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

Drawing Anime & Manga Hair

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

Anime hair is often based on real hairstyles merely tends to exist drawn in clumps rather than individual strands. One proficient reason for this is that if you lot are drawing multiple frames of blitheness or multiple panels of a manga it will only be also time consuming to describe anything overly detailed.

A practiced approach to cartoon anime pilus is to split information technology into several different parts such as the front, sides and dorsum/summit (equally volition be shown for each hairstyle below).

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

How to Draw Anime Characters Tutorial

For more on drawing anime hair you can also see:

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

Drawing Long Anime Hair

Anime long hair drawing breakdown
Anime long hair drawing breakdown

Long directly pilus is probably i of the nearly common hairstyles in anime and is fairly easy to describe.

Higher up you can encounter the breakdown of the long pilus drawing example into:

  • Red – Forepart Hair
  • Green – Side Hair
  • Blue – Dorsum/Tiptop Hair

Yous tin can apply a similar breakdown to drawing other hairstyles likewise. Thinking of the hair this way tin make the drawing process a lot easier to manage.

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

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

Step ane

Offset past offset making a drawing of the caput and an indication of the hairline. While in this particular hairstyle the hairline is less of import equally it'southward full covered by the hair it can notwithstanding help you better estimate the overall length and position of the front and side hair sections. Brand the head/hairline drawing fairly light and then you can easily erase parts of it later.

Step 2

Draw the hair right over the tiptop of the head and hairline as in the example above.

For this detail hairstyle where the front section of the hair has been cut adequately curt you tin can draw it in relatively minor pointy clumps.

Make the "side pilus" adequately long with it's overall shape slightly curved. You lot tin also split information technology into several smaller clumps towards the ends.

Depict the summit part o the "dorsum hair" pretty much following the shape of the caput (a bit of a altitude away from it) and and then widening until information technology'south finally hidden backside the shoulders.

Stride 3

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

Step 4

Adjacent add some folds in the "back hair" to give a bit more than definition of it'southward shape as well so that it does non just look like a flat cut out.

You can also add some bones shading to make the hair stand out a footling bit more once you finish the line drawing.

Drawing Short Anime Hair

Anime short hair drawing breakdown
Anime short hair drawing breakdown

The brusque pilus drawing example above is fairly similar to the long hair with the pilus once again broken down into three bones parts of front, sides and back.

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

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

Step 1

Once more start the short pilus drawing with the caput and hairline. Same as the previous example the hairline volition non be as important here every bit it is in other hair styles but tin can still be helpful.

Stride 2

Even so once more very similar to the long hair depict the "forepart hair" section with a set of small clumps. For this particular example the hair will be a fleck more messy so the clumps will curve more than in dissimilar directions. If you want neater looking hair yous can depict them the aforementioned as the start example.

Step 3

Aforementioned as before erase whatever parts of the head hidden by the pilus and draw the bottom portion of the dorsum hair. More often than not information technology'due south a good thought to leave this section of the hair for the last part of the line drawing as in the front view of the head it volition be in the back behind most of the other parts of the hair. If you attempt and draw it outset you without the other hair to sort of "frame" its position you will probably end up with some overlapping lines and have to do actress erasing.

Step 4

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

Drawing Trimmed Anime Pilus (Hime Cut)

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

For trimmed hair draw the hair clump with flat ends that look similar they've been cut off by sissors.

For a neat wait the different hair clumps should mostly exist drawn pointing in the same management as the clumps next to them and any shifts in direction should be gradual.

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

Step 1

Offset by drawing the hair and indicating the hairline. For the "Hime Cut" the hairline volition again be covered by the hair.

Stride 2

For the initial drawing of the actual pilus you can showtime with the sides followed by the dorsum. You can indicate the front section of the hair with but 1 line.

Step 3

At present draw in some small splits into the front and side parts of of the hair to make them expect more natural. Erase the line in betwixt the splits when you are done. You lot can likewise erase any parts of the head that are covered past the hair.

Step four

Finally again similar to the kickoff example add together some lines to the hair in the dorsum to show it's diverse inner folds. Try and draw these with fairly random spacing and slightly varying curves. If you space everything evenly and make all the curves trace one another too closely the pilus will not wait 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 first instance but with some extra hair clumps. Once again information technology tin can exist divided up into three parts similar all the other examples then far.

