”. Make the edges soft.

Then inside the “D”, draw a line on the upper part and a slightly curved line on the bottom. This will represent the teeth.

Next, draw an arc for the tongue.

To draw a toothy smile, repeat the same first steps. A sideways “D” with soft edges. However, for this one, make the D a lot more narrow than you would if you were drawing an open-mouthed smile.

Next, add a line in the middle going from one side of the D to the other. Make the corners thick while gradually making them thinner in the middle.

How to draw anime hair

The hair is the most important part of an anime character. The hair is what stands out in most anime characters. They are usually made up of chunks of hair with pointed tips (unless the character has even bangs). Sometimes they even stick out and defy the forces of gravity.

The most simple type of anime hair, especially for girls, is often one with bangs.

To draw anime hair, lay out the overall shape of the hair first. Next, draw chunks of the hair with curved and pointy tips. I suggest starting with the bangs.

How to draw anime face

To draw an anime face, begin with sketching the face. Sketch the face using a circle as the basis. From the side of the circle, draw two curves that meet in middle.

Once you have the face, divide it into three equal parts using lines. In the middle part, just below the line you used to separate the parts, draw the eyes, and just above the eyes draw the eyebrows.

Just below the eyes, draw the nose

Then on the third part of the face, just below the line, draw the mouth. If you’re not sure of the length of the mouth, have it be in line with the pupils of the mouth.

Lastly, add the hair then erase the overlapping lines.

Key Takeaways on What You Need to Draw Anime with Digital Tools

  • Again, to draw anime you need:
    • an art program
    • a drawing tablet (or even your mobile phone)
  • Some good options for free* beginner art programs are:
    • Ibisx Paint (can be used on your mobile phone or iPad)
    • Krita (for drawing on your computer)
    • We recommend avoiding more advanced art programs since they may discourage you with all of their advanced options*
  • Good beginner and affordable drawing tablets are: (these you will have to connect to your computer)
  • A good starting place is by drawing simple anime faces and figures from references (some good options for characters to draw are Luffy, Saitama, Naruto)
  • Lastly, try not to worry about mimicking a specific anime style initially. The best anime artists have a strong foundation in drawing so try to learn some basics of art including drawing figures, faces, proportion, spacing, and shading

Our Affordable Recommendation for Drawing Anime and Manga:

VEIKK A30 Drawing Tablet and then use Krita drawing application

A More Expensive Option for Drawing Anime and Manga:

HUION Kamvas 22 Plus and Clip studio (which may sometimes have quarterly sales*)


One of my very first digital art that I made on Ibisx Paint

Choosing Your Digital Art Tools

Just like traditional drawing, digital art requires tools. Some are paid and some are free. If you’re a beginner, I highly recommend using free tools. Even though they may be limited compared to paid tools, they have enough of what you need to get started.

Plus more premium digital art apps may be frustrating to use as a beginner since they can be pretty complex and offer so many features

Again, the most important tools that you should start with when it comes to digital art before worrying about anything else are a drawing tablet and an art program.

Drawing Tablets

You should start with more affordable drawing tables (we strongly recommend avoiding an iPad as your first drawing tablet).

Just choose one that is inexpensive and easy to carry around.

Before getting a tablet, I was mostly drawing on my phone using my finger. It was fine for practice but the process was a lot harder than when I started using a tablet.


Some good options for beginner drawing tablets are:

  • Veikk A30
  • HUION Inspiroy H1060P
  • Wacom Intuos Tablet

Veikk A30

My first tablet was the Veikk A30, a light and sleek tablet with a 10 x 6 inches drawing area.

My Veikk A30

Our Overall Review: The Veikk A30 is a good entry-level tablet for beginners due to its affordability and large drawing area. Its sleek design and portability make it a great choice for artists who need to work in different locations. However, since its cheaper and not as popular as the other brands there may sometimes be driver issues.

ProsCons
Affordable and budget-friendlyLess well-known brand may affect support
Sleek and portable designPotential driver stability and compatibility issues
Large 10 x 6 inches active drawing areaBuild quality may not be as high as more expensive tablets
Customizable shortcut keys

HUION Inspiroy H1060P

Our Overall Review: The HUION Inspiroy H1060P is a pretty feature-rich platform for beginners with its high pressure sensitivity and expansive workspace. The customizable keys are a nice touch for workflow efficiency, though they may take time to master. The pen’s charging requirement is a minor drawback, but overall, the tablet is a decent tool for people starting with digital art.

