Beginner’s Guide to Drawing Anime Girl Hair: 6 Easy Examples

Drawing anime girl hair can seem daunting for beginners, but with the right foundation, anyone can master the skill. The first part of the series focuses on understanding the basic concepts that form the backbone of anime hair illustration. You’ll explore head construction, volume planning, and hairline placement before moving on to specific styles in later parts.

Understanding Anime Hair Structure

Before diving into styles, it’s important to learn how anime hair interacts with the head. Anime hair isn’t just decorative—it must wrap around the skull convincingly to appear natural. In anime illustrations, artists often exaggerate or simplify shapes for expressive purposes, but there’s still a basic logic behind the flow.

Begin with the head. Sketch an oval or circle to represent the skull. You’ll later use this to plot where the hair sits. In most anime styles, the hair does not lie flat—it floats slightly above the scalp to suggest volume. Think of it as adding a second layer over the sphere of the head.

Volume and Flow

Hair has mass and direction. Rather than drawing strand by strand, focus on clumps or sections. Divide the head into basic zones: front, sides, and back. Anime girl hair usually features exaggerated volumes in one or more of these zones, particularly the bangs or side locks.

When you draw a character, consider what hairstyle suits her personality. Soft, rounded shapes often suggest kindness or innocence, while sharp, angular sections can imply confidence or energy. The volume of the hair can also reflect a character’s energy level or mood.

Placement of the Hairline

The hairline determines how natural the hairstyle looks. For beginners, drawing a light guideline where the forehead ends and the scalp begins helps avoid unnatural-looking bangs or partings.

Mark the center line of the face, then sketch a curved hairline from temple to temple. For side parts or dramatic styles, shift this arc slightly. While you don’t have to follow anatomical rules strictly, a believable hairline prevents your character from appearing too abstract.

Drawing Bangs and Fringe Styles

Anime girl hairstyles often begin with the bangs. These can be straight, curved, layered, or parted. To practice, try drawing five to six individual hair segments that start near the top of the forehead and fall toward the eyes.

Use a flowing, tapered stroke for each strand or section. Start thick at the root and taper the end to a point. This gives a sense of lightness and motion, which is characteristic of anime art.

Common fringe styles include straight-cut fringe, side-swept bangs, and split bangs. These bangs can dramatically change the character’s look. Try sketching each variation to understand how they interact with different face shapes.

Side Locks and Ears

Side locks are strands of hair that fall in front of the ears. These are often stylized and help frame the character’s face. Depending on the hair volume, these locks may be thick and rounded or thin and wispy.

Begin by drawing a guideline from the temple down to the jaw. This will be the general path your side lock follows. Adjust the shape based on whether you want a gentle or sharp look.

When adding ears, remember that they usually sit between the eye line and the bottom of the nose. Make sure side locks don’t completely cover them unless the style calls for it.

The Back and Crown

The crown of the head is where the hair grows outward in real life, and this area often dictates the flow of the rest of the hairstyle. In anime, it’s typically indicated by the direction of the hair parting or the center of spiky tufts.

To practice, draw a guideline on the top or back of the skull, then radiate several curved hair sections outward from that point. Keep the strokes consistent and layered to suggest volume.

Longer hairstyles may drape over the shoulders or flow down the back. Keep gravity in mind—unless the hair is being blown by wind or tied up, it should follow a downward arc with soft curves.

Tools and Media

While traditional pencil and paper are great for practice, digital tools offer additional advantages such as layering and undo options. Many beginner artists use software like Clip Studio Paint, Procreate, or even Photoshop to sketch and refine their anime hair designs.

Choose a medium that you’re comfortable with and practice drawing hair in layers. Start with the base volume, add fringe and side locks, and finally place stray strands to bring life to your work.

Use light pressure or a thin brush when sketching to simulate the delicacy of hair strands. Build thickness with additional layers if needed.

