Buzz
When drawing an anime character you love or creating your own, you may find the body difficult to sketch. Characters vary in shape and size, but it's best to start by outlining the human body's proportions before adapting it into your unique design. Male and female body proportions are the same, though their shapes might differ slightly. With just a bit of practice, you'll be able to draw any anime character you want!
Steps
Sketching the Female Character's Body
Draw the head near the top of the page. Draw a circle at the center of the page, leaving enough space for the hair. The chin should be placed below the circle, slightly protruding outward because the jawline will be beneath it. Outline the jaw with curved lines on both sides meeting at the pointed chin, shaping the anime girl's sharp chin.
- Draw lightly with a pencil so you can erase and adjust as needed.
- Consider using a compass to draw the circle if you're having trouble.
- Don’t rush to add facial details yet, as you might need to adjust the size of the head later.
Note: Be cautious and avoid drawing the head too large, otherwise, you won't be able to fit the entire body of the character onto the paper.
Draw a vertical line down the center of the paper, which should be 6.5 times the height of the head. Measure the height of the head from the top of the circle to the tip of the chin. Starting at the top of the head, draw a straight line down, making it 6.5 times the height of the head. Draw horizontal lines along this vertical line, dividing it into segments that match the head's height as a guide.
- Make sure to measure each segment carefully to avoid an unnatural look for your character.
- This guide line will help maintain symmetry in your drawing.
Sketch an hourglass shape with two circles inside to form the upper body. Draw a line just below the chin to outline the shoulders, forming the top of the hourglass. The lines should curve inward towards the center and flare out at the bottom to create the hips, which should be wider than the shoulders. Use a compass to draw two circles in the upper half of the hourglass shape to define the chest of the character.
- When finished, the combined height of the head and upper body should be three times the height of the head.
- The anime girl's shoulders should be 1.5 times the width of the head.
- If desired, draw small circles at the top corners of the hourglass to indicate the shoulder joints.
Draw two arms extending from the upper corners of the torso. Draw two cylindrical shapes from the shoulder joints downward. As you approach the narrowest part of the body, add circles inside the arms to mark the elbows. Continue drawing the arms down to the bottom of the hourglass and add small circles to represent the wrists. Draw fingerless gloves at the tips of the arms to represent the hands.
- The upper arm and forearm should be of equal length.
- Feel free to pose the arms differently if you don’t want them hanging straight down. Keep in mind that the length of the arms should be roughly equal to the length of the upper body.
Draw two legs starting at the bottom of the hourglass and extending downward. Draw two cylindrical shapes from the base of the torso, extending along the guide lines. When the thighs reach 1.5 times the height of the head, draw a circle within the leg shapes to represent the knee joint. Continue drawing the lower legs to match the length of the thighs, then draw a circle for the ankle joint. Draw two trapezoidal shapes at the ankles to create the feet, ensuring they align with the final horizontal guide line.
- Make sure both legs are the same length, or the figure may appear unbalanced.
Erase the guide lines, leaving only the basic outline of the character's body. Use a small eraser to clean up any extra marks. Remove the vertical line down the middle and all the horizontal lines marking proportions that you had drawn earlier.
- Be careful not to erase any outline lines, or you'll have to redraw them.
Draw the hair and facial features. Place two eyes just below the center of the circle and add eyebrows above. Draw the nose and mouth beneath the eyes, centered in the face. Choose a hairstyle for your anime character and draw hair in clumps rather than individual strands.
- Look at different character hairstyles for inspiration when creating your anime hair.
- Use tracing paper over the head of the sketch to practice different hairstyles without affecting the rest of the drawing. This way, you can try several styles before picking one.
Draw the clothing. There are various clothing styles you can dress your character in, so choose the one that best fits. Sketch the clothing over the character's body using light lines to help visualize the outfit. Once you've settled on a design, erase the body lines that are covered by the clothing.
- Look at photos of real people wearing similar clothes to understand where to add folds or creases for a realistic look.
