Q&A for How to Draw an Anime Character

When drawing hair, remember that hair doesn't always hug the skull. Try to make it look fluffy by having it extend over the sides of the face. Also, don't try to draw every single strand; basic outlines or "clumps" works better. Lastly, consider making the hair appear more dynamic by drawing it blowing slightly to one side.

Draw them together, instead of finishing one side before moving to the other. Lightly sketch out all your shapes first to ensure symmetry before getting too far into pieces of your drawing.

The best way to improve is to keep practicing. You can watch anime to get an idea of how anime characters look. Another way to improve is to draw with friends, so they can give you new tips and techniques.

Totally! It will take some time and a lot of practice to get good, but think how great you'll be by the time you're an adult if you start now!

The best trick for drawing hands well is to study your own hands first. Notice the shape, color, texture, angles, etc. Draw your hand in dozens of different positions and in different lighting. This isn't a shortcut, per se, but it's an exercise that will improve your drawing.

Come up with a story first. Then, you'll need the ability to draw out that story. If you need any more help, you can go to any book store and find manga to give you a look on how a good story is written out. Or, borrow some manga from your library. Keep practicing, as it can take time to get all the pieces sorted.

Draw light, curved lines near places like the sleeves, the bottom of the shirt, and near the inside of the pant legs.

It probably won't look great because you don't want anything else covering the drawing, but if it's the only paper you have, then use it.

You can draw the hair however you'd like to for your character. If you want to make it more realistic, maybe add a few curls or stray hairs.

Check the grade you want to buy online or on in your favorite local art supply store's website. If you cannot find the grade, ask the retailer to supply it. If they cannot, then try a different retailer who knows their paper grades.

I would recommend that you first draw the hood. Then, draw lines inside the hood for a shaded look.

Have one of your friends model the pose while you draw it so you can see where to position everything.

Start with the ones you want front and center. You can add more characters behind these ones simply by drawing them as if they were on their own, except slightly to one side of a character, lightly drawing any lines that are going to overlap the first ones and erasing them later.

You probably just need some practice. No one's drawings look perfect the first time.

Draw a number 6. Add a head with cat ears. Fill in details (eyes, mouth, whiskers, etc.).

For the arms, first draw a line in the position you want them to be in, and then add circles where the joints are. (They should be about as wide as you want your arms to be). When you are satisfied with their positioning, simply connect the circles and add hands. Use the same method for the legs. For the torso, start off with an hourglass or rectangular shape and refine it as you add in more detail.

If you're drawing an existing anime character, you could study some pictures of your anime character's clothes online and copy those. If you're creating your character from scratch, I would recommend reading through wikiHow's article on drawing clothing to help you.

Of course! Just round the chin, add doe-like eyes, and rounded shoulders.

Try focusing on where the light would be coming from. If it was coming from the top left hand corner, whatever is facing closest would have lighter shading. Practice makes perfect. There are plenty of videos on YouTube if you want to see some examples of shading.

Study your own feet. Look at the different details, but don't try to draw each and every one. Focus on the overall shape and structure of your feet and try to copy those qualities onto your character.

Look for inspiration. There are different ways to make fancy costumes. Check out Victorian dresses and steampunk-inspired garments. Grab different attributes and give the dress your own style.

Try drawing the body first. Then add a few more lines at a time on it until you're satisfied, and add accessories to your character at the end.

You can make the eyes look downwards, and make the hair fall down (unless the character's hair is tied up). Also you could show more of the top of the head.

I like to first draw a circle, and then add the chin with a sort of upside down triangle shape. Then just draw and erase until you find the right shape for your character.

A realistic nose is not generally put on an anime character, but if you are drawing a more realistic drawing, study a picture of a face in the lighting you want. Draw the shadows without drawing any really defined lines, and your nose will look more realistic. On an anime character, the nose is generally a small line or two when facing front.

It's probably not your age. Older people tend to have better skills with something like this because they've been drawing all their lives so they've had years and years of practice. Keep practicing, and try different styles. The one you're drawing in now may not be the right one for you. There are a lot of tutorials on YouTube for drawing in the anime/manga style.

The same as you'd draw a realistic one, just with less details. You can also search the internet for references to base your drawing off of.

Of course you can! I used to be horrible, and my friends made fun of me as well. Trying to draw better is no easy feat, but if you continue to practice and edit your drawings with an eraser, you will get better. Don't listen to anybody who tells you that you can't do something. Prove them wrong!

Honestly, I would learn to draw whole bodies first. Learning how to draw faces is good, but in the long run, I think bodies can be more difficult. (Knowing how to draw a body can also make it easier to get the details and proportions of the face right.)

Focus on where you want light to be coming from and start shading lightly from there, getting darker as you spread outwards.