How to Draw Anime Faces: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 21 June 2023 8 min read

Learning how to draw anime faces can be both fun and rewarding. Whether you're new to drawing or a seasoned artist, this comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of creating captivating anime faces. So, let's dive into the world of anime and start bringing your characters to life!

Understanding Anime Faces

Before we start drawing, it's important to understand the various elements that make up anime faces. This will give you a solid foundation to build upon as you develop your skills. Let's take a closer look at some key aspects of anime faces:

Anime Eye Styles

Anime eyes are often the most striking feature of a character. They come in various shapes and sizes, and each style can convey a different emotion or personality. Some common anime eye styles include:

Large and round - often used for cute or innocent characters
Sharp and angular - typically seen in action-oriented or serious characters
Narrow and elongated - associated with mysterious or cunning characters

Nose and Mouth Styles

While not as prominent as eyes, the nose and mouth play a crucial role in shaping an anime face. Here are some popular styles for noses and mouths in anime:

Simple lines - minimalist approach, often used for both noses and mouths
Small and rounded - a more detailed approach for the nose, giving a softer appearance
Defined lips - less common, but can add depth and detail to a character's mouth

Different Face Shapes

Anime faces come in a range of shapes, each helping to convey a character's personality or mood. Some common face shapes you'll encounter in anime are:

Oval - versatile, can be used for both male and female characters
Square - often used for strong, masculine characters
Heart-shaped - ideal for cute, youthful characters
Triangle - typically seen in more serious or mature characters

Now that we have a basic understanding of the elements that make up anime faces, we can start exploring how to draw them. So, grab your pencil and let's begin!

Drawing Anime Eyes

Anime eyes are often the most expressive and captivating part of a character's face. By mastering the art of drawing anime eyes, you'll be able to bring your characters to life and convey their emotions effectively. Let's explore the process of drawing anime eyes step by step.

Basic Eye Shapes

The first step to drawing anime eyes is to start with the basic shape. As mentioned earlier, anime eyes can come in various shapes and sizes. Here are some simple steps to draw three popular eye shapes:

Large and round eyes: Start by drawing a big circle, then add a smaller circle inside it for the iris. Finish with a small circle or oval for the highlight.
Sharp and angular eyes: Draw a slanted line for the upper eyelid, then add a V-shape for the lower eyelid. Fill in the iris using an oval or almond shape, and add a small circle for the highlight.
Narrow and elongated eyes: Begin with a long, curved line for the upper eyelid, followed by a shorter, parallel line for the lower eyelid. Add an elongated oval for the iris and a small circle for the highlight.

Adding Details to Eyes

Once you've drawn the basic eye shape, it's time to add details that will make your anime eyes stand out. Here are some techniques to add depth and character to your eyes:

Eyelashes: Add a few lines extending from the upper and lower eyelids to create the appearance of eyelashes. Remember, less is more — you don't want to overdo it.
Shading: Shade the iris to give it a more three-dimensional look. Start with a darker tone around the edges and gradually lighten it toward the center.
Eyebrows: Draw a simple line or shape above the eye to represent the eyebrow. Experiment with different thicknesses and angles to convey various emotions.

Expressing Emotions

Anime eyes play a crucial role in conveying a character's emotions. By altering the shape of the eyes, eyebrows, and highlights, you can create a wide range of expressions. Here are some examples of how to convey common emotions through anime eyes:

Happiness: Draw the eyes slightly closed with curved lines for the eyelids, and position the eyebrows higher than usual. Add a bright, large highlight to the iris.
Anger: Create sharp, angled lines for the eyelids and position the eyebrows closer to the eyes. Darken the iris and use a smaller highlight.
Sadness: Use gentle curves for the eyelids, making the eyes appear slightly smaller. Position the eyebrows higher and add a tear or two for added effect.

With these techniques in hand, you're well on your way to mastering the art of drawing expressive anime faces. Now let's move on to drawing noses and mouths!

Drawing Anime Noses and Mouths

Noses and mouths are just as important as eyes when it comes to drawing anime faces. Although they may be simpler in design, they still play a significant role in conveying a character's emotions. In this section, we'll cover different styles of noses and mouths and how to create various facial expressions using them.

Simple Nose Styles

Anime noses can be as simple or as complex as you'd like. Here are three common nose styles you can try:

Dot nose: Simply draw a small dot or line to represent the nose. This minimalist style is often used in less detailed or chibi-style characters.
Triangle nose: Draw an upside-down triangle or V-shape for the nose. This style adds a little more definition while still maintaining simplicity.
Realistic nose: Start with a curve for the bridge of the nose, then add nostrils and shading for a more detailed, realistic look. This style is typically used for more serious or mature anime characters.

