How to learn how to draw anime

How to Draw Anime

If you want to learn how to draw anime, then this drawing tutorial prepared by the team of Drawingforall.net is made especially for you. This basic anime drawing guide will give you important knowledge and show you some useful tips, to help you draw anime of any kind. First, using all the steps listed below, try to repeat the picture drawn by the team of Drawingforall.net, and then using the received knowledge, draw other characters, to consolidate your knowledge.

Step 1

To properly draw anime, we must depict the skeleton of the anime person. Let’s start with the head of the anime person, outlining it in the form of an oval, or a figure resembling an egg. Next, depict the line of the spine on which draw the chest and the pelvis. Sketch the limbs in the form of simple lines and joints in the form of very small circles.

Step 2

To properly draw an anime face, you must draw lines of symmetry of the face. These two lines should intersect exactly in the center of the face, at the location of the nasal bridge. Next, depict the neck in the form of a short cylinder. Next, move below and sketch the torso and the triangular pelvis.

Step 3

Now we need to depict the limbs of the anime. Sketch out the limbs in the form of simple cylinders and the joints in the form of spheres. Hands and feet should also be sketched with very simple geometric shapes. The team of Drawingforall.net wants to notice that you can draw anime people of different builds, making the geometric shapes we have drawn thicker, thinner, longer or shorter.

Step 4

Using the lines of symmetry of the face outline the eyes, nose and mouth. Next, depict the hair with a large number of light lines. Of course, all anime persons have very different hairstyles and facial features, so experiment, change these traits to get a unique anime persons.

Step 5

To properly draw an anime body, first of all you need to depict the most basic details of the body and clothing. In this step we will show how to depict the upper body. Sketch the outlines of the jacket, shirt collars and narrow tie. We draw an anime boy in a classic costume, but you can wear a t-shirt or polo on him.

Step 6

Now we need to map out the details on the anime person’s lower body. Using long smooth lines, sketch out the pants and shoes. Do not forget to add folds in the knee area and at the very bottom of the pants. We draw anime boy in classic pants, but you can put shorts or samurai pants on him.

Step 7

So, in the last step, we finished the initial sketch of the anime person, and starting with this step we will start drawing anime using clear finishing details. Using flowing lines, draw the outlines of the face, eyes, nose and mouth. Next, draw the anime boy’s hair. Now just erase all unnecessary guidelines from the head.

Step 8

Now we will draw the anime person torso. Using very clear and dark lines trace the shirt, jacket and tie. Do not forget to draw the buttons, pocket and folds in the area of compressing and stretching the fabric. As in the previous step, take the eraser and erase unnecessary guidelines from the torso.

Step 9

Now we draw anime person’s arms. Using clear and dark lines we trace the outlines of the sleeves, not forgetting to draw the folds as in our drawing below. Finish drawing the arms by drawing hands. Again, take the eraser and remove all the guidelines from the whole upper body.

Step 10

In this of the guide on how to draw anime, we’ll finish drawing the body. Here we will need to carefully trace the outlines of the pants, not forgetting to add folds and seams. In the same step, we complete drawing shoes. To make your anime drawing look clean and neat, remove all the remaining guidelines.

Step 11

To give your anime drawing some volume, we need to add shadows. In order not to be mistaken in drawing shadows, first of all you should determine the source of light, and then add shadows with this in mind. Darker shadows are applied with additional hatching layers.

How Long Does It Take To Learn To Draw Anime? All Skill Levels

It is common for us, anime lovers, to wonder how long it takes to learn to draw anime. I started to draw because of anime, and I’ve been drawing for a while now. So, in my experience, how long does it take to learn to draw anime?

On average, learning how to draw anime well takes two to three years. How fast you can learn to draw anime varies depending on the number of hours you practice daily and your training approach. If you draw one hour a day, it can take three years, but it can take one year if you draw 3 hours a day.

Below, you’ll find some examples of anime-style drawings I did years ago, including the amount of time it took to learn how to draw them. This way, you’ll have a clearer vision of what to expect when starting your drawing journey.

