Tips on How to Learn How to Draw Anime & Manga – A Beginner’s Guide
You've finally decided to draw your favorite anime character. I know this is true for many. Many aspiring artists are drawn to the world of anime and manga not just for its visual appeal, but because it speaks to a deeper meaning: Have you ever been captivated by Naruto's bold expressions, the intricate costumes of Attack on Titan, Son Goku's dramatic transformations, or the eyes of your favorite series' characters? Anime and manga are not just art forms; they are gateways to storytelling and creativity, and even a thriving global community. Many are drawn to this craft out of a love for their favorite series, a desire to create original characters, or a dream of becoming a mangaka. The art of anime and manga offers a unique and exciting path to unleashing imagination and personal creativity.
But like any creative endeavor, getting started isn't always easy. You may feel overwhelmed by the elaborate art you see online. Once you try to draw only what you see, you may not know where to start, or feel frustrated when your first drawings don't turn out quite what you envisioned. Many beginners struggle with shaky lines, awkward proportions, or comparing themselves harshly to professionals.
At first, you might struggle with stiff poses, uneven faces, or flat-looking eyes. Even basic tools (like pens or layers in digital art) can feel overwhelming.
The good news is that every great anime artist started where you are now—out of curiosity and passion. Drawing is more of a sport and practice than a talent. The secret is to break the journey down into small, actionable steps.
I created this series to help you take your first steps. Here's a clear path that will seamlessly introduce you to the world of anime and manga drawing. Each step builds on the previous one, guiding you toward continuous improvement and building artistic confidence:
🟣 Step 1: Understand the Fundamentals of Drawing
🟣 Step 2: Learn Basic Perspective Techniques
🟣 Step 3: Study Human Anatomy and Proportions
🟣 Step 4: Practice Shading and Lighting Concepts
🟣 Step 5: Explore Color Theory and Mood
🟣 Step 6: Use Reference Material Effectively
🟣 Step 7: Build Patience and Practice Consistently
Each of these stages will be covered in detail in the rest of this article — designed to support and motivate you no matter your starting level.
🟣 Step 1: Understand the Fundamentals of Drawing
🎨 1.1 – Start with Lines: Control and Confidence
Before you dive into characters, learn to control your hand. Drawing clean, confident lines is the foundation of everything.
- Practice straight lines (horizontal, vertical, diagonal)
- Draw curved lines — both inward and outward arcs
- Try connecting dots with one stroke to build precision
📝 Tip: Don't worry about wobbly lines at first. Just repeat exercises daily to build muscle memory.
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🔷 1.2 – Master Basic Shapes: Circles, Squares, Triangles
Anime art is built from simple shapes — learn to draw them cleanly and in different sizes.
- Circles help with heads, eyes, and body joints
- Squares and rectangles for torsos, boxes, and angles
- Triangles for chins, hair shapes, and dynamic design
📝 Tip: Practice stacking and overlapping shapes — this helps you understand space and form.
💠 1.3 – Combine Shapes into 3D Forms
Go from 2D to 3D by adding depth to your shapes:
- Turn circles into spheres (by shading or adding guides)
- Squares into cubes
- Triangles into pyramids or cones
This step trains your eye to see characters as solid objects in space — crucial for consistent proportions.
👤 1.4 – Begin Drawing the Anime Face (Structure Only)
Now that you can control lines and shapes, it’s time to sketch the foundation of an anime face.
Step-by-Step:
- Draw a Circle – this will be the top of the head.
- Add a Vertical Line Down the Center – to split the face into two symmetrical halves.
- Draw a Horizontal Line Across the Middle – this is the eye line (can shift slightly based on style).
- Add the Jawline – draw angled lines from the circle down to a point (for the chin).
- Sketch Guidelines for the Eyes, Nose, and Mouth
- Eyes sit on or slightly below the horizontal guide
- Nose is halfway between the eye line and chin
- Mouth is halfway between nose and chin
📝 Tip: Keep all lines very light — these are just guides for later details.
- Here's a practical video :
🟣 Step 2: Learn Basic Perspective Techniques
🧠 2.1 – What Is Perspective in Drawing?