Different Mouth Styles

Like noses, anime mouths can vary in complexity. Here are three popular mouth styles to help you get started:

Simple line mouth: Draw a straight or slightly curved line to represent a closed mouth. This style is easy to draw and commonly used in many anime characters.
Open mouth: Draw a U-shape or a slightly open oval to create an open mouth. Add teeth or a tongue for more detail if desired.
Smile or frown: Start with a simple line mouth, then add upward or downward curves at the ends to create a smile or frown. Experiment with the curve's depth to convey different levels of happiness or sadness.

Creating Facial Expressions

Now that you've learned different styles of noses and mouths, let's see how they can be combined with the eyes to create various facial expressions. Here are a few examples:

Surprise: Draw wide, round eyes with raised eyebrows, a simple dot nose, and a large open mouth to create a surprised expression.
Anger: Use sharp, angled eyes with lowered eyebrows, a triangle nose, and a frown to convey an angry expression.
Confusion: Create slightly squinted eyes with one eyebrow raised higher than the other, a dot nose, and a simple line mouth to show confusion.

By experimenting with different combinations of eye, nose, and mouth styles, you can create a vast range of emotions and expressions for your anime faces. Next, let's tackle drawing face shapes and proportions.

Drawing Anime Face Shapes

Anime face shapes can greatly influence the overall look of a character. In this section, we'll explore common face shapes, how to add hair and ears, and the proportions you need to keep in mind when drawing anime faces.

Common Face Shapes

There are several face shapes often used in anime, and each can help convey different character traits. Here are a few to consider:

Round face: A soft, circular shape that often portrays innocence or youthfulness.
Oval face: A slightly elongated shape that adds a touch of elegance or maturity to a character.
Square face: A strong, angular shape that can represent determination or toughness.
Heart face: A rounded shape with a pointy chin, often used for cute or gentle characters.

Adding Hair and Ears

Once you've chosen a face shape, it's time to add hair and ears to your anime faces. Here are some tips:

Hair: Start by drawing the hairline, then sketch out the overall shape and flow of the hair. Add details like strands, bangs, and highlights to make your character's hairstyle unique.
Ears: Draw simple ear shapes on either side of the head, usually in line with the eyes. Keep in mind that the ears may be hidden by the hair, depending on your character's hairstyle.

Anime Face Proportions

When drawing anime faces, it's essential to maintain correct proportions to achieve a balanced and appealing look. Here are some general guidelines:

Eye placement: Eyes should be roughly halfway down the head, with a space of about one eye width between them.
Nose placement: The nose is usually located about halfway between the eyes and the chin.
Mouth placement: Position the mouth slightly below the nose, with the bottom lip closer to the chin than the top lip.
Ear placement: Ears should align with the top of the eyes and the bottom of the nose.

Remember, these are general guidelines, and you can adjust them to create more stylized or exaggerated anime faces. Now that you have a solid foundation in drawing anime faces, let's focus on practicing and improving your skills.

Practicing and Improving

Just like any other skill, drawing anime faces requires practice and patience. In this section, we'll explore various drawing exercises, learning from others, and finding your own unique style.

Drawing Exercises

Here are some exercises to help you improve your ability to draw anime faces:

Draw from reference: Study different anime face styles from your favorite shows or artists, and practice replicating them. This will help you develop an understanding of different techniques and styles.
Vary expressions: Practice drawing a variety of expressions, such as happiness, sadness, anger, and surprise, to become more comfortable with depicting emotions.
Experiment with angles: Draw anime faces from different angles and perspectives, such as front view, side view, and three-quarters view, to improve your spatial awareness and understanding of facial structure.

Learning from Others

Don't be afraid to learn from other artists! Observing their work, asking for advice, and sharing your own art can be invaluable in your journey to becoming a better artist. Some ways to learn from others include:

Joining online communities: Participate in forums, social media groups, or websites dedicated to anime art, where you can share your work, receive critiques, and learn from fellow artists.
Watching tutorials: Find YouTube videos or other online resources that offer step-by-step guides on drawing anime faces, techniques, and styles.
Attending workshops or classes: If available in your area, consider joining a workshop or class focused on anime art or general drawing techniques to learn from experienced instructors.

Finding Your Own Style

As you practice and learn from others, you'll start to develop your own unique style when drawing anime faces. Embrace your individuality, and don't be afraid to experiment with different techniques, styles, and ideas. Here are some tips to help you find your own style:

Combine influences: Take elements from different artists or styles you admire, and blend them into your own unique approach.
Experiment with materials: Try using different drawing tools, such as pencils, pens, markers, or digital software, to discover what works best for you.
Be open to change: Your style may evolve over time, so don't be afraid to let it grow and change as you improve your skills and learn from others.

As you continue to practice, learn from others, and develop your own style, you'll become more confident and skilled in drawing anime faces. Remember, the key to success is patience and persistence—keep drawing, and have fun!

If you're looking to add a new dimension to your artwork, don't miss the workshop 'Bringing Your Art To Life With Animations' by Farid Sukurov. This workshop will teach you the skills and techniques needed to transform your static art into captivating animations, making your creations more dynamic and engaging.