Practice Exercises

Here are a few exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned:

  1. Draw five head shapes and practice placing different hairlines

  2. Create six small sketches focusing only on fringe styles.

  3. Sketch three hairstyles (short, medium, long) and break them into front, sides, and back zones.

  4. Try drawing long hair from behind, focusing on how it overlaps in layers.s

  5. Draw the same hairstyle from the front, side, and three-quarter view.

These exercises not only improve your control over linework but also help build a visual library of how anime hair is structured.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Some common issues beginners face include flat hair, over-detailing, wrong direction flow, and unclear hairlines. Flat hair happens when the hair sits directly on the head with no lift. Always remember to draw hair above the scalp. Over-detailing can overwhelm the viewer and make the piece look cluttered. Focus on major hair segments.

Flow direction must make sense. If hair grows from the crown, it should radiate outward in a logical path. Incorrect flow breaks the illusion of real movement. Unclear hairlines make faces appear awkward or aged, so always use guidelines until you get used to proper placement.

Building Confidence in Your Style

Confidence in drawing anime hair comes from observation and repetition. Watch how hair moves in animated series or how different illustrators interpret similar hairstyles. Focus on the stylization elements they use, like shine shapes, motion lines, and exaggerated locks.

Try drawing the same hairstyle multiple times with different angles or expressions. This helps reinforce how it behaves in three-dimensional space. Take your time and don’t rush through the learning process. Your style will naturally evolve as you gain control over form and flow.

 Drawing Short Anime Girl Hairstyles

In the previous part, you learned the foundations of drawing anime girl hair, including volume, flow, and structure. Now, in Part 2, we shift focus to short hairstyles. These styles are ideal for dynamic characters, often portraying energy, confidence, or tomboyish charm. In this guide, we will walk through different types of short hairstyles, how to maintain balance and movement, and provide detailed practice routines for improvement.

What Defines a Short Anime Hairstyle

Short hairstyles in anime typically fall above the shoulders and can include various sub-styles such as bobs, pixie cuts, layered cuts, and cropped styles with asymmetrical edges. Unlike longer styles, short hair often emphasizes silhouette and shape more than flow.

The key features include defined angles, visible ears or necklines, and fewer, more stylized clumps. Short hair requires an understanding of negative space around the face and how to make the head and hair proportions look harmonious.

Planning Your Shape and Layers

Before drawing, establish the base shape. Start with a head sketch, then lightly mark the hairline and outline the outermost shape the hair will take. Unlike longer styles, short hair often conforms more closely to the head.

Think of the hairstyle as a series of overlapping shapes: top section, sides, and nape. You might divide the hair into three horizontal layers: crown, midsection, and bottom edge. Use smooth, curved lines for soft styles or more angular strokes for sharp, edgy cuts.

Drawing Classic Bob Cuts

The bob is one of the most iconic short anime hairstyles. It’s simple to draw and great for beginners to practice stylization.

Start by sketching the head and marking the hairline. From the top of the head, draw curved sections that arc outward slightly before tapering in toward the jawline. Ensure the ends follow a consistent arc to create symmetry.

Bob cuts often include bangs or fringe. You can draw them straight across, parted to one side, or sweeping diagonally across the forehead. Add subtle layering or stray strands for a softer look.

Drawing Messy or Tousled Styles

Short, messy styles convey youthfulness or carelessness. These often have choppy layers, uneven clumps, and plenty of stray strands.

Start with the general silhouette, but instead of clean, smooth lines, use more varied and dynamic strokes. Let some strands stick out or point in different directions, especially around the crown and sides. Make sure to keep the mass balanced so the head doesn’t appear too lopsided.

This type of style often exposes the ears, so it’s important to place them correctly. Use the ear placement to anchor nearby clumps of hair and define how the strands fall around the face.

Short Hair with Undercuts or Shaved Sides

For a more modern or bold character, try drawing short hair with undercuts or shaved sides. These styles often feature longer top sections with the sides and back trimmed or shaved very close to the head.

Sketch the overall head shape and define the division where the shaved section begins—usually just above the ear. The top section can be styled into spikes, waves, or slicked back.

Add texture to the shaved area by using short, parallel lines or light shading. Avoid over-detailing this part; it should contrast with the more complex upper section.