ProsCons
High pressure sensitivity (8192 levels)Pen requires charging
Large 10 x 6.25 inches working areaLearning curve for customizable keys
Numerous customizable keys (12 press, 16 soft)Slightly heavier, affecting portability
Good compatibility with various software

Wacom Intuos Tablet

Our Overall Review: The Wacom Intuos Tablet is a somewhat premium option for beginners who want a reliable and long-lasting tool. It is smaller but does include some great easy to use software. While it may a little be more expensive, the investment is pretty justified by Wacom’s reputation for quality and customer support.

ProsCons
Reputable brand with industry standard qualityHigher price point than some beginner tablets
Comes with creative software bundle
Durable build quality
Compact and portable

Digital Art Programs

Getting a program that is expensive and has a high learning curve has a chance of demotivating you and causing you to resent or even abandon the learning process.

I suggest programs that are free and open source.

  • If you’re using your mobile phone, you can use apps like Ibisx Paint, which is a free easy-to-use drawing app.
  • If you’re looking to draw on your PC, programs like Krita will be a big help as not only is it free, but it also has a pretty intuitive user interface.

I used to draw on Ibisx Paint until I got my first drawing tablet. Although the results were not that pretty, it still gave me the opportunity to practice and learn digital art.

Here’s some quick pros and cons for our recommended apps:

Ibis Paint X

ProsCons
Intuitive user-friendly interfaceAds in the free version can be distracting
Strong community and social media integrationLimited advanced features for professional use
Free version available with many featuresIn-app purchases for additional features
Recording feature to capture the drawing process

Krita

ProsCons
Completely free and open sourceCan be resource-intensive on some systems
Professional-grade advanced featuresSomewhat steep learning curve for beginners
Highly customizable interface and brushesLess optimized for touch input compared to other apps
Supportive community and frequent updates

Clip Studio Paint

ProsCons
Tailored for comics and manga with specialized toolsNot free; the full version is relatively expensive
Advanced brush engine for detailed artworkComplex interface with a learning curve
Supports the use of 3D models
Basic animation features included

Other Digital Art Tools

Once you’ve chosen your tablet and program, you can then think about other digital art tools like:

  • Styluses: One must ensure they have a comfortable grip and pressure sensitivity that matches their drawing style (these often come with tablets)
  • Gloves: Drawing gloves can help reduce friction between the hand and the tablet.
  • Monitor Stands: For those using display tablets, adjustable stands can help maintain a comfortable drawing posture.
  • Desk Setup: A well-arranged workspace can prevent strain and support long hours of work (an organized desk space can do wonders for your productivity…coming from a messy desk person*)

Digital Drawing Process

It’s always good to have a process when making an artwork. It makes drawing a lot smoother and easier.

First, you gotta come up with what you want to draw.

Personally, I get inspiration from things I like. I love to make fan art so if I want to draw and I have nothing in mind, I look to my favorite shows and movies to get ideas.

This is a fan art I made of Kurapika, my favorite anime character from the show Hunter x Hunter. I got this idea after I watched that scene of him being angsty in a river.

If you want to draw and have no idea, I suggest pulling up your favorite show or anime and picking a scene that you can recreate with your own interpretation.

Next, I do a quick sketch of my idea. It’s usually messy and most lines overlap, but that’s the point of the sketch. To get a quick visual of your idea. If you’re new at this, you can make your sketches look even messier. Don’t be afraid if it looks nothing like what you actually wanna draw. You’ll be polishing it later. Some artists draw only stick figures as sketches.

After the sketch, I clean it up by outlining. The outline does not have to follow the sketch 100%. You’re still free to change and tweak things at this stage. You can also make your outline more detailed than your sketch.

I usually follow my sketches but sometimes I experiment and my outlines end up looking better than my sketches.

Once I’ve finished outlining, I then add the flat colors. Colors can be tricky as they can make or break your art. Luckily for me, this is a fan art. Which means the colors are already there, I just have to pick them.

If you’re a beginner and are looking to practice with your colors, doing fan art will be a great help.

But don’t just draw and copy what you see, make sure you understand why the artist picks those colors and how you can learn from them.

When I’m done with the flat colors, I move onto shading and highlights! You don’t actually have to do this, especially if you’re making simple fan art, but shading and highlights can make your drawings pop so I recommend you add them.

If you don’t know how to shade, we have an article discussing how to shade and the different shading methods. You can read that here: Why is Shading So Difficult?

After shading and a couple more tweaks, I add the background. In this case, it’s simply a flat red color since red is often associated with the character I drew.

If you’re looking to practice and not just create fan art, I highly recommend adding a background that isn’t just a flat color or simple shapes. One of the struggles of digital art (or art in general) is the background, so learning to draw background early on in your learning process will make things a lot easier for you.

