This tutorial illustrates how to draw anime and manga pilus with twelve pace past step drawings of common anime and manga hairstyles for a female character.

Drawing Anime & Manga Hair

Anime hair different hairstyles drawing examples
Anime pilus with different hairstyles drawing examples

Anime hair is oft based on real hairstyles but tends to exist drawn in clumps rather than private strands. One good reason for this is that if you are drawing multiple frames of blitheness or multiple panels of a manga it will merely be too time consuming to describe annihilation overly detailed.

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

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

How to Draw Anime Characters Tutorial

For more than on drawing anime pilus you lot can also come across:

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

Drawing Long Anime Hair

Anime long hair drawing breakdown
Anime long hair cartoon breakdown

Long straight pilus is probably i of the well-nigh mutual hairstyles in anime and is fairly easy to draw.

Above you tin can come across the breakdown of the long hair drawing instance into:

  • Red – Front Hair
  • Green – Side Hair
  • Blue – Back/Top Pilus

You can apply a similar breakdown to cartoon other hairstyles as well. Thinking of the pilus this mode can brand the cartoon procedure a lot easier to manage.

Keeping this in listen we can move on to the bodily drawing process.

Anime long hair step by step drawing
Anime long hair step by step cartoon

Step 1

Starting time past beginning making a cartoon of the head and an indication of the hairline. While in this particular hairstyle the hairline is less important equally information technology's total covered past the hair it tin can still aid you better estimate the overall length and position of the forepart and side pilus sections. Make the head/hairline cartoon adequately light so you can easily erase parts of it later.

Step 2

Depict the hair right over the superlative of the caput and hairline equally in the case in a higher place.

For this particular hairstyle where the front section of the pilus has been cut fairly short y'all can draw it in relatively small-scale pointy clumps.

Make the "side hair" adequately long with information technology's overall shape slightly curved. You can besides split information technology into several smaller clumps towards the ends.

Draw the tiptop part o the "dorsum hair" pretty much following the shape of the caput (a bit of a distance away from it) and then widening until it'south finally hidden behind the shoulders.

Step 3

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

Footstep 4

Next add together some folds in the "back hair" to give a bit more definition of it's shape equally well so that it does not merely expect like a flat cut out.

You can too add some bones shading to make the hair stand out a trivial flake more one time yous end the line drawing.

Drawing Short Anime Hair

Anime short hair drawing breakdown
Anime short hair drawing breakup

The short pilus drawing instance in a higher place is fairly similar to the long hair with the hair once more broken downwards into three basic parts of front, sides and back.

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

Anime short hair step by step drawing
Anime short pilus step by pace drawing

Pace 1

Again showtime the short hair cartoon with the head and hairline. Same as the previous instance the hairline will not be as of import hither as information technology is in other pilus styles simply can still be helpful.

Pace 2

Even so again very similar to the long hair draw the "forepart hair" department with a set of pocket-size clumps. For this detail example the hair will be a bit more messy so the clumps volition curve more in dissimilar directions. If y'all want neater looking hair you can draw them the aforementioned as the kickoff example.

Stride iii

Same every bit before erase any parts of the head hidden by the hair and depict the bottom portion of the dorsum hair. More often than not it's a good thought to leave this section of the hair for the last part of the line drawing every bit in the front view of the head it will be in the back behind most of the other parts of the hair. If you attempt and depict it start yous without the other hair to sort of "frame" its position y'all will probably end up with some overlapping lines and have to practice extra erasing.

Pace 4

Add the inner fords (merely one in this example) and if y'all similar, some basic shading.

Drawing Trimmed Anime Pilus (Hime Cut)

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

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

For a dandy await the different pilus clumps should generally be drawn pointing in the aforementioned management as the clumps next to them and whatever shifts in direction should be gradual.

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

Step one

Start by cartoon the pilus and indicating the hairline. For the "Hime Cut" the hairline volition again be covered by the hair.

Step 2

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

Step 3

At present draw in some small splits into the front end and side parts of of the pilus to make them look more natural. Erase the line in betwixt the splits when you are washed. Y'all tin also erase whatever parts of the caput that are covered by the pilus.

Stride 4

Finally again similar to the first case add some lines to the hair in the back to show it's diverse inner folds. Endeavour and describe these with adequately random spacing and slightly varying curves. If you space everything evenly and make all the curves trace i some other too closely the pilus will not expect very natural.

Drawing Long Messy Anime Hair

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

The long messy hair is somewhat similar to the commencement case but with some extra pilus clumps. Again it can be divided up into three parts similar all the other examples so far.