Draw the long messy hair as follows:

Anime messy hair step by step drawing
Anime messy pilus footstep by step drawing

Step 1

As the other examples offset by first drawing the head and hairline. Drawing the hairline will assist you lot make sure that none of the splits between the pilus clumps for the "front end hair" get too far up.

Pace 2

To brand the hair expect more than messy draw the front hair clumps pointing into different directions and of varying shapes and curves. You can draw some that are wavy and some that juts curve in 1 direction.

Depict the very middle portion of these clumps reaching further down. You tin do the same with the outer clumps on the sides of the front section. This will again requite more of an impression of pilus that has not been well clean-cut.

Footstep 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 back hair look messy as well. You can also add together a pair (or more) clumps to the inner parts of the "side hair". Yous can either erase the outlines of the hair where you want to depict these or add together them and erase the overlapping outline afterwards. Next you can add in some carve up lines in between the hair clumps aforementioned as some of the other examples. To finish the line drawing once again erase the parts of the face and head that are covered by the pilus afterwards.

Step 4

As this example besides has long dorsum hair you can again draw in some of it'southward inner folds to make that section await more than like actual pilus. Yous tin can also brand them a bit more than wavy than the other examples to again make the hair look more messy.

Drawing Anime Pony Tail /Tied Dorsum Hair

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

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

Draw this type of hair every bit follows:

Anime ponytail hair step by step drawing
Anime ponytail hair pace by stride drawing

Stride i

Describe the caput and betoken the hairline which for this hairstyle is slightly more important than the previous examples every bit some of it volition be visible in the final drawing as already shown.

Pace 2

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

Describe the back hair merely slightly over top of the head eventually merging into the sides.

Though usually pony tails volition confront directly backwards for anime hair you can depict information technology slightly more to i side and then that it'south shape is more visible. Otherwise the pony tail can just look like a bump on the head. You can draw the pony tail with a sort of question mark like shape. You can too add together a small split up at the end.

Step 3

Same as for the "Hime Cut" draw in some small splits into the front section of the hair and erase parts of the lesser line of the "forepart pilus" to make spaces in between them. Also erase the parts of the head hidden by the hair.

Step four

You tin again give the hair some light shading if you lot similar. You lot can also optionally draw in a few more lines into the hair to make information technology look a trivial 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 i eye drawing

For the hairstyle with hair over 1 centre you can yet again carve up the hair into the forepart, sides and back. In this manner the front section of the hair volition be adequately 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 1 center stride by step drawing

Step one

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

Step 2

For this particular hairstyle draw the front pilus clumps going far plenty downward the face to fully encompass ane eye. For the "side hair" you lot tin can describe the section on the side of the covered eye somewhat blending into the front hair.

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

Step iii

For the very bottom section of the front hair depict a few small-scale clumps sticking out around the superlative of the cervix area. Erase whatever overlapping lines from the head that should exist hidden by the hair when you lot are done.

Step four

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

Cartoon Anime Pigtails

Anime pigtails hair drawing breakdown
Anime pigtails hair drawing breakdown

The pigtails are another very common style of anime hair. Same equally the ponytail example you can see that this item drawing can pretty much be broken downwards into the front and dorsum department of the hair. With the "back hair" carve up into the pilus covering the head and the pigtails. There are really only tiny bits of actual "side hair".

Anime pigtails hair step by step drawing
Anime pigtails hair footstep by pace drawing

Step ane

Draw the head and the hairline. In this example a large section of the hairline will be visible in the concluding drawing. It volition also assistance us place the front end section of the hair.

Stride 2

Though near of the hair in this detail example will be pulled back yous tin can draw some clumps for the front section of the hair to just one side to make the hairstyle wait a fiddling scrap more interesting.

Every bit already mentioned there will pretty much be no side hair other than the tiny bits around the peak of the ears. Draw the top/back section of the hair blending into that side pilus.

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.

Pace iii

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

Pace 4

Add together a few more lines to indicate some folds in the pilus to the pigtails and optionally some shading.

Cartoon Neatly Combed Anime Hair

Anime neatly combed hair drawing
Anime neatly combed hair drawing

This hairstyle can again be carve up into three parts with the front, side and back pilus. The front department of the hair however is a little different from the previous examples.

Anime combed hair step by step drawing
Anime combed hair footstep by step drawing

Step 1

Draw the caput and hairline. The hairline in this example will be specially useful for placing the forepart function of the pilus.

Step ii

Depict the side sections of the hair with steady cures somewhat hugging the shape of the face up. Roughly from the middle of the hairline draw 2 curves going downwards towards the "side hair".