Setting Up Your Workspace

If you plan to draw a lot then you must have a space where you can go to and draw. It doesn’t have a be another room of the house (although if you can you should) it can just be a table where you can set up your computer and tablet to draw.

My workspace was a small study table. It was pretty crowded but it worked for me as I was able to draw just fine. As long as there is space for your arm, your tablet, and your computer, it should be enough.

That said, it’s important that your space is clean and your environment is peaceful. Being in a noisy environment can be distracting, which may take away your ability to come up with a creative idea.

Understanding Anime Art Style

Anime art style is characterized by its vibrant characters and vivid worlds, which can be captured effectively using digital art tools.

The key elements of anime art include:

  • Eyes: Anime characters typically have large, expressive eyes. Each character’s emotions are often conveyed through the eyes, making their design a crucial component.
  • Hair: From gravity-defying spikes to flowing locks, anime hair is diverse and creative, allowing artists to explore a wide range of styles and colors.
  • Proportions: While anime borrows from real-life proportions, it often exaggerates certain features, like big eyes or elongated limbs, to express character traits or emphasize certain emotions.
  • Line Work: Crisp and varying line weights play a significant role in defining the shape and depth of anime characters and objects.

When starting with digital anime art, artists should prioritize understanding these elements:

ElementImportance
ProportionsForms the basic structure of characters and helps in maintaining consistency.
Line QualityDetermines the clarity and finish of the characters and scenes.
Color TheoryVital for setting the mood, defining character, and distinguishing between scenes.

Basic Drawing Skills and Techniques

Developing proficiency in basic drawing skills and techniques is critical for an artist aiming to produce compelling digital anime art. Mastery in areas such as anatomy, line work, and color greatly influence the quality of the final piece.

Proportions and Anatomy

Understanding proportions and anatomy is fundamental when drawing anime characters. Characters should maintain consistent proportions throughout their design which is generally more stylized than realistic drawings.

  • Head-to-Body Ratio: Anime characters typically have a head-to-body ratio of 1:6 to 1:8, unlike the realistic 1:7.5 to 1:8 ratio.
  • Facial Features Placement: Eyes are usually halfway down the head, with a smaller nose and mouth placed below them.

Line Art and Shading

Line art creates the clean edges and shapes that define anime illustrations. Mastery of line weight varies the visual impact.

  • Thick lines denote shadows and outer edges.
  • Thin lines suggest light sources and detailed features.

Shading adds depth:

  1. Identify a consistent light source.
  2. Apply shading opposite the light to depict volume and form.

Color Theory and Application

Color Theory is essential in choosing a palette that conveys mood and time of day.

  • Primary colors (red, blue, yellow) form the basis of all hues.
  • Complementary colors (opposite on the color wheel) create dynamic effects.

When applying color:

  • Begin with base colors, typically mid-tones.
  • Layer shadows and highlights to build form.
  • Adjust saturation and brightness for harmonic or contrasting effects.

Character Design and Development

Expressing Emotion and Personality

Each anime character should embody distinct emotions and personality traits that are visually communicated through their design. Artists achieve this by:

  • Eyes: The window to a character’s soul, eyes in anime are often oversized and can exhibit a wide range of emotions. For a determined character, eyes might be drawn with sharp, angular lines, while a gentle character may have eyes with soft, rounded edges.
  • Facial Features: Subtle changes in the character’s mouth and eyebrows can convey different emotions. A slightly curved upward mouth can indicate happiness, and furrowed brows can show concern or anger.

Costuming and Accessories

A character’s outfit and accessories provide context about their background, role, and personality. They consist of:

  • Outfit: This is not only about style but also function. A warrior might have armor, while a magician could don robes with mystical symbols.
  • Accessories: These can include items like jewelry, weapons, or gadgets. A character’s accessories should have a purpose or signify an aspect of their personality, like a locket for a sentimental character or a futuristic gadget for an inventor.

Through these elements, artists develop engaging anime characters that connect with audiences.

Backgrounds and Environments

Drawing anime backgrounds and environments requires a fundamental understanding of perspective and how characters integrate into these spaces. These elements help create a cohesive and believable anime world.

Perspective Basics

One-Point Perspective:

  • Usage: Ideal for scenes where the viewer is directly facing the background, like a straight road or hallway.
  • Construction: A single vanishing point is placed on the horizon line.

Two-Point Perspective:

  • Usage: Effective for corner views, such as looking at the edge of a building.
  • Construction: Two vanishing points are placed on the horizon line, typically at the edges of the paper or canvas.