Perspective is the tool that helps your drawings look 3D and realistic, giving depth and distance to your anime characters and scenes.
- It allows you to place characters in believable environments
- It gives your artwork dynamic angles (think: action shots, cityscapes, or character poses from above)
📝 Tip: Mastering basic perspective will dramatically improve your character designs and manga panels.
🧭 2.2 – One-Point Perspective (Beginner Friendly)
This is the simplest type of perspective. All lines lead to one vanishing point on a horizon line.
How to Practice:
- Draw a horizontal line — this is your horizon (eye level)
- Place a vanishing point on the line
- Draw boxes or roads by connecting lines to that point
- Use vertical and horizontal lines to finish the objects
📌 Application in Anime: Drawing hallways, rooms, streets from a frontal view.
🧭 2.3 – Two-Point Perspective (More Dynamic)
Two-point perspective is great for drawing objects from an angle — perfect for anime buildings, cityscapes, or characters turning sideways.
How to Practice:
- Draw a horizontal horizon line
- Place two vanishing points far apart (left and right sides)
- Start with a vertical line (the corner of a cube)
- Connect the top and bottom of the vertical line to each vanishing point
- Close off the box with vertical lines
📌 Application in Anime: Drawing a character from the side, angled rooms, dramatic landscapes.
✨ 2.4 – Adding Simple Shapes in Perspective
Now try placing circles, cubes, and characters in perspective:
- Draw a cube in 1-point or 2-point perspective
- Practice putting a circle or cylinder inside it (like a head or arm)
- Try placing stick-figure characters inside rooms or boxes
📝 Tip: Use light construction lines first — they can always be erased or cleaned later!
📷 2.5 – Perspective in Anime Faces & Characters
Even anime faces follow perspective!
When you rotate a character’s head or body, perspective rules still apply:
- A front view uses symmetry
- A 3/4 view shifts the vertical guideline to one side
- A side view compresses facial features to a profile
📝 Try This: Draw the same anime face in three different angles using perspective guides.
🟣 Step 3: Study Human Anatomy and Proportions
🧍 3.1 – Why Anatomy Matters in Anime Art
Even though anime characters are stylized, they’re still built on the foundation of real human anatomy. Understanding basic proportions helps your drawings look balanced, believable, and expressive — even when exaggerated.
📝 Tip: Think of anatomy as your blueprint. Once you understand it, you can stylize it however you like!
📏 3.2 – The “Head Count” Method for Proportions
One of the easiest ways to measure body proportions is by using the head as a unit.
Average Proportions:
- Adult characters: ~7 to 8 heads tall
- Teen characters: ~6.5 heads tall
- Chibi characters: 2–4 heads tall
📝 Tip: Don’t worry about being exact — consistency is more important than perfection.
👤 3.3 – Drawing the Anime Head & Face (Frontal View)
You’ve already learned the structure — now let’s build on it with real features:
Step-by-Step:
- Circle + Jawline → head shape
- Vertical centerline → splits face in half
- Horizontal eye line → place the eyes
Add nose and mouth guides:
- Nose: halfway between eyes and chin
- Mouth: halfway between nose and chin
- Ears: from top of eyes to bottom of nose
- Neck: comes down from the ears, not the jaw
📝 Tip: Start simple — don’t worry about detailing the eyes yet. Just focus on placement and balance.
🔄 3.4 – Understanding Front, Side, and 3/4 Views
Being able to rotate the head is key to drawing characters from different angles.
- Front View: symmetrical, both sides even
- Side View: only one eye visible, nose and lips stick out
- 3/4 View: most common in anime; shows partial side with slight facial shift
📝 Practice Exercise: Draw the same character’s face in all three views using construction lines.
🤖 3.5 – Building the Basic Body (Stick Figure Method)
Start with a simplified skeleton to plan poses and proportions:
- Circle for head
- Line for spine
- Oval for chest and pelvis
- Lines and circles for arms/legs/joints
Then, add shape blocks over the skeleton:
- Cylinders for arms and legs
- Boxes for the torso and pelvis
- Shapes for hands and feet
📝 Tip: This helps plan character poses before adding clothes or details.