Draw the male character.
Draw an oval shape with a pointed bottom near the top of the page to form the head. Position the oval in the center near the top of the page, leaving space for the hair later. Draw two diagonal lines from each side of the oval to form the jawline. These lines should meet below the oval to create the chin.
- Male anime characters typically have longer, narrower faces compared to female characters.
- Do not make the circle too large, or you won't have enough room to draw the rest of the character's body.
Draw a vertical line that is 6.5 times the height of the head. Measure the height of the character's head from the top of the circle to the chin. Multiply this measurement by 6.5 to get the correct proportional height. Begin at the top center of the head and draw a straight line downward, extending it by the height you've calculated for the character.
- You can also draw horizontal lines to mark each segment equal to the head's height along the center guide line. This will help you figure out where the body parts should be placed.
Sketch a rectangle for the upper torso. Draw a horizontal line beneath the chin to mark the shoulder line. Then, draw lines from each shoulder, angling slightly downward toward the center guide. When the upper torso reaches halfway down the vertical center line, draw a horizontal line at the bottom to represent the hips.
- The shoulders of a male character should be twice the width of the head, and the hips should be slightly narrower.
- Draw small circles at the top corners of the shoulders to indicate the shoulder joints for easier visualization.
- Strive for symmetry to create a well-proportioned character.
Draw two arms starting from the shoulders. Draw two cylindrical shapes extending from each shoulder down to the upper torso. Mark the elbows with small circles inside the cylinders to guide where the forearms should go. Continue extending the cylinders until the forearms are the same length as the upper arms. Add a circle for the wrists, then sketch the hands at the end of the cylinders.
- You can sketch fingerless gloves if you prefer not to draw the fingers immediately.
- The arms should be roughly the same length or slightly longer than the upper torso.
Draw two legs beneath the torso, each with a length equal to half the character's total height. Start directly below the upper body, and draw two cylindrical shapes on either side of the center guide to represent the legs. When you reach halfway down from the hips to the ankles, draw a small circle inside the cylinders to mark the knees. Draw the lower legs with the same length as the thighs, and then draw a trapezoid for the feet at the bottom.
- Begin by drawing one leg, then use horizontal guide lines from the knee and foot to ensure the second leg is symmetrical.
- Hold the drawing in front of you to check if the proportions look natural.
Erase all guide lines, leaving only the outer contours of the anime character. Use an eraser attached to your pencil to carefully erase the center guide line and any extra horizontal lines you've drawn. Be careful not to erase the outer outline, or you'll have to redraw it. Continue erasing all unnecessary sketches.
- If your pencil doesn't have an eraser, you can use a separate eraser or a click eraser to erase tight areas.
Draw facial features and muscle details to enhance the drawing. Draw two rounded rectangles slightly below the middle of the head to represent the eyes. Add a small line for the tip of the nose and draw the mouth beneath it, centered below the circle. Choose a hairstyle that fits the character and draw it on top of the head. Instead of drawing each individual strand of hair, sketch the hair in bundles with pointed ends. Add lines to define muscles like the chest or six-pack abs.
- Skip the muscle details if your character is wearing loose clothing.
- Look at diagrams of muscle groups to understand how to draw the lines and shapes that form your character's muscles.
Design the character's clothing. Anime characters wear a wide variety of outfits, so choose one that matches your character's personality. Lightly sketch the outlines of the character’s body to visualize how the clothing will look on them. Once you're happy with the outfit, erase any lines that are covered by the clothes to make the drawing look more natural.
- Practice drawing clothes on tracing paper to avoid erasing and redrawing constantly.
Tip: Look at photos of real people wearing similar outfits to understand how to draw the folds and creases in the clothing.
Tip
- Reference photos of people in various poses and angles to practice drawing anime characters in action. Study these drawings to understand the body structure.
- Try drawing your favorite anime characters to practice and compare your results.
Materials You'll Need
- Paper
- Pencil
- Eraser
