This tutorial illustrates how to depict anime and manga hair with twelve step past 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 unlike hairstyles drawing examples

Anime pilus is often based on existent hairstyles but tends to exist drawn in clumps rather than individual strands. One skillful reason for this is that if y'all are drawing multiple frames of blitheness or multiple panels of a manga it will but be as well time consuming to draw anything overly detailed.

A good approach to cartoon anime pilus is to split it into several different parts such as the forepart, sides and back/top (every bit will be shown for each hairstyle beneath).

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

How to Depict Anime Characters Tutorial

For more than on cartoon anime hair you can also see:

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

Cartoon Long Anime Hair

Anime long hair drawing breakdown
Anime long pilus drawing breakdown

Long direct pilus is probably ane of the about common hairstyles in anime and is fairly easy to depict.

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

  • Red – Front Pilus
  • Dark-green – Side Pilus
  • Blueish – Dorsum/Top Hair

You tin utilize a similar breakdown to drawing other hairstyles as well. Thinking of the hair this way tin make the cartoon procedure a lot easier to manage.

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

Anime long hair step by step drawing
Anime long hair footstep by step drawing

Stride ane

Get-go by first making a drawing of the caput and an indication of the hairline. While in this item hairstyle the hairline is less important every bit information technology's full covered by the pilus it tin still help you better judge the overall length and position of the forepart and side pilus sections. Make the caput/hairline drawing adequately light and then you tin can hands erase parts of information technology later.

Footstep 2

Draw the hair right over the meridian of the head and hairline as in the instance above.

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

Make the "side hair" fairly long with it's overall shape slightly curved. Y'all can likewise divide it into several smaller clumps towards the ends.

Draw the top part o the "back hair" pretty much following the shape of the head (a bit of a distance away from it) and then widening until information technology'due south finally hidden behind the shoulders.

Pace three

Erase the parts of the head hidden by the hair and add a few lines to show the inner folds of the front and back pilus. You will generally want to position these folds in between the hair clumps every bit that is where these will unremarkably tend to form in real hair.

Step 4

Side by side add some folds in the "back pilus" to give a bit more definition of it's shape besides so that it does not merely look similar a flat cut out.

You tin can also add some bones shading to brand the hair stand out a little bit more once yous terminate the line cartoon.

Cartoon Brusk Anime Hair

Anime short hair drawing breakdown
Anime brusk hair drawing breakup

The brusk pilus drawing example above is fairly like to the long hair with the pilus again broken down into 3 basic parts of front, sides and back.

The actual breakdown of the drawing process tin can exist as follows:

Anime short hair step by step drawing
Anime short hair stride past step drawing

Step 1

Again starting time the short hair cartoon with the head and hairline. Aforementioned equally the previous example the hairline will not be as important here equally information technology is in other hair styles but tin can still be helpful.

Pace 2

Yet again very like to the long pilus draw the "forepart hair" section with a ready of pocket-size clumps. For this particular example the hair will be a bit more messy so the clumps will curve more in different directions. If you want neater looking hair you can depict them the aforementioned equally the showtime instance.

Step iii

Aforementioned every bit before erase whatsoever parts of the head hidden past the pilus and draw the bottom portion of the dorsum hair. By and large it'southward a good idea to leave this department of the hair for the last function of the line drawing as in the front end view of the head it will be in the back behind well-nigh of the other parts of the hair. If y'all try and draw it get-go you without the other hair to sort of "frame" its position you volition probably terminate upwardly with some overlapping lines and have to do extra erasing.

Stride 4

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

Drawing Trimmed Anime Hair (Hime Cut)

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

For trimmed pilus draw the hair dodder with apartment ends that look like they've been cutting off by sissors.

For a great look the different hair clumps should generally be drawn pointing in the same direction as the clumps next to them and any shifts in management should be gradual.

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

Step 1

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

Step 2

For the initial drawing of the bodily pilus you tin can start with the sides followed by the back. You can indicate the forepart department of the hair with simply i line.

Step three

Now draw in some small splits into the front and side parts of of the hair to make them look more natural. Erase the line in between the splits when y'all are washed. You tin can also erase any parts of the head that are covered by the hair.

Step four

Finally once more similar to the first instance add some lines to the pilus in the back to bear witness it'southward various inner folds. Endeavour and depict these with fairly random spacing and slightly varying curves. If you space everything evenly and brand all the curves trace ane another too closely the hair will non expect very natural.

Drawing Long Messy Anime Hair

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

The long messy pilus is somewhat similar to the first example just with some actress hair clumps. Again it tin can be divided upwards into three parts like all the other examples and so far.