Anime Pixie Cuts

Pixie cuts are short, cute, and often used for energetic or androgynous characters. These cuts typically feature lots of layers and a jagged or wispy look.

Begin with a close-fitting silhouette and use small, pointed clumps to shape the style. The bangs can be short and choppy or long and sweeping. The back of the hair should curve inward slightly to follow the shape of the head.

Pixie cuts allow for creative variation. You can mix textures by combining smooth sections with angular tips. Keep an eye on proportion so that the style complements the character’s facial structure.

Tips for Clean Linework and Style

When drawing short hair, clean linework is essential because the shapes are more visible and compact. Use confident, controlled strokes and avoid excessive sketchiness. Taper your lines where necessary to create dynamic movement.

Pay attention to rhythm. Good hairstyles have a flow that makes them appear alive. Even in short styles, the placement and length of each hair section should follow a pattern that looks intentional.

Keep the density consistent. If one side has more volume or complexity than the other, it may feel unbalanced. Use reference sketches or mirror your drawing to check proportions.

Character and Hair Interaction

Short hairstyles interact more closely with facial features and head movement. A bob cut, for example, will reveal more of the jawline and ears, while a tousled cut might obscure one eye or forehead.

Consider how the hair affects your character’s expression. Sharp, spiky clumps can enhance a bold personality, while rounded, layered cuts might give a more delicate or cheerful impression.

Short hairstyles also respond differently to motion. Instead of flowing, they bounce or flip slightly. When drawing action poses or turning heads, think about how the hair sections shift.

Practice Assignments

These assignments will help strengthen your ability to draw short anime hairstyles:

  1. Draw five bob cut variations, changing the fringe each time

  2. Practice messy styles by sketching different head angles and adding wild strands.

  3. Create a character with a pixie cut, focusing on balanced layering.

  4. Design three characters with shaved sides and unique top styles.

  5. Redraw the same short hairstyle in different expressions and poses.

These studies help reinforce muscle memory and teach you how to stylize short hair in unique ways. Repeat them regularly to improve line control and creativity.

Observing References and Animation Styles

Look at popular anime characters with short hair and study their hairstyles. Pay attention to how different shows handle volume, shine, and texture. Some series emphasize sharp edges while others go for soft, rounded looks.

Try redrawing hairstyles from different anime in your style. This not only improves technique but also helps you understand the underlying design choices that make each style distinct.

Use slow-motion screenshots or pause scenes to examine how short hair moves. Notice how sections bounce, shift, or fall back into place based on the character’s movement.

Drawing Medium-Length Anime Girl Hairstyles

Medium-length hairstyles are incredibly popular in anime because they offer a balance between movement and manageability. These styles typically fall between the chin and the upper back, providing plenty of creative flexibility without the complexity of very long hair. In this part, we’ll explore various styles such as layered cuts, wavy and curly hair, and styles with tied sections or hair accessories.

Understanding Medium-Length Silhouettes

Unlike short hairstyles that hug the head or long hairstyles that emphasize flow, medium-length styles require attention to both structure and movement. They usually have more visible weight and volume, which can be used to convey the character’s energy or elegance.

Silhouettes vary widely. Some hairstyles follow a bell shape that widens toward the shoulders, while others are feathered and taper in. The way the hair sits on or around the shoulders is a major design element.

Establishing Volume and Flow

Start with the base head shape and sketch a loose outline of the overall hairstyle. Medium-length hair tends to have a distinct sense of gravity. As the hair grows longer, it begins to fall and settle against the character’s neck, shoulders, or collarbone.

Use sweeping curves to suggest how the hair moves around the head. If the character is in motion, exaggerate the flow. If they are at rest, use downward arcs that settle naturally against the upper back or chest.

Clumps should grow gradually larger as they extend away from the scalp. Keep consistent spacing to ensure balance, and don’t overcrowd the silhouette with too many clumps.

