How to Draw Anime Bunny Ears

Anime rabbits are far from the only characters you'll see anime bunny ears on. Animators and artists draw these appendages to increase a character's appeal, especially female characters. They'll sometimes draw long, stiff, unrealistic ears to liken a character to a Playboy bunny. But, for rabbit characters, they might make more flexible and naturally sized ears. With so many variations possible, it's easy to see how bunny ears not only increase a character's magnetism but also help the character express emotion and thought.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• Colored pencils (optional)

Instructions

1. Begin drawing an anime character on which to draw the bunny ears: Draw the outline of a strawberry, making it at least four inches in diameter. The strawberry represents the character's head.

2. Give the head a sense of 3D form: Lightly draw an arc that extends from the head's top to its bottom. Bow the arc so that it comes close to either the head's left or right side. This arc is a guide curve representing the vertical center of the head. You can use it to position symmetrical features like eyes, and human and bunny ears. Complete the head if you wish. Or, continue these instructions to draw the ears now. (The ears will be long and rigid, not floppy).

3. Start to draw the top of the left ear. Position your pencil a head's length above the head, just left of the head's center line from Step 2.

4. Form the ear tip's inner folds: Draw an upside down, slightly tilted "V" whose sides gracefully arc into a sharp point. You can tilt the "V" left or right, but keep it sized to within half a head length.

5. Make the outline of the ear tip. Draw an inverted "U" over the inverted "V" so that the top of the "U" touches or nearly touches the top of the "V." But leave more space between the sides of the "U" and "V" to depict the ear's fluffiness. The net effect will look somewhat like the folds of a Chinese fortune cookie.

6. Extend one side of the "U" down with a graceful curve that connects to the head's outline. Keep this head-ear intersection close to Step 2's guide curve. Use your visual instincts to sense whether the side of the "U" should attach to the right or left of the guide curve.

7. Draw a curve parallel to Step 6's curve. Make this curve's top point touch the inverted "V" to create the appearance of a slightly folded ear.

8. Extend the other side of the "U" to the head, but keep this curve at a slightly different slope from the side of the "U." Draw another curve parallel to this one and inside the ear, to complete the ear's outer portion.

9. Shade the ear's inner area with the wide part of your pencil, using moderate pressure. If you have colored pencils, make the shaded area pink.

10. Form the other ear using the instructions you followed to make the first one. However, slant each of the ear's curves opposite to the first ear's corresponding curve. For example, if the left part of the first ear's outline bows left, make the right part of the new ear's outline bow right.

References

• "Vilppu Drawing Manual"; Glenn Vilppu; 1997
• Drago Art: How to Draw an Anime Bunny