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

Pace three

Add some small hair clumps for the bottom background pilus.

Step iv

Finally you can add together a piddling clump of hair hanging downwardly from the middle of the front section of the hair. Every bit sometimes the pilus in that area will exist to short to be tucked under the sides and office'due south of it may hang down. This will make the hairstyle expect a little more natural and interesting. Finally add some fold lines to the front sections of the pilus going to the sides to assistance show that the hair is tucked underneath there.

Drawing Curly Anime Hair

Anime curly hair drawing breakdown
Anime curly pilus drawing breakdown

Curly pilus is probably the most challenging anime hairstyles to draw. This particular hairstyle tin can once more be split 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 pilus step by step drawing

Step 1

Start the drawing the the head and hairline sketch.

Step 2

From the hairline describe 2 lines going towards the sides of the head to point the forepart pilus. To evidence that the hair is curly you can draw these lines in calorie-free waves.

The "side pilus in this example volition be completely curled. Y'all can get-go depict some lines at the base 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 kickoff describe the parts of them that are in the foreground. You tin can sort of think of them as a cone that'due south been sliced on an angle and pulled apart.

Pace 3

At present erase any parts of the caput hidden by the hair to avert confusion and add the groundwork lines of the hair curls. You can recall of these as the front parts filled over.

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

Footstep 4

For the last footstep you can describe a little squiggle of hair hanging downwards from the heart of the forepart section and add some lines to the bottom of the background hair to indicate some inner folds. Brand 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 drawing breakdown

The hair bun's are somewhat more rare merely however pop mode of anime hair. This style can also exist split into the front end, side and back hair.

You can draw the hair buns hairstyle as described beneath:

Anime hair buns step by step drawing
Anime pilus buns step past step drawing

Stride 1

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

Step 2

Draw the "front end hair" in small clumps pointing towards the middle of the face and the sides same equally well-nigh of the other examples.

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

Make the "back hair" pretty much curve effectually the shape of the head.

Finally depict the actual hair buns with somewhat of an oval shape for each with part of it hidden backside the "back hair".

Step 3

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

Footstep 4

Draw some o the inner curves of the hair bun. You can pretty much describe these at random just endeavour and somewhat follow the outer curve of the bun with at least a few lines. This will assistance create that sort of "ball of yarn" expect that hair buns tend to have.

Drawing Short Messy Anime Hair

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

The short messy hair is once again piece of cake to split into the forepart, side, and back sections.

Y'all can draw it in the following steps:

Anime short messy hair step by step drawing
Anime curt messy pilus stride past step drawing

Pace 1

Same equally other examples describe the head and hairline to start.

Step 2

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

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

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

Footstep 3

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

Step 4

Add the bottom portion of the background hair drawing in minor 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 curt depression pigtails cartoon breakdown

For the final instance of anime hair in this tutorial we accept the curt/low pigtails. As most other examples in this tutorial these can again be split 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 depression pigtails hair footstep by footstep drawing

Stride 1

Start by drawing the head and hairline every bit all the other examples.

Pace two

Add the front section of the hair first as in this example it volition be sticking out a piffling more to the sides overlapping the side sections. Depict the "forepart pilus splitting into fairly small-scale 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 lesser of the caput with small-scale splits at their ends.

Footstep 3

Make clean upward the cartoon by erasing the parts of the head hidden by the hair.

Step 4

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

Pilus Highlights

Pilus highlights can really brand pilus stand up out even without any additional complex shading and are fairly easy to add.

For cartoon them check out:

Unlike Ways to Draw Anime Hair Highlights

Conclusion

When cartoon hair it can be very helpful to organize information technology into separate sections. Not just will this help you get a better grip on how to draw it merely it will too allow y'all to more easily alter the hairstyle by changing its various parts. For more hairstyles yous tin experiment by mixing different parts of the front, side, and back sections of the hair in this tutorial or by adding entirely new designs.

For shading these hairstyles run into:

How to Shade Anime Hair Pace by Stride

For more than on drawing anime and manga mode hair see:

  • How to Describe Anime Pilus Bravado in Different Directions
  • How to Draw Anime Hair in 3/iv View Step by Footstep
  • How to Describe Wet Anime Hair Step by Step

If y'all would similar 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 meet:

How to Draw Anime Hats & Head Ware

This tutorial has been near completely redone and updated with new art but yous can see the old examples below.

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