How Long Does It Take To Learn To Draw Anime Well? Beginner To Expert

Two to three years work perfectly as an average, but learning to draw anime requires artists to learn many other fundamental drawing aspects, which can take a lot of time to understand. Below are some old drawings I did when I started to learn to draw.

These examples only apply if the person practices drawing at least for an hour every day.

How Long Does It Take To Draw Like A Beginner Anime Artist?

To draw like a beginning anime artist, you’ll need to know the fundamentals, but just at an introductory level. You can achieve to draw a drawing like the one above in four months if you practice daily.

Tip #1: If you just started to draw and want to learn how to draw anime, begin drawing from simple references. You can pick complex drawings, but that could be an overwhelming experience in the beginning. When I started drawing anime, I drew many simple faces, and it helped a lot to stay motivated and improve my skills.

How Long Does It Take To Draw Like An Intermediate Anime Artist?

Here, our knowledge about anime anatomy, proportions, form, shading, perspective, and other drawing fundamentals should be more advanced. It can take from one year to two years to draw a drawing like the one above. Although you will improve your skills by simply drawing, knowing the fundamentals will get you to your goals much faster.

Tip #2: Don’t be afraid of using references when learning to draw. Drawing from references is not cheating, and using them will enhance your knowledge about anime overall. If you think about it, anything an artist draws is a representation of something she had seen at some point in her life, meaning that almost anything we draw comes from a reference.

How Long Does It Take To Draw Like An Experienced Anime Artist?

To draw like an experienced anime artist, you need at least three to four years of practice doing it. Here, the need to know the drawing fundamentals like composition, perspective, value, and line quality, becomes more enticing. Remember that this example assumes you’re drawing for an hour every day, meaning that you may achieve this drawing level much sooner if you draw more hours a day.

Tip #3: Learning the drawing fundamentals may seem like a tedious activity, but trust me, they are worth it. Learning these fundamentals will improve your drawing skill levels by a lot, as you won’t be making too many mistakes figuring how things should look like in your compositions. Also, one great way to make this learning process and more enjoyable experience, you can look for drawings that include these fundamentals and practice them as you draw them.

How Long Does It Take To Draw Like An Expert Anime Artist?

To be among anime expert artists, you need at least 7-10 years of experience drawing anime. At this point, drawing anime should be so natural you could draw it using little to no references. All anime fundamentals, like expressions, anatomy, and different styles, are things you understand and draw at an outstanding level. Achieving this level of proficiency requires not only drawing practice but also a lot of theory. Here, the way you improve how your drawings look is more related to your overall skills than to your experience drawing anime.

Tip #4: As you already know, all these examples assume a person is drawing every day, and if you want to achieve such a high drawing level, this is the only way you can do it. When you see fantastic anime drawing artists, we tend to focus on how well they draw, but not on the amount of time they practiced to achieve their mastery. Don’t feel discouraged if your drawings don’t look like you expect them to look; every great master had the same drawing level a beginner would have at some point in their lives. Drawing is a skill, not something you’re born with and don’t have to practice.

Now we know how long it takes to learn to draw anime, but how long does drawing an anime character take?

How Long Does It Take To Draw An Anime Character?

It can take a beginner artist from 30 minutes to 24 hours to draw an anime character (including shading). The time it takes an artist to draw a character strongly depends on the complexity of the anime character he wants to draw, the drawing size, and experience drawing.

To make this a little clearer, let’s take a look at some examples of anime drawings I’ve done and how long they took me to complete.

If you want to learn to draw, patience is something you will need a lot. You will need to be patient when learning to draw and also patient when completing drawings.

Time It Takes To Draw A Simple Chibi Anime Character

Let’s move onto something a bit more complex.

Time It Takes To Draw An Anime Face

A drawing like the above would take from 2-3 hours to complete. I drew this drawing on a larger scale, but it isn’t too complex to draw. I would say any beginner drawing artist can draw under that time, and more experienced drawing artists can probably get it done in an hour or two maximum.

Time It Takes To Draw A More Complex Anime Character

When you add more detail, the amount of time it takes to complete the drawing is naturally longer. For a drawing like the one above, you can expect to complete it in 7-9 hours. If you have more experience drawing, it can take much less. I remember that drawing took about that time.