Drawing Layered Medium Cuts

Layered styles are common in anime because they give hair texture and volume without being too messy. This type of hairstyle often features longer top layers with gradually increasing length toward the bottom.

Start with the crown section and draw clumps that curve outward or downward. Work your way down, extending each layer slightly further than the previous one. These overlapping layers should suggest natural weight and depth.

Layers can be clean and neat for a polished look or choppy and irregular for a more relaxed style. Think about how the character’s personality influences the neatness or disorder of the hair.

Medium Hair with Curls or Waves

Wavy and curly medium hairstyles add a unique flair. These styles are often associated with softness, romance, or playfulness. Drawing curls in anime involves a stylized approach rather than realistic ringlets.

To draw wavy hair, use long, smooth S-shaped curves. Let each clump of hair flow with rhythm, mimicking a gentle undulation. Make sure the waves are consistent across the hairstyle.

For curls, break each section into spiral-like patterns. These can be exaggerated or minimized, depending on the style. Use open curves to avoid overcrowding the page with detail. Always consider how the curls fall around the shoulders and frame the face.

Side Ties, Half-Up Styles, and Hair Accessories

Medium hair can be styled in numerous ways, including tied sections, pigtails, side braids, or half-updos. These styles introduce asymmetry and movement, which can help bring personality into the drawing.

To draw a side-tied hairstyle, start by separating a section of hair that’s pulled to one side. Sketch a loose ponytail that rests against the shoulder. Add strands that escape the tie to make the style feel natural.

Half-up styles combine the neatness of tied hair with the softness of loose strands. Start by sketching the portion pulled back from the temples to the crown, then let the rest fall freely.

Accessories like ribbons, pins, or headbands can be used to complement the hairstyle. Keep them proportional to the head and integrate them into the flow of the hair.

Interaction with the Body and Clothing

Because medium-length hair reaches the shoulders or collarbone, it often interacts with the body and clothing. This adds complexity but also realism. Draw the hair resting on shoulders, draped over collars, or tucked behind ears.

Make sure the hair contours follow the underlying form of the body. If a strand is lying across the chest or back, curve it slightly to match the surface. Avoid having hair float unnaturally unless the character is in motion.

When clothing like scarves or jackets is involved, consider how the hair might be pushed outward or divided around the fabric. Use overlapping lines to show which elements are in front or behind.

Medium Hair in Motion

When illustrating medium hair in motion, exaggerate the flow but remain consistent with how hair behaves. Clumps should bend and follow arcs depending on the direction of movement.

If a character turns their head sharply, the outer hair may lift slightly while the inner layers remain closer to the neck. In jumping or action poses, hair may flip or twist outward with centrifugal motion.

Use longer strokes for dramatic styles and shorter, tighter curves for subtle motion. Always anchor the strands at the scalp and let them swing naturally.

Medium-Length Hair on Different Face Shapes

Medium hair frames the face differently depending on its cut and the character’s facial structure. On narrow faces, hair that widens around the cheeks or chin adds softness. On rounder faces, angular cuts or side layers can provide contrast.

Experiment with how fringe or bangs interact with the forehead and eyebrows. Side-swept bangs elongate the face, while a blunt fringe can create a more youthful or serious look.

Balance the hairstyle with the character’s neck and shoulders. A wide hairstyle might need broader shoulders to support the visual weight, while a sleek style can work well with a more delicate frame.

Practice Assignments

Here are focused exercises to help master medium-length anime hairstyles:

  1. Draw a basic medium-length style in five different poses

  2. Design three variations of layered haircuts, using different layer thicknesses.

  3. Practice drawing wavy hair with three levels of intensity: slight, moderate, and dramatic.

  4. Sketch characters with medium-length hair styled in a half-up, side-tied, and braided look.s

  5. Combine medium hair with various outfits to explore interaction with clothing.g

These exercises will develop your understanding of volume, flow, and character interaction. They also help you experiment with visual storytelling through hair design.

Studying Medium Hair from Anime

Look at anime where characters have medium-length hairstyles. Pay attention to how animators stylize the flow, especially in calm scenes versus action scenes.

