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This tutorial will show you how to draw male and female anime hair. Anime hair is what makes anime heroes unique and beautiful – as with real humans, it's the crowning beauty. Let's begin!

Method 1
Method 1 of 6:

Male Anime Hair

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  2. Try drawing simple chunks of the hairstyle you want.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 6:

Female Anime Hair

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  1. For most female characters, the hair is usually longer.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 6:

Male Manga Hair

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  1. You can draw zigzag lines along the head, or pointed angles for your hair.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 6:

Female Manga Hair

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  1. Try drawing simple long slanted and curved lines of the hairstyle you want.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 6:

Alternative Male Anime Hair

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  1. Add details for the face.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 6:

Alternative Female Anime Hair

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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Are there hair types that look like they are evil?
    Community Answer
    You could use the shadow of the hair to fall over the eyes giving it a gloomy look. Spiked hair can look evil sometimes. Slicked, oily hair can give the impression of being greasy in character as well as in hair. Check out cartoon character and movie villains for an idea of what might work.
  • Question
    Why do I need to draw the head?
    Community Answer
    It is not exactly necessary, but solely drawing hair floating in the air is an image which is rarely drawn. Even for the purpose of practicing how to draw hair you should draw it with head so you get a feeling how hair, face, eyes and so on work together, so that your "real" drawings have a realistic and good looking outcome.
  • Question
    What are some mistakes people commonly make with the hair?
    Community Answer
    It's your choice what you want the hair to look like, there is no right or wrong. One thing you might want to look out for is not making the hair too flat, try to emulate human hair. Human hair has volume.
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      Tips

      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • Draw different kinds of hair for different personalities. For example, in Adachi Avenue (an original comic of mine), there's a funny witch with pigtails, an immature grim reaper with a youthful hairstyle, and a sweet, creative mummy girl with a short pixie cut, almost a boy's haircut.
      • Make the main shape of the hair first and don't worry about the details straightaway. You can go back and put those in later after you perfect the shape.
      • Try tracing a few anime characters with cool hair to get started. It can help you get a feel for it.
      • Have confidence when you draw the lineart. Confidence is key to creating good hair designs!
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      Things You'll Need

      • Paper
      • Pencil
      • Pencil sharpener
      • Eraser
      • Colored pencils, crayons, markers, watercolors, felt tip pen or Copic pens.
      • Brush
      • Reference image

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To draw anime hair, start by sketching the shape of your character’s head. Sketch a line where you want their hairline to be, usually about halfway between the brow line and the top of the head. Next, pencil in the character’s hair using simple lines and curves. In general, the hair should follow the natural curves of the head, but don’t be afraid to give your character spiky hair that sticks up or the occasional ahoge (cowlick of flyaway hair) to make their hairstyle more interesting. Don’t worry about drawing every individual strand—just add a few lines or spikes here and there to suggest the shape of the locks and the texture of the hair. Experiment with giving your character bangs that hang over their eyes or hair that’s brushed back away from their forehead, depending on the look you’re going for. You can also try giving your character a ponytail or braids if you like. When you’re done, erase the hairline, the outlines of the character’s head shape, and any other parts of the head and face that are covered by the hair. If you want, color the hair in and add some highlights.

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      Reader Success Stories

      • Bhuvika Singh

        Apr 2, 2023

        "Well Im awful at drawing anime/manga hair, so after searching for a minute or two I found this article. I used it ..." more
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