🟣 Step 4: Practice Shading and Lighting Concepts
💡 4.1 – Why Shading Matters in Anime Drawing
Shading brings your flat drawings to life — it adds depth, form, and atmosphere. In anime and manga, shading can be simple (cell shading) or more complex (soft or blended shading), but both follow the same basic lighting rules.
📝 Tip: Learning where light hits and where shadows fall is more important than using fancy tools.
☀️ 4.2 – Understand Light Direction
Before shading anything, always ask: Where is the light coming from?
- Top lighting: most common; shadows fall downward
- Side lighting: creates dramatic contrast
- Back lighting: good for glowing effects or silhouettes
📝 Practice Tip: Draw a ball and place a light source — then try shading it from different directions.
🔘 4.3 – Shading Simple Forms: Sphere, Cube, Cylinder
Start with basic forms before applying shading to faces or clothes.
- Sphere: soft gradient from light to dark, with a core shadow and highlight
- Cube: sharp edges; light side, shadow side, and cast shadow on the ground
- Cylinder: useful for arms and legs; curved shadows along the shape
📝 Tip: Keep your shadows consistent with the same light source across all objects.
🧑🎨 4.4 – Shading the Anime Face
Now let’s apply what you’ve learned to an anime-style face.
- Determine the light source direction
- Add shadows:
- Under the chin and neck
- Around the nose bridge and under the eyes
- Beneath hair strands that cover the face
- Add highlight spots:
- On the cheeks, forehead, or nose tip
- In the eyes (this adds sparkle!)
📝 Tip: Use clean, flat shapes for anime-style cell shading, or try blending for a soft look.
👗 4.5 – Shading Hair and Clothing
Hair and clothes add even more interest with shading.
- For hair, follow the direction of flow and layer light-to-dark zones
- For clothing, add shadows in the folds and creases (like under arms, between legs, or where fabric bends)
📝 Try This: Shade a character with the light coming from one side — and see how the shadows shift on their face, clothes, and hair.
🟣 Step 5: Explore Color Theory and Mood
🎨 5.1 – Why Color Theory Matters in Anime & Manga
Color isn’t just about making things look pretty — it’s about setting the mood, highlighting emotion, and defining character identity. Whether you're designing a fiery red-haired hero or a soft pastel dreamscape, understanding color theory gives your artwork power and harmony.
📝 Tip: Even black-and-white manga artists benefit from understanding how color works — it helps with balance, value, and contrast.
🌈 5.2 – The Color Wheel Basics
Start by learning the color wheel, which is made up of:
- Primary colors: Red, Blue, Yellow
- Secondary colors: Green, Orange, Purple (made by mixing primaries)
- Tertiary colors: Mixes like red-orange, blue-green, etc.
🖍️ How it helps: You’ll use the wheel to create pleasing combinations and decide which colors go together.
🎯 5.3 – Color Harmonies (What Goes Well Together)
There are several classic color combinations that always work:
- Complementary: Opposites (e.g., red & green) – high contrast
- Analogous: Side-by-side (e.g., blue, blue-green, green) – soft & harmonious
- Triadic: Evenly spaced (e.g., red, yellow, blue) – vibrant & balanced
- Monochromatic: Same color, different shades – moody & unified
📝 Try This: Design a character using only analogous colors for a peaceful effect.
🌤️ 5.4 – Color & Mood: Setting the Emotion
Colors trigger emotions. Use them to support your character's personality or the atmosphere of a scene:
- Red: energy, anger, power
- Blue: calm, sadness, peace
- Yellow: joy, youth, warmth
- Purple: mystery, fantasy
- Black & White: contrast, drama, simplicity
📝 Tip: Think about your character’s story or emotion, then choose colors that match their vibe.
