Step 1: Create the Basic Structure of the Face
First, you will create the general composition of the character’s face. While artists have varying preferences about how to structure an anime character’s head and face, they all start with the same basic principle: First draw a circle, and then draw a horizontal line and vertical line directly through the center of the circle.
Generally, you will draw the eyes on or just below the horizontal line and the mouth at the bottom of the circle, with the nose placed between the eyes and the mouth. The chin will extend down below the circle.
Step 2: Add Facial Features
Now that you understand the general placement of the facial features, you can draw them in detail.
Eyes
Anime characters are known for their eyes, so here’s how to draw anime girl eyes step by step for beginners. Start by sketching a curved upper eyelid, then draw a short line extending down from the outer corner of the eye. Leave the inner corner of the eye open for a softer look. Then, add a circle in the middle of the eye as the iris. Draw a smaller circle—the pupil—in the middle of the iris.
To create primary and secondary light reflections, add in one or two additional circles within the iris. When you fill in the pupil, shade the top portion darker, creating a gradient as you move down through the shape. Make sure to leave the light reflections white. Finally, add eyelashes to the top and bottom lid. Of course, there are many alternative ways to draw anime eyes, so make sure to experiment and find your unique style.
Nose and Mouth
The character’s nose and mouth will typically be much smaller and simpler than the eyes. The nose, for instance, may just be two small lines that represent the nostrils. Similarly, the mouth may be a simple curved line.
Step 3: Draw the Hair
When learning to draw anime for beginners, there are a couple of options for how to draw the hair. Some artists opt to use dramatic, angular styles, while others prefer a more flowy, free-form style.
To create the flowing style in the example below, start by using quick, light-handed lines to draw bangs down to the eyes. Then, begin drawing the rest of the hair to frame the face. At the top of the head, make sure the hair extends above the initial circle you drew. In other words, the hair shouldn’t lay flat on the scalp, but have volume above the character’s head.
As you draw more characters, experiment with other types of anime hairstyles for both male and female characters.
Step 4: Add the Body
Next, we’ll explore how to draw anime girl body step by step for beginners. The body anatomy starts with a few simple shapes: a rectangle for the chest, an oval for the hips, and small circles for the shoulders and leg joints.
From there, fill in the shape of the upper body, connecting the rib cage down to the hips, creating a waist. Next, you will draw the legs, which should be approximately the same length as the character’s entire upper body, from the top of the head to the waist.
Finally, add in the arms. A good rule of thumb is to align the elbow with the character’s waist, and then extend the rest of the arm (including the hand) to about mid-thigh.
Step 5: Add Details and Ink the Drawing
At this point, you will have a full-body sketch of your anime character. Now, you can add details such as clothes and shoes. When you’re satisfied with the drawing, finalize it by going over the lines in ink. While you will mostly ink with a black pen, it can also be helpful to have a white jelly pen on hand—you can use this to add highlights, like the reflection points in the character’s eyes. You may also choose to add additional colors with colored pencils or medium of your choice.