Time It Takes To Draw A Full Body Anime Character

Both drawings above took me around 12-14 hours to complete. There are many reasons why drawings like these take longer to complete, but I think the main one is the artist’s expertise. As a beginner/intermediate artist, finishing detailed drawings in 12-14 hours is usual. For an expert anime artist, it can take less.

Time It Takes To Draw Two Anime Characters

If you’re a beginner/intermediate anime artist, you can complete a drawing like the one above in around 16-20 hours. Although there are ways you can do it faster, it is best not to rush things unnecessarily. When you rush a drawing, you can notice the difference in quality.

Now you have a much clearer vision of the amount of time it takes to learn to draw anime, but not the best approach to learn it. Below is the method I recommend when starting to draw anime.

Tips To Speed Up How Fast You Learn To Draw Anime

Learning to draw anime, comics, cartoons, real people, or anything else uses almost the same principles. So, for the most part, the same things you need to learn to draw realistically apply to anime as well. Every drawing fundamental you can understand and illustrate will improve your drawing skills so vastly you’ll wish you started from there. Below are the most crucial things that will make you improve your drawings.

1- Draw, draw, draw, draw, draw, and draw.

Have you ever seen the amount of drawing books and sketchbooks the artists you admire the most have? It’s incredible when you see it. For me, and for most artists I’ve ever known, consistent drawing practice is the fastest way to learn to draw anime or anything. And the more you practice, the faster you’ll achieve your goals. Determine a drawing routine and start this fascinating journey with an open mind!

2- Learn How To Draw Shapes In Perspective

Now that you have determined a drawing routine, it’s essential you draw with a plan. Everything we see in life is simple shapes and forms that get complex depending on where we’re looking at them. Since the mediums you’ll use to draw are in a 2D format, you must know how to make your compositions resemble the 3-dimensional aspect they should have. I know this may seem like a tedious task, but I’m sure you’ll start loving it over time!

Tip #5: Do consider these basic guidelines when you start to learn to draw. Just as you can learn to draw the right way to do things, you can also learn the wrong way of doing them. In my case, I ignored the drawing fundamentals and jumped into drawing for the sake of it, and I had to unlearn a lot of things, which delayed my improvements by a lot.

3- Learn Anatomy

Most beginner artists focus only on drawing eyes and faces when learning to draw for the first time, which is not bad. Still, it’s essential they also practice the rest of the body, poses, and many other anatomy factors. You don’t need to know everything there is about anatomy, just the basics. It is when you understand how things are constructed when you actually learn how to draw them.

Tip #6: When you’re studying and practicing, try not to focus too much on the details but on the main shapes and forms that construct the subject you’re illustrating. When learning to draw, your main goal is not to create fantastic pieces of art but to understand how to create them. If you’re patient and practice regularly, results will naturally show as time passes.

3- Learn About Value (Light and Dark)

Everything we see in life is light that is reflected into our eyes to create what’s in front of us. For a drawing to be dynamic and unique, it needs to have value (light and dark). Just as anatomy, you don’t need to know everything there is about value in art, just the basics so that you can get started.

Tip #7: If you don’t have much experience drawing, I recommend you start drawing with pencils only, not colors. Learning how to shade with only graphite pencils is enough of a challenge for a beginner artist. Once you think you’re skilled enough, you can start learning color theory, which is much more vast and complex because it includes what you learned about shading and adds that to all the colors.

4- Practice Mindfully

You can always draw for the sake of drawing, but if you want to improve your drawing skills as fast as possible, you need to draw mindfully. Mindfully drawing means you’re doing it with a purpose, and you’re trying to understand a particular aspect. For example, if you’re drawing poses, you focus on understanding how the lines you stroke give form to those poses, see what you do wrong compared to your references, and constantly analyze your sketches to find what you can do better.

If you do this, you will have a complete overall understanding of the subject you’re drawing, and you’ll be able to draw them in the future with little to no references.

Tip #8: One great way to see what you can improve in your drawings is to analyze every aspect individually. For instance, if you focus on only the proportions on your drawing and ignore the rest, you’ll be able to catch some things to improve. If you then focus on only the perspective of your drawing, you’ll see other things. By looking at your drawing piece by piece, it will be more accessible to find improvement opportunities.