Draw the long messy hair as follows:

Anime messy hair step by step drawing
Anime messy hair footstep past footstep drawing

Step i

As the other examples start by beginning cartoon the head and hairline. Cartoon the hairline volition help yous make certain that none of the splits betwixt the hair clumps for the "front hair" go besides far up.

Step 2

To brand the hair wait more messy describe 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 one direction.

Draw the very middle portion of these clumps reaching farther down. You can do the aforementioned with the outer clumps on the sides of the front end section. This will again give more of an impression of hair that has not been well groomed.

Step 3

Now describe in some additional hair clumps randomly sticking out of the back sections of the pilus. This volition make the otherwise great looking back hair wait messy equally well. You lot tin also add a pair (or more than) clumps to the inner parts of the "side pilus". You can either erase the outlines of the hair where you lot desire to draw these or add them and erase the overlapping outline afterwards. Side by side y'all tin add in some separate lines in between 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 afterward.

Footstep iv

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

Drawing Anime Pony Tail /Tied Back Hair

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

Another fairly mutual anime hairstyle is the ponytail. You will notice that at that place is basically no side pilus in this particular example (other than the tiny bits of the hairline on the sides). So the hair can pretty much merely be splits into the front and dorsum sections. The back consisting of the hair over the peak of the caput and the pony tail.

Draw this type of hair as follows:

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

Footstep ane

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

Pace 2

You can pretty much frame the forepart pilus for this hairstyle with just three curves. Two for the sides and i for the bottom. As mentioned there is very little side pilus in this example as the hair is pulled back revealing parts of the hairline.

Draw the back hair but slightly over meridian of the caput eventually merging into the sides.

Though usually pony tails will face directly backwards for anime hair y'all tin can describe it slightly more to one side and so that information technology'due south shape is more than visible. Otherwise the pony tail tin just look like a bump on the head. You can draw the pony tail with a sort of question marker like shape. You tin as well add together a small split at the cease.

Step three

Same as for the "Hime Cut" draw in some small splits into the front section of the hair and erase parts of the bottom line of the "front hair" to make spaces in betwixt them. Also erase the parts of the caput hidden past the hair.

Step 4

You lot can once more requite the hair some light shading if y'all like. You can too optionally draw in a few more than lines into the hair to make it wait a little more split up than the "Hime Cut" which tends to have more dense "front hair".

Drawing Anime Hair Over Ane Eye

Anime hair over one eye drawing
Anime hair over one eye cartoon

For the hairstyle with hair over one center you can yet once more split the pilus into the front, sides and back. In this manner the front section of the pilus will be fairly big and sort of merge into the "side hair" next to the covered eye.

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

Pace ane

Depict the caput and the hairline same as the other examples.

Step 2

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

Draw the back hair split into tow curves that pretty much hug the shape of the caput as they get down somewhen sticking out in clumps to each side.

Footstep three

For the very bottom section of the front hair depict a few pocket-sized clumps sticking out around the tiptop of the neck area. Erase any overlapping lines from the head that should be subconscious by the pilus when yous are done.

Step four

To wrap up the drawing yous can again add a few lines to prove some splits and curves of the pilus going from between the hair clumps.

Drawing Anime Pigtails

Anime pigtails hair drawing breakdown
Anime pigtails pilus drawing breakup

The pigtails are another very common style of anime hair. Aforementioned every bit the ponytail instance y'all can see that this particular drawing tin can pretty much exist broken downwardly into the front and dorsum section of the pilus. With the "back hair" split into the hair roofing the head and the pigtails. There are really simply tiny $.25 of actual "side hair".

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

Pace one

Draw the caput 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 section of the pilus.

Step ii

Though most of the hair in this item example will exist pulled back you can depict some clumps for the forepart section of the pilus to just i side to brand the hairstyle look a piddling scrap more interesting.

As already mentioned at that place volition pretty much exist no side hair other than the tiny bits around the peak of the ears. Draw the top/dorsum section of the pilus 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 one being flipped over.

Step 3

Now add some random hair clumps sticking out from the pigtails to make them await a little more than interesting and erase any overlapping lines that this creates. Also erase the outline of the head where it's hidden by the hair.

Step 4

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

Cartoon Neatly Combed Anime Pilus

Anime neatly combed hair drawing
Anime neatly combed hair drawing

This hairstyle can again be divide into iii parts with the front, side and back pilus. The front section of the hair however is a little different from the previous examples.

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

Step ane

Draw the caput and hairline. The hairline in this instance will be particularly useful for placing the front end part of the hair.