Characters from slice-of-life series often have layered or tied styles with moderate motion, while those in action or fantasy settings might have flowing, dramatic medium hair.

Freeze-frame or slow down scenes where the character turns their head or walks. Sketch the hair position at different points to understand natural movement.

Drawing Long Anime Girl Hairstyles

Long hairstyles are among the most iconic and expressive in anime. From flowing strands that enhance movement to elegant updos that reflect sophistication, long hair plays a powerful visual and emotional role in character design. In this part, we will explore how to draw various types of long anime girl hairstyles, including straight, wavy, layered, and stylized looks, as well as how to handle hair in motion, during action scenes, or in romantic moments.

The Role of Long Hair in Character Design

Long hair in anime often conveys beauty, mystery, maturity, or fantasy elements. Characters with long hairstyles tend to stand out, not just for the visual weight their hair brings to the frame, but for the way it enhances emotion and motion in storytelling.

Long hair can signal elegance and grace, but it can also suggest untamed power or vulnerability. This makes it essential to align the hairstyle with the character’s personality, role, and environment.

Planning the Overall Shape and Flow

Begin with a base head and decide how long the hair will go, past the shoulders, to the waist, or even to the floor. Use light, sweeping lines to block out the general shape of the hairstyle. Long hair is heavy and will follow the pull of gravity unless it’s suspended or animated.

Avoid drawing long hair as just a thick curtain. Break it into clumps with varied spacing and movement. These clumps should have their flow paths but remain anchored to the scalp. Use curves to indicate volume and directional motion.

Consider how the hair flows over the back or chest and how it interacts with the body. Long strands may wrap around arms, drift in front of the face, or tangle with accessories and clothing.

Drawing Straight Long Hair

Straight long hair is a classic style in anime, often representing purity, elegance, or restraint. Though it looks simple, it requires careful structure to avoid appearing stiff or lifeless.

Use long, controlled lines to draw each clump. Begin from the scalp and draw downward, slightly curving toward the natural pull of gravity. The bottom tips may flick outward, taper inward, or curve slightly to rest on the character’s torso or back.

Maintain even clump spacing, but don’t make it too symmetrical. Introduce subtle differences in thickness or direction to keep the style organic. If the hair is very long, let it pool slightly on the floor or wrap around the body for added interest.

Long Hair with Waves and Curls

Wavy or curly long hair adds softness and fantasy. These styles can reflect romance, freedom, or ethereal qualities. Drawing long, wavy hair requires more motion and rhythm in each clump.

Start with a base flow direction. Then draw long, loose S-shaped curves for wavy hair or spirals for curls. Avoid overloading the drawing with tightly packed lines—focus instead on capturing movement and bounce.

As the curls descend, they may loosen or stretch under the hair’s weight. Indicate this by elongating the waves slightly lower down. When drawing spiraled tips, overlap strands to suggest volume and layering.

These styles often require more patience and detail, but they also allow for expressive framing around the face, shoulders, and arms.

Layered and Stylized Long Hair

Many anime characters have long hair with layered or sharp stylizations, especially in action or fantasy genres. These layers create energy, directionality, and unique silhouettes.

To draw layered long hair, begin with the top section and stack each layer with clumps that slightly curve outward. Each layer should overlap the one beneath it, creating visual depth. Vary the lengths of the clumps to avoid repetition.

Stylized long hair often includes large, dramatic sections that flick outward or upward. Use dynamic, angular strokes to achieve this look. Keep a clear silhouette and balance the weight on both sides of the head to avoid a top-heavy appearance.

This type of hair often appears with characters who have strong personalities or supernatural elements, so use it to emphasize those traits.

Updos and Braids for Long Hair

Long hair can also be tied up or braided into elegant or functional styles. These include ponytails, buns, double braids, or elaborate fantasy updos.

For ponytails, decide on the height and direction—high ponytails are energetic, while low ones are more relaxed. Use an elastic band or ribbon and allow strands to escape for a more natural look.

