This tutorial explains the fundamentals of drawing different types of both male and female anime and manga pilus. It likewise provides detailed example drawings from the front side and back views.

Anime hair and heads different views
Anime hair and heads unlike views

For cartoon hair that is blowing in the wind come across:

How to Depict Anime Hair Blowing in Dissimilar Directions

Shape of the Head & Pilus

Earlier cartoon hair information technology's a skillful thought to accept an understanding of the shape of the head and the hairline as shown in the examples below. It tin can be very helpful to get-go describe the head before you start cartoon the pilus especially if you are a beginner.

Anime hairline female
Anime hairline female

The shape of the top of the head in anime and manga is often fairly close to the shape of a real head but tin can too vary depending on style.

From the side view the caput can be drawn in a slight oval shape (usually less and so than a real head). From the forepart view the top of the caput is close to a half circumvolve.

Anime hairline male
Anime hairline male person

In this tutorial we will not become into drawing the different facial features and other parts of the head as that is already covered in other tutorials.

For drawing various anime facial features see:

  • Anime Optics
  • Anime Mouths
  • Anime Noses
  • Anime Ears

Direction of Hair Growth

Hair growth directions drawing
Hair growth directions

As anime pilus is a simplified version of real hair it'southward a good thought to also accept a basic idea of how hair actually grows. The above example is a male head simply the same would apply to a female head as well.

Hair starts out in a spiral from the peak/dorsum part of the head and grows mainly in the following directions:

  • acme hair – grows mainly forward
  • dorsum hair – grows mainly downwards
  • sides hair – grows mainly downwards

Drawing Short Anime Pilus

Drawing short anime hair front, back and side views
Drawing short anime hair front back and side views

Anime hair is usually drawn in clumps sort of similar existent hair that is wet.

Depict short hair (both male person and female) out in a shape close to the hairline example in a higher place with small clumps at the ends. Draw some clumps pointing slightly towards 1 another and others away from 1 some other for a more natural look.

Drawing Medium Length/Long Anime Hair

Drawing medium length anime hair front, back and side views
Cartoon medium length anime hair front, back and side views

Drawing medium length or long anime hair is similar to cartoon short hair but y'all can draw the hair in much bigger clumps. With longer hair you can also remember of the sideburns every bit separate sections in add-on to the sides top and back hair.

Drawing Combed Anime Hair

Drawing combed back anime hair front, back and side views
Cartoon combed dorsum anime hair front, back and side views

As the hair is pulled/combed back like that in the above case it volition reveal the hairline Therefore you can in one case over again see why knowing the basic shape of the hairline is of import.

When drawing hair at the hairline draw some jagged lines to give it a more natural expect (real hairs are not all perfectly aligned).

Drawing Trimmed/Neatly Combed Anime Hair

Drawing cut/trimmed anime hair front, back and side views
Drawing cut/trimmed anime hair front, back and side views

For trimmed neatly combed hair (similar the pop "hime cut" for instance that is so often used in various anime and manga) it tin can almost look like a helmet on the head. To brand the hair look a little more natural draw some splits into the hair that are wider at the bottom narrowing as they go up.

Drawing Anime Pigtails

Drawing anime pigtails front, back and side views
Drawing anime pigtails front, back and side views

For pigtails depict some lines around the pigtail to betoken that the surrounding pilus is pulled in the management of the pigtail. With multiple pigtails you lot can also draw a parting line in the hair where the hairs that are being pulled in unlike directions come across (the back view example in this case).

Drawing Curly Anime Hair

Drawing curly anime hair front, back and side views
Cartoon curly anime pilus front, back and side views

Draw the curly parts of anime anime hair similar to a leap. Shorter parts of curly anime hair ofttimes tend to be draw aforementioned equally regular pilus or with some light curves. In this case nosotros will also draw the hair slightly more curved at the ends.

Conclusion

At that place are many variations of anime hair merely the examples provided in this tutorial should give you a good foundation to go on. You tin of course always wait at real hair as well as examples of hair from actual anime and manga for boosted reference.

If you like this tutorial yous may as well be interested in:

  • How to Draw Anime & Manga Style Pilus Braids
  • How to Depict Anime Facial Hair – Beards & Mustaches
  • Different Ways to Depict Anime Hair Highlights