Describe the long messy hair as follows:

Anime messy hair step by step drawing
Anime messy hair stride by pace cartoon

Step 1

As the other examples commencement by showtime drawing the caput and hairline. Cartoon the hairline will assist yous make sure that none of the splits between the hair clumps for the "front hair" go as well far up.

Step two

To make the hair look more than messy draw the front hair clumps pointing into different directions and of varying shapes and curves. You tin can draw some that are wavy and some that juts bend in one direction.

Describe the very middle portion of these clumps reaching further down. You tin can do the same with the outer clumps on the sides of the front end department. This will again give more than of an impression of hair that has not been well groomed.

Step 3

Now draw in some additional pilus clumps randomly sticking out of the back sections of the pilus. This will make the otherwise neat looking dorsum hair look messy besides. You tin also add a pair (or more) clumps to the inner parts of the "side hair". You can either erase the outlines of the hair where y'all desire to draw these or add them and erase the overlapping outline later on. Adjacent you can add in some split lines in between the hair clumps same as some of the other examples. To finish the line cartoon over again erase the parts of the face and head that are covered by the hair afterwards.

Footstep four

Equally this example as well has long dorsum hair you can once again draw in some of it'south inner folds to make that department look more like actual hair. You tin also make them a bit more than wavy than the other examples to again make the hair wait more than messy.

Drawing Anime Pony Tail /Tied Back Hair

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

Another adequately common anime hairstyle is the ponytail. You volition observe that there is basically no side pilus in this item case (other than the tiny $.25 of the hairline on the sides). So the hair tin can pretty much just exist splits into the front and dorsum sections. The back consisting of the hair 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 step by step drawing

Step i

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

Step two

You can pretty much frame the front hair for this hairstyle with merely 3 curves. Two for the sides and one for the bottom. As mentioned there is very niggling side hair in this example as the hair is pulled back revealing parts of the hairline.

Depict the back hair just slightly over top of the head eventually merging into the sides.

Though usually pony tails will face directly backwards for anime pilus you can draw it slightly more to one side so that it's shape is more visible. Otherwise the pony tail tin can just look like a bump on the caput. You tin draw the pony tail with a sort of question mark like shape. You can also add a minor split at the end.

Footstep three

Aforementioned as for the "Hime Cut" draw in some pocket-sized splits into the forepart section of the hair and erase parts of the bottom line of the "front end hair" to brand spaces in between them. Also erase the parts of the head hidden by the hair.

Step 4

You can again give the hair some lite shading if y'all like. Y'all tin can also optionally depict in a few more than lines into the hair to brand it look a little more than split up than the "Hime Cut" which tends to accept more dense "front hair".

Cartoon Anime Hair Over One Center

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

For the hairstyle with hair over i eye you tin can withal again split the hair into the front, sides and back. In this style the front department of the hair 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 heart stride by step drawing

Step i

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

Step 2

For this particular hairstyle draw the front pilus clumps going far enough down the confront to fully cover one eye. For the "side hair" you can depict 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 caput as they become down eventually sticking out in clumps to each side.

Step iii

For the very lesser section of the front hair draw a few small clumps sticking out around the meridian of the neck area. Erase any overlapping lines from the head that should be subconscious by the hair when you lot are done.

Pace 4

To wrap up the cartoon you can again add a few lines to prove 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 breakup

The pigtails are another very common way of anime hair. Same as the ponytail example you can see that this particular drawing can pretty much be cleaved downwardly into the front end and back section of the hair. With the "dorsum hair" split into the pilus roofing the head and the pigtails. There are actually merely tiny bits of actual "side pilus".

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

Stride 1

Draw the head and the hairline. In this example a large section of the hairline volition be visible in the final drawing. It will as well help us identify the front section of the hair.

Pace 2

Though nigh of the hair in this particular case volition be pulled back you lot can depict some clumps for the front section of the hair to just one side to make the hairstyle look a little scrap more than interesting.

As already mentioned in that location will pretty much be no side hair other than the tiny bits around the top of the ears. Draw the top/dorsum department of the hair blending into that side hair.

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

Stride three

Now add some random pilus clumps sticking out from the pigtails to make them expect a little more interesting and erase any overlapping lines that this creates. Besides erase the outline of the head where it'south subconscious by the hair.

Step 4

Add a few more lines to signal 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 front, side and back pilus. The front end section of the hair however is a footling different from the previous examples.

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

Step 1

Draw the head and hairline. The hairline in this instance will exist peculiarly useful for placing the front end part 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 draw two curves going downwards towards the "side hair".