5- Draw From References

I know I’ve mentioned references throughout the blog post, but I consider it something crucial when learning to draw. For some reason, many people in the art community think drawing from reference is cheating, but it is not. To learn to draw, you need to understand the subject you’re drawing, and if you never take a look at it, how will you know if you did it wrong or right?

Masters like Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Picasso, and many others used references when studying anatomy, faces, animals, and anything else. To give you an example, Leonardo Da Vinci drew The Madonna Of Yarnwinder using Virgin Mary as a reference.

Now, if you draw using references and then claim that drawing is yours entirely, then that’s a different story. But if you share that you drew that from a reference, then great! As an artist, you can draw for any reason you think is valid.

Tip #9: If you can, find an art teacher or an artist you respect to review your drawings. It is easy to miss potential things we can improve in our drawings when we are so involved with them. Having the advice of someone who has been through a similar learning-to-draw experience is very valuable and can help you improve in a snap.

And finally, one question many ask me about when they want to learn to draw anime.

How Hard Is It To Draw Anime?

At first, anime may seem like an easy drawing style, but it is not as easy as it looks; anime drawing is rather hard. Anime is hard to draw because it requires the artist to have proper knowledge about anatomy, perspective, value, and many other drawing fundamentals, which aren’t easy to master.

However, just as with any drawing style you want to learn, constant practice and dedication are more than enough to achieve an excellent anime drawing level.

As a final thought, I want to encourage you to start this learning-to-draw journey and feel in love with this fantastic art expression. Right now, the content available on the web to study drawing is immense, and you have access to all of it. In this blog, I share everything I learn about drawing to make that available content even bigger so that more people can learn to draw.

Hey, I’m Sebastian, and I’ve been drawing for 15 years. I share tips, tutorials, and interesting facts about drawing to help you enhance your drawing skills. You can learn more about me by clicking my name.

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Learn How to Draw Anime: 12 Outstanding Online Resources for Amateur Artists

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Do you want to learn to draw anime? We can’t blame you! It is a hobby that is rapidly growing in popularity worldwide. Yet, the fact that it is popular doesn’t make it easy. Don’t worry though! We are here to provide you with the most outstanding online resources so that you can start drawing anime like a Japanese master from the comfort of your home. In this article, we will talk about:

Before getting into learning to draw anime, let’s start with some interesting facts about this art genre:

Key anime features

1. Anime anatomy

The human body in anime is depicted in a cartoonish, instantly recognizable style. It could be said that, in order to draw it, one would need a fundamental knowledge of anatomy and add an element of exaggeration.

Anime protagonists normally have very thin proportions. They have slim bodies and incredibly long legs. The female body is drawn to exaggerate its femininity, with endless legs and tiny waists.

You cannot draw a typical anime-style character if you do not first learn drawing basics like how to depict the human body. For this, it is necessary to study the structure of the human body and anatomy in order to be able to illustrate realistic characters.

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When you learn about bones, muscles, and how different parts of the body are connected to each other, you will be able to incorporate that into your art. Without this key skill, your work is likely to not look professional.

One of the best online resources where you can learn to draw online is Deviant Art. Check out this page that will help you study anatomy as it relates to art and, more specifically, anime.

2. Anime eyes

One of the most typical features of anime characters is their large eyes. They often include love-hearts, stars, spirals, and flames to reflect the character’s emotional state.

Different types of eye shapes tend to symbolize different aspects of a character’s personality. For example, rounder eyes usually mean innocence or purity, while smaller, more narrow eyes typically represent coldness or evil. This means that you should pay particular attention to it when you are drawing the eyes of your own anime characters. Remember that their eyes will have to be vivid enough to convey their feelings.

A great online resource that will teach you the best way to learn drawing anime eyes can be found on Clip Studio.

3. Anime hair

Typical anime hair is big. Most characters, especially important ones, have quite extravagant-looking hair: often unconventionally colored with a lot of movement between scenes. Spikes, ponytails, and ringlets are common hairdos in anime.