🧑🎨 5.5 – Applying Color to Anime Art
When coloring anime-style drawings, think in layers:
- Base Colors – flat color fill for skin, hair, eyes, clothes
- Shading Layer – add shadows to show depth (usually darker version of base)
- Highlight Layer – brighter accents to show light
- Effects – glow, rim lighting, blush, ambient light
📝 Tip: Don’t use 100% black for shadows or 100% white for highlights — it can look flat. Try using warm or cool tones instead.
🟣 Step 6: Use Reference Material Effectively
🔍 6.1 – Why References Are Crucial
Even professional anime and manga artists use references — they’re not cheating. References help you understand how things really look, so you can draw them more accurately or stylize them with confidence.
📝 Tip: Think of references as your personal teachers. They show you details you might miss or struggle to imagine on your own.
🖼️ 6.2 – Types of Reference Material
You can (and should) use a variety of reference sources:
- Photos: Real-life poses, anatomy, backgrounds, lighting
- Anime Screenshots: For style, proportions, expressions
- Manga Panels: Paneling, tone work, dynamic angles
- 3D Pose Tools: Apps like Posemaniacs or Magic Poser
- Your Own Photos or Mirror: Great for expressions or hand poses!
📝 Tip: Don’t rely on just one reference. Combine several to get a better understanding.
🧠 6.3 – How to Study a Reference (Not Just Copy It)
When using references, ask yourself:
- What shapes is this made of? (Break it down!)
- Where is the light coming from?
- What makes this pose or expression dynamic?
- How does the anatomy flow in this position?
📝 Try This: Do a quick sketch from a reference, then close it and redraw from memory. You’ll start learning faster this way.
🖌️ 6.4 – Reference vs. Tracing
✅ Using references = analyzing, observing, adapting
❌ Tracing blindly = copying shapes without understanding
If you do trace:
- Use it to learn, not for finished work
- Try tracing once, then redrawing without the reference
- Focus on understanding why the lines are placed where they are
📝 Tip: Challenge yourself to simplify a reference into a stick figure or shape-based sketch.
📁 6.5 – Build Your Own Reference Library
Start collecting references that inspire or teach you:
- Use Pinterest boards, PureRef, or folders on your device
- Categorize them: poses, hair, backgrounds, clothing, lighting
- Save screenshots or manga panels with angles you like
📝 Tip: Revisit your favorite references often. You'll notice new things each time as your skill grows.
🟣 Step 7: Build Patience and Practice Consistently
⏳ 7.1 – Why Patience Is a Superpower
Learning how to draw anime and manga isn’t something that happens overnight. It's a skill — and like any skill, it grows with time, mistakes, and repetition. If you rush or expect perfection from the start, you'll only feel discouraged.
📝 Truth Bomb: Every artist you admire once struggled with wobbly lines, off proportions, and messy sketches — just like you.
📆 7.2 – Make Drawing a Daily Habit (Even 15 Minutes)
You don’t need to spend hours a day — just consistent, focused practice.
- Start with 15–30 minutes daily
- Pick one small topic each day (e.g., "draw 5 noses")
- Keep a sketch journal or folder to track your progress
📝 Tip: It’s better to draw a little every day than a lot once a week.
🎯 7.3 – Set Small Goals and Challenges
Goals give your practice a purpose and keep you motivated. Some ideas:
- “Draw 10 anime eyes this week”
- “Design one character every month”
- “Redraw an old drawing and compare”
- “Do a 7-day pose challenge”
📝 Tip: Avoid vague goals like “get better at drawing” — be specific and measurable.
📊 7.4 – Track Your Progress Over Time
Don’t delete or throw away your old art — it’s proof of how far you’ve come!
- Save your drawings by date
- Compare your work month-to-month
- Take screenshots of before/after redraws
📝 Try This: Create a “Level Up” collage every 3–6 months showing your improvement.
👥 7.5 – Join Communities and Get Feedback
You don’t have to do this alone! Joining communities helps you stay inspired, get advice, and grow faster.
- Share your work on platforms like Instagram, Reddit, or Discord
- Participate in monthly challenges or theme weeks
- Be open to critique — it’s not personal, it’s part of learning
📝 Tip: Support other artists too — it builds confidence and friendships!