Braids involve repeated interweaving. Break the hair into three main sections and alternate the overlap of the clumps. Simplify the design into loose curves rather than trying to replicate every twist. Indicate volume with outward curves and slight shadows between sections.

Updos can range from simple buns to complex twisted shapes. Begin with the gathered base at the back of the head, then add curves that wrap around it. Leave some loose strands around the temples, ears, or nape to soften the style.

Long Hair in Motion

Motion is one of the most dramatic aspects of long anime hair. When a character moves, their hair trails behind or lifts with momentum, helping to emphasize speed, action, or emotion.

Determine the direction and intensity of the movement. Then use arcs to draw the hair swinging behind or around the character. Avoid drawing all strands in the same direction—add variation in angle and length to keep the movement believable.

Long clumps will bend and stretch during fast action. Thicker sections may lag slightly behind thinner tips. Use foreshortening to show strands swinging toward or away from the viewer.

For romantic or slow-motion scenes, the hair might drift gently in the wind or ripple slightly with motion. Use smooth, flowing curves and lengthen the time between directional changes.

Environmental Interaction

Long hair often interacts with the surroundings, which makes it more immersive and believable. Show the hair brushing across the ground, caught on furniture, wrapped around the neck, or shifting due to wind or water.

Consider how weather conditions affect the flow. In windy environments, strands lift and separate. In water, hair floats and clings to surfaces. Let the hair conform to the shape of what it touches—draping along shoulders, curving over knees, or tangled in clothing.

Drawing these interactions strengthens the illusion that your character lives within a real space, not just a design on paper.

Long Hair with Accessories

Anime often features characters with long hair that includes ornaments like bows, beads, combs, or decorative ties. These accessories should be placed logically within the hairstyle.

Attach accessories at natural gathering points—like the base of a ponytail or the crown of an updo. Match the accessory style to the character’s design theme. For example, flowers may suggest delicacy, while metallic pieces imply structure or power.

When drawing, wrap the accessory into the hair with lines that show compression or hold. The surrounding hair should react to the presence of the accessory, pushing outward or changing direction slightly.

Practice Assignments

To build confidence with long hairstyles, try the following exercises:

  1. Draw three types of long hairstyles: straight, wavy, and stylized, using the same base head

  2. Illustrate a long-haired character in three different motion poses.

  3. Sketch one hairstyle that includes an updo, one with braids, and one that’s fully loose.

  4. Design an accessory and integrate it into two long hair concepts.

  5. Redraw a character from a favorite anime, but redesign their long hair with your variation.

These exercises help refine technique, explore creativity, and reinforce character design principles.

Studying Long Hair from Anime

Observe long-haired characters in a variety of anime genres. Focus on how their hair reacts during emotional or action-heavy scenes. Watch how hair moves when they walk, turn their head, or stand still in dramatic wind.

Pause key scenes and study the flow lines. Practice sketching the movement from frame to frame to internalize natural motion. Look for how hair transitions between loose and tied styles or how animators simplify detail for efficiency.

By studying real examples, you can better understand how to combine detail, motion, and expression.

Final Thoughts

Drawing anime girl hair is more than a technical exercise—it’s an opportunity to convey personality, emotion, and movement. Each length and style, whether short, medium, or long, carries different storytelling possibilities and artistic challenges. By understanding the structure, flow, and design choices behind each type of hairstyle, you gain the tools to create characters that resonate visually and emotionally.


Begin with simple forms, observe real and stylized references, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. The beauty of anime hair lies in its exaggeration and expressiveness. It doesn’t need to follow strict realism; instead, it should support the tone and identity of your characters.


Focus on learning the fundamentals of volume, clumping, and silhouette. Practice how hair interacts with motion, clothing, and accessories. Challenge yourself with different poses and emotional scenes, and use each drawing as a step toward improving your style.


Most importantly, stay consistent with your practice. Every sketch, no matter how small, builds muscle memory and sharpens your design instincts. Anime hair design is a lifelong skill that improves with each new piece.


Thank you for following this guide. Now pick up your pencil or tablet and bring your characters to life—one strand at a time.

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