Step ii

Draw the side sections of the hair with steady cures somewhat hugging the shape of the confront. Roughly from the middle of the hairline draw two curves going down towards the "side hair".

This will be the "front hair" tucked underneath the sides which will be combed down over summit of it. Depict the back hair with a fairly obvious split in the eye 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 some small hair clumps for the bottom groundwork hair.

Step 4

Finally you can add together a little clump of hair hanging down from the middle of the forepart section of the pilus. As sometimes the hair in that area will be to short to exist tucked under the sides and role'south of information technology may hang down. This will make the hairstyle look a little more natural and interesting. Finally add some fold lines to the front sections of the hair going to the sides to assist show that the hair is tucked underneath at that place.

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 again be dissever into the front sides and back with the front hair being similar to the previous case.

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

Step ane

Start the drawing the the caput and hairline sketch.

Step two

From the hairline draw two lines going towards the sides of the head to indicate the forepart hair. To bear witness that the hair is curly you tin depict these lines in light waves.

The "side hair in this example will be completely curled. You can start draw some lines at the base of the curves to betoken the volume of the hair that will then transition into the sort of "spires" of hair beneath.

To draw the bodily curls offset draw the parts of them that are in the foreground. Yous tin can sort of think of them as a cone that'due south been sliced on an bending and pulled apart.

Step 3

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

Finally you tin can describe some splits at the terminate of each curl.

Step iv

For the last step you lot can depict a little squiggle of hair hanging downwardly from the centre of the front end section and add some lines to the bottom of the background pilus to indicate some inner folds. Make these lines more 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 cartoon breakdown

The pilus bun'south are somewhat more rare simply withal popular style of anime pilus. This style can also be separate into the forepart, side and back hair.

You can draw the hair buns hairstyle equally described below:

Anime hair buns step by step drawing
Anime hair buns stride past step drawing

Step ane

Once more first the drawing with the caput and hairline.

Pace 2

Draw the "front pilus" in small clumps pointing towards the middle of the face up and the sides same every bit most of the other examples.

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

Make the "back pilus" pretty much curve around the shape of the head.

Finally describe the actual hair buns with somewhat of an oval shape for each with office of information technology hidden backside the "back hair".

Step 3

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

Step iv

Draw some o the inner curves of the hair bun. You can pretty much draw these at random but endeavour and somewhat follow the outer bend of the bun with at least a few lines. This will assistance create that sort of "brawl of yarn" look that pilus buns tend to take.

Cartoon Short Messy Anime Hair

Anime short messy hair drawing breakdown
Anime brusque messy hair cartoon breakup

The short messy hair is again easy to divide into the front, side, and back sections.

You can draw it in the following steps:

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

Step 1

Same as other examples depict the caput and hairline to commencement.

Step 2

Depict 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 background pilus with a slightly split to one side and the 2 curves that come up out of it eventually transitioning into hair clumps on each side of the head.

Step iii

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

Step 4

Add the bottom portion of the background pilus drawing in small clumps pretty much the same every bit the other shorter hair examples in this tutorial.

Drawing Short/Low Anime Pigtails

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

For the final example of anime hair in this tutorial we take the short/depression pigtails. As most other examples in this tutorial these can again exist split into the sides, front and back/height pilus.

Draw this particular hairstyle equally follows:

Anime short low pigtails hair step by step drawing
Anime short depression pigtails hair step past step cartoon

Step 1

Start by drawing the head and hairline equally all the other examples.

Footstep ii

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

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

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

Pace 3

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

Pace iv

Add together some lines to testify the heads inner curves and fold. In this instance just one for the front end hair clump.

Hair Highlights

Hair highlights can really make hair stand up out even without any additional complex shading and are adequately easy to add together.

For cartoon them check out:

Different Ways to Draw Anime Hair Highlights

Decision

When drawing hair it can be very helpful to organize it into divide sections. Not only will this help you become a better grip on how to describe it but it volition also allow y'all to more easily alter the hairstyle by irresolute its diverse parts. For more hairstyles you can experiment by mixing unlike parts of the front, side, and dorsum sections of the hair in this tutorial or by adding entirely new designs.

For shading these hairstyles see:

How to Shade Anime Hair Pace past Step

For more on drawing anime and manga style hair meet:

  • How to Draw Anime Hair Blowing in Different Directions
  • How to Depict Anime Hair in 3/4 View Step past Step
  • How to Draw Moisture Anime Hair Step by Step

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

How to Draw an Anime Daughter'southward Head and Face

For drawing hats and head ware see:

How to Draw Anime Hats & Head Ware

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

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