Three-Point Perspective:

  • Usage: Used for dramatic scenes, like high skyscrapers viewed from ground level or a bird’s eye view of a landscape.
  • Construction: Incorporates a third vanishing point either above or below the horizon line.

To practice, artists should:

  1. Sketch simple geometric shapes in perspective.
  2. Overlay a grid to understand how objects sit in space.
  3. Progress to more complex structures as confidence increases.

Incorporating Characters With Backgrounds

Scale and Placement:

  • Characters should be drawn to scale with their surroundings to maintain proportionality.
  • Placement is crucial; characters closer to the vanishing point will appear smaller.

Interaction:

  • Characters need to interact with the environment, such as sitting on chairs or casting shadows.
  • This interaction grounds the characters and adds realism to the scene.

When drawing both characters and backgrounds:

  • Consistency in light source, shading, and texturing must be maintained throughout the piece.
  • Use layers if working digitally to adjust elements independently.

Practice and Improvement

Mastering the art of drawing anime digitally hinges on consistent practice and the ability to apply constructive feedback to one’s work.

Regular Exercises

Daily Sketching: Commit to drawing something every day, even if it’s a simple sketch. This could range from replicating anime characters to creating unique expressions or poses.

  • Anatomy Studies: Spend time drawing different parts of the body to understand proportion and movement.
  • Expression Variation: Work on a variety of facial expressions to convey emotion effectively.
  • Pose Practice: Use reference images to capture challenging poses and ensure dynamic illustrations.

Drills and Repetition: Focus on repeating difficult elements until they become comfortable.

  • Hands and Feet: They are notoriously tricky, so dedicate sessions purely to these areas.
  • Eye Styles: The eyes are central to anime characters, practice various eye designs to find a preferred style.

Seeking Feedback and Critique

Community Engagement:

  • Join online forums or social media groups where artists share their work.
  • Actively seek critiques, not just praise, to identify areas for improvement.

Professional Input:

  • Consider online courses or workshops that offer personalized feedback.
  • Explore opportunities for portfolio reviews by experienced anime artists.

Iterative Process: Use the feedback received to rework pieces multiple times, focusing on improving one aspect at a time. This methodical approach solidifies learning and leads to visible progress.

Sharing Your Work

After creating digital anime art, an artist’s journey continues with showcasing their creations. Selecting the right online platforms and strategies for building an audience are crucial steps for exposure and networking.

Online Platforms

Artists can share their digital anime work on various online platforms designed to reach both general and niche audiences. DeviantArt and ArtStation are two prominent websites that cater to artists across multiple genres, offering community engagement and the potential for discovery. Instagram and Pinterest appeal to a broad audience and utilize visual-centric mechanisms which can boost visibility. For anime-specific content, platforms like Pixiv, a popular Japanese online community for artists, provide a more targeted audience.

  • DeviantArt
  • ArtStation
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Pixiv

Building an Audience

Building an audience starts with consistency and engagement. Artists should regularly post their work and interact with their followers to foster a community. Utilizing hashtags relevant to anime and digital art helps to increase visibility and attract viewers with similar interests.

Engagement Tips:

  • Regularly update your portfolio with new art.
  • Respond to comments and messages to build relationships.
  • Share behind-the-scenes content to give audiences insight into the creation process.
  • Collaborate with other artists to tap into different follower bases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best tools or software for beginners interested in drawing anime digitally?

For beginners, we recommend using affordable tools like the Veikk A30 drawing tablet and Krita, a free drawing software.

Could you recommend some fundamental techniques for drawing anime characters?

Beginners should focus on mastering facial features, such as the distinctive large eyes, small mouth, and expressive facial expressions typical in anime. Additionally, understanding the importance of hair in character design is crucial, as it often sets the tone for the character’s style and personality.

What resources are available online for learning to draw anime in a digital format?

A myriad of online resources are available, including step-by-step tutorials, drawing classes specifically tailored for anime art, and video guides that cover everything from character design to digital painting techniques.

How can someone practice and improve their digital anime-style art?

Constant practice is key; sketching regularly, studying from real life and other anime works, and soliciting feedback can significantly refine one’s skills. Digital artists often keep a portfolio of their progression to track improvement over time.

Are there any specific apps that are helpful for creating anime digital art?

Besides the software mentioned above, apps like Adobe Photoshop remain a staple for many digital artists. While they may be a bit too complex for beginners, they provide extensive tools and features that cater to the refined detail of anime drawings.

Is it possible to self-learn digital anime drawing, and if so, how?

Self-learning is entirely possible with the wealth of educational content available online. Beginners can self-teach by following online courses, engaging with community forums, and practicing the application of various digital art techniques learned through these platforms.

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