You should pay particular attention to hair drawing because not only does it need to look visually striking, it is also meant to express a lot through its movements. You must also seriously consider the color of a character’s hair, as different colors are used to symbolize different personality traits (read more about that below where we discuss anime coloring).

One of the best online resources that will show you the best way to learn to draw anime hair can be found on Concept Art Empire.

4. Basic shapes

There are quite a few basic poses that anime characters often assume. These tend to be exaggerated and dramatic. To draw realistic characters, you will have to master the art of animating them and learn drawing the shapes or poses they assume to perfection. Some commonly encountered ones are:

You can find the ultimate collection of all anime shapes on Anime Outline.

5. Distinguishing between anime boys and girls

The technique of drawing anime boys differs significantly from that of drawing anime girls. For male characters, you will have to draw a rectangular face with an almost square jaw. Females have thinner eyebrows and rounder noses and eyes compared to males.

Male and female characters also have different body proportions. Female characters are smaller, with narrow shoulders and waists while males are larger.

One of the best resources for teaching how to learn drawing boys and girls is available on Anime Outline.

6. Anime coloring techniques

When it comes to the colors used, anime also has its peculiarities. Three of them are the following:

Anime Outline is a great online resource that will tell you how to learn how to draw and allow you to study the details of anime coloring further.

More online resources

7. PDF books

If you learn best by reading, then a PDF book may be the answer for you! If you are looking for the best PDF book on anime drawing, try “How to Draw Anime for Beginners”. You can download this fantastic resource online.

8. Anime bloggers

Anime is designed to be visually appealing, and it is a lot of fun to look at. As such, it has fans of all ages all around the world. This fascination has led to a rapid growth in numbers of people who learn how to draw anime themselves. Drawing anime is a fun hobby and there are many people sharing their experience on how to learn drawing online on their blogs.

It can be very helpful to read those blogs and learn about other people’s mistakes and practical experience. People learn best by learning from each other, and you will benefit greatly from finding out about the experience of others.

By reading blogs and following bloggers’ journeys in real-time, you can learn all sorts of things: from what techniques and what tools work best to the best secrets on how to learn to draw! An example of such a blog is Angie’s Blog. Check it out!

9. Personal YouTube channels

One of the most popular YouTube channels managed by an anime artist is Shinigami Arts. This channel is one of many which feature videos on how to draw specific characters, tell you how to draw male vs. female anime protagonists, and provide Dos and Don’ts videos about anime drawing for amateur artists.

10. Anime drawing tutorials in social networks

Did you know you can also make use of your social media networks to perfect your anime art? Three good tutorials on different social networks that are particularly useful for beginner anime artists are the following:

Following anime accounts on different social networks can be very helpful when it comes to improving your own drawings. Not only can you learn how to draw online from them, but they can also inspire you and connect you to individuals with a passion similar to yours.

11. Anime drawing software

You can also use special drawing software to learn to draw anime. The best free program that allows drawing in a convenient manner is offered by Clip Studio Paint and it is bound to have you drawing anime like a pro in no time! Try its simple tools which will teach you how to create unique artwork from scratch.

12. Online drawing lessons

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If you learn best traditionally, i.e. with someone by your side guiding you, you can also try taking drawing lessons online on an e-learning platform.

3 advantages of learning to draw anime with an online tutor are the following:

You will find many art tutors available for drawing classes online. When choosing a drawing tutor, consider these factors:

Eurekly is your best bet for finding an expert online drawing tutor. By choosing Eurekly, you could have lessons with talented teachers such as:

Unleash your talent!

Anime has been popular for several decades now, and its appeal is unlikely to fade anytime soon. More and more people are showing interest in taking anime a step further and looking for ways how to learn drawing at home so they can create it themselves.

Contrary to a popular belief, not only can drawing be learned but it can also be learned online! Today there are many resources available on the internet for those who want to learn to draw their own anime characters. From video tutorials to private lessons offered by experienced online teachers, learn to create your favorite Japanese art in the way that suits you best!

To find the tutor best suited to your needs, use Eurekly. The online drawing tutors on Eurekly are experts in their fields, and they will create customized lessons for your abilities at a bargain price.