This volition be the "front pilus" tucked underneath the sides which will be combed downwardly over top of it. Draw the dorsum hair with a fairly obvious split up in the middle with two curves going in each direction. This will help show that the hair has sort of been neatly combed to each side.

Step 3

Add together some pocket-sized hair clumps for the bottom background hair.

Step 4

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

Drawing Curly Anime Hair

Anime curly hair drawing breakdown
Anime curly hair drawing breakdown

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

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

Step 1

Start the cartoon the the head and hairline sketch.

Step 2

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

The "side pilus in this example will be completely curled. You tin can start 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 hair below.

To draw the actual curls get-go draw the parts of them that are in the foreground. You tin can sort of recall of them as a cone that's been sliced on an angle and pulled apart.

Step 3

Now erase whatsoever parts of the head hidden by the pilus to avert confusion and add together the background lines of the pilus curls. You can think of these as the front parts filled over.

Finally yous can draw some splits at the finish of each curl.

Step four

For the concluding stride yous can draw a picayune squiggle of hair hanging downwards from the center of the front end department 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 show that the hair is curly.

Drawing Anime Hair Buns

Anime hair buns drawing breakdown
Anime hair buns drawing breakup

The hair bun's are somewhat more than rare but however popular manner of anime pilus. This style can also be carve up into the front, side and back hair.

You tin can draw the hair buns hairstyle as described below:

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

Step one

One time again start the cartoon with the head and hairline.

Stride 2

Depict the "front end pilus" in small-scale clumps pointing towards the middle of the confront and the sides aforementioned as well-nigh of the other examples.

Describe the "side pilus" with light 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 role of it hidden behind the "back pilus".

Footstep 3

For this step just erase the parts of the head that are hidden by the hair

Stride 4

Describe some o the inner curves of the pilus bun. You can pretty much depict these at random just try and somewhat follow the outer bend of the bun with at least a few lines. This volition aid create that sort of "ball of yarn" look that hair buns tend to have.

Drawing Short Messy Anime Pilus

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

The short messy pilus is again easy to split into the forepart, side, and dorsum sections.

You can draw it in the post-obit steps:

Anime short messy hair step by step drawing
Anime brusque messy hair step past step cartoon

Step 1

Same as other examples describe the caput and hairline to start.

Stride 2

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

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

Draw the groundwork hair with a slightly split to one side and the ii curves that come out of information technology eventually transitioning into hair clumps on each side of the head.

Stride three

Now add a pair of wavy clumps to the upper split 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 you lot add the clumps and erase whatever parts of the head/face lines covered by the hair.

Pace 4

Add the bottom portion of the groundwork hair cartoon in pocket-sized clumps pretty much the aforementioned equally the other shorter hair examples in this tutorial.

Cartoon Short/Depression Anime Pigtails

Anime short low pigtails drawing breakdown
Anime brusque depression pigtails cartoon breakdown

For the final example of anime hair in this tutorial we accept the brusque/low pigtails. Equally most other examples in this tutorial these can again be separate into the sides, front and dorsum/top hair.

Draw this particular hairstyle as follows:

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

Step i

Start past cartoon the head and hairline as all the other examples.

Step 2

Add together the front section of the hair start as in this example information technology will be sticking out a little more to the sides overlapping the side sections. Draw the "front hair splitting into adequately small clumps and do the same for the ends of the "side pilus".

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

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

Stride 3

Clean upward the drawing past erasing the parts of the caput hidden by the hair.

Step four

Add some lines to show the heads inner curves and fold. In this example merely ane for the front pilus clump.

Hair Highlights

Pilus highlights can actually make pilus stand out even without any boosted complex shading and are fairly like shooting fish in a barrel to add.

For drawing them check out:

Different Ways to Draw Anime Hair Highlights

Determination

When drawing hair it tin can exist very helpful to organize information technology into separate sections. Not but will this help you get a meliorate grip on how to draw it but information technology volition also allow you to more easily alter the hairstyle by changing its various parts. For more hairstyles y'all tin experiment past mixing dissimilar parts of the front, side, and back sections of the hair in this tutorial or by adding entirely new designs.

For shading these hairstyles encounter:

How to Shade Anime Pilus Step past Step

For more on cartoon anime and manga fashion pilus run into:

  • How to Draw Anime Hair Blowing in Different Directions
  • How to Depict Anime Hair in iii/4 View Footstep past Step
  • How to Draw Wet Anime Hair Step by Step

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

How to Draw an Anime Girl's Caput and Face up

For drawing hats and head ware run across:

How to Draw Anime Hats & Head Ware

This tutorial has been almost completely redone and updated with new art but you can see the former examples beneath.

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