How to Draw Manga Hair

Once you have created a manga character, you need to fill in the details. One of the most important details is hair, which can help differentiate similar-looking characters for readers. When you draw manga hair, aspects to consider are the shape of the head and the character's body movements. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Eraser
• Magazine pictures of hairstyles
• Pencils
• Table
• Paper

Research hairstyles Before You Draw

1. Look at women's or fashion magazines that contain pictures of hairstyles. Study the way the hair falls around the face and neck. Notice how it complements the shape of the head.

2. See how hair on real people settles into a general shape around their heads. Try to envision how you would draw certain shapes of hair on a manga character.

3. Set up your workstation to include a good-sized table on which to draw and a comfortable chair. Sharpen several pencils, have a couple of erasers handy and arm yourself with plenty of drawing paper.

4. Practice drawing long, clean strokes with confidence. Manga hair looks more natural and believable if the lines are drawn in one stroke, without pauses.

Draw Hair for a Male Manga Character

1. Burn the shape of your character's face and head into your memory before you create hair for him. An angular face may look good with wavy or spiky hair and bangs that jut out over the forehead. You may want a simpler hairstyle for a broader-faced male character.

2. Draw the general shape of hair you want for your manga man right on top of the picture you have drawn of his face and head. Erase the top outline of his head to give you an idea of whether this particular hair will work.

3. Depict wavy hair by using long, curved lines that draw away from the face, moving toward the back of the head. Be sure to add waves to the back of the head if you will be showing a rear view of the character.

4. Show spiky hair by drawing lines that come to a point, almost like a long triangle, all around the front of the face and head. Remember to add some spikes coming off the top and sides of the head as well. Even for this type of hair, you'll still want your lines to be somewhat curved.

5. Add sideburns to a male character, coordinating the look with the rest of the hairstyle.

Draw Hair for a Female Manga Character

1. Draw sections of long hair, using lines sparingly. Female hair will look softer and more accurate if you draw the outline first, and then fill it in with just a few lines to show the direction of growth and movement.

2. Use backswept lines on the head to show the side view of hair in a ponytail. The front view should show bangs and a little bit of hair behind the neck.

3. Show the ears of your female manga character to depict tucking hair in back of the ears. For most other long hairstyles, you will not see the ears at all.

4. Draw the hair off to the side of the head or coming up directly from the top of the head to show the effects of wind.

Tips & Warnings

• Manga-ka (manga artists) suggest that you think of hair in terms of sections or "chunks" rather than individual strands. Drawing a bunch of straight lines for hair will make it look coarse, and your manga character will look severe and unnatural. Use curved lines to show waves of hair instead.