This tutorial explains how to draw female anime and manga style characters using 8 popular anime character archetypes with three examples of each.

Anime character archetype drawing examples
Anime graphic symbol classic cartoon examples

Every bit the name states this tutorial is all nearly "character". It shows how you tin accept 1 anime or manga style face and tweak it's features and expression to give an appearance of a different personality. It also suggests some hairstyles that may be well suited for each grapheme type.

The character archetypes included are:

  • Ordinary Girl
  • Antagonist/Villain
  • Tsundere
  • Yandere
  • Shy Girl
  • Tough Girl
  • Delinquent
  • Bookworm

For drawing male characters see:

How to Describe Male Anime Characters Step past Step

Confront Proportions for an Anime Character

Anime female character face proportions
Anime female character face up proportions

The base character drawing proportions used in this tutorial are shown in the illustration in a higher place. If y'all've seen some of the other tutorials here on AnimeOutline yous may already be enlightened of these.

If not the proportions are as follows:

  • Optics – depict a horizontal line directly through the middle of the head and describe the eyes below that line (far enough apart that yous can fit another eye between them)
  • Ears – make a 2nd horizontal line between the halfway line and the mentum and draw the ears between those 2 lines
  • Olfactory organ – to a higher place the line used for the bottom of the ears
  • Mouth – describe a line betwixt the bottom of ears/nose line to get the position of the bottom lip (not actually drawn in the illustration) and draw the mouth but slightly above that

Y'all can draw the eyebrows and eyelids slightly higher up the eyes.

Delight go along in mind that the size and position of the facial features in the examples beneath will modify based on character type and facial expressions.

Also exist enlightened that these are only suggested proportions for making a graphic symbol look "anime". Different anime styles can still take different proportions.

For a more detailed tutorial for each of the facial features meet:

  • How to Describe Female Anime Eyes Tutorial
  • How to Draw Anime and Manga Ears
  • How to Depict Anime and Manga Noses
  • How to Draw Anime and Manga Mouth Expressions
  • How to Describe Anime & Manga Eyebrows

Basic Shape of an Anime Grapheme's Face

Basic shape of anime face
Basic shape of anime face

When drawing the outer shape of an anime face in the front view it may be helpful to think of it every bit existence composed of 3 basic shapes as shown in a higher place (circle, quadrilateral and triangle).

Anime Character Face Cartoon Step by Footstep

Female anime character face drawing step by step
Female anime character confront drawing footstep by stride

To depict any of the characters in this tutorial you tin can use the steps in the above illustration.

  1. Describe the basic shape of the head (and neck shoulders in this instance) starting with a vertical line to help yous make sure both halves are even
  2. Positioned the facial features as described earlier including the parts that are hidden past the pilus (you can exclude the ears for hairstyles where they are fully hidden if you similar)
  3. Describe the pilus (overlapping some of the facial features if needed)
  4. Erase the parts of the face subconscious past the hair and if yous like employ some shading or color

For an explanation of why you want to draw this style (showing the subconscious parts of the confront etc…) and other helpful cartoon tips meet:

Beginner Guide to Cartoon Anime & Manga

For the total tutorial on drawing a female person anime or manga fashion head and face delight run across:

How to Draw an Anime Girl's Caput and Face up

For drawing and shading the different hairstyles used in this tutorial encounter:

  • How to Draw Anime and Manga Hair – Female
  • How to Shade Anime Pilus Step by Step

For other pilus drawing tutorials come across:

  • How to Depict Anime & Manga Male & Female person Pilus
  • How to Draw Anime & Manga Style Hair Braids

Drawing an "Ordinary Girl" Anime Graphic symbol

Anime ordinary girl face drawing
Anime ordinary daughter face drawing

The "ordinary daughter" character tin be the "childhood friend" or the "main girl" in the story. In anime and manga they tend to be friendly and down to earth.

Ordinary long hair may exist a skilful fit for the "ordinary daughter".

Anime female character face drawing
Anime female person character face cartoon

To describe the "ordinary girl" character with their normal expression describe fairly wide eyes and big irises/pupils. This will make the grapheme look more than friendly.

You can draw the mouth with a very calorie-free smile (curving very slightly upward).

Draw the eyebrows in pretty much their natural state with smoothen curves.

Drawing a Smiling "Ordinary Girl" Anime Character

Anime ordinary girl smiling face drawing
Anime ordinary daughter smiling face drawing

A grinning is one common expression for this blazon of character.

Anime female character smiling face drawing
Anime female person character smiling confront drawing

For a smiling face draw the optics slightly narrower with, opposite the curves of the bottom eyelids from their normal state and describe the mouth slightly wider.

Drawing a Happy "Ordinary Daughter" Anime Character

Anime ordinary girl happy face drawing
Anime ordinary girl happy face drawing

A happy face is another expression that can be fairly common for the "ordinary girl" character.

For more than on drawing anime and manga style blush see:

How to Depict Anime Blush in Different Ways

Anime female character happy face drawing
Anime female grapheme happy face cartoon

For the happy face you tin can pretty much draw it the same every bit the smiling face up but describe the mouth slightly open showing the white of the teeth and add together some blush only below the optics.

Drawing an Antagonist/Villain Anime Graphic symbol

Anime villain girl face drawing
Anime villain daughter face cartoon

The antagonist or the principal villain is commonly the straight opposite of the protagonist. A negative character with few to no proficient traits.

Anime villain female character face drawing
Anime villain female grapheme face up drawing

To depict an unfriendly looking anime character like this example draw the pupils of the optics and irises adequately small with the top eyelids covering a good portion of the eye.

Do not add any shadows to the top of the irises (his will give the villain that "stare" type of await). Besides describe fewer highlights in the optics and make them fairly small for an fifty-fifty less friendly await.

Draw the bottom eyelids and the oral fissure in reverse curves (downwards).

Position the eyebrows lower down in "wave similar shape" for a sort of semi-permanent frown.

You can use what is often referred to as a "Hime Cutting" for the hair. Equally "Hime" means princess combined with a look like the one above it tin reinforce the thought of a stuck up or spoiled graphic symbol.

Drawing a Crazy Looking Anime Villain Character

Anime villain girl crazy face drawing
Anime villain girl crazy face up drawing

To requite the anime "villain" character that crazy or maniacal expect they sometimes have draw the irises and pupils of the eyes very pocket-sized so that there is a expert flake of white space around them.

Anime villain female character crazy face drawing
Anime villain female person grapheme crazy face up cartoon

Draw the eyebrows somewhat lower in wave like shapes as the previous example only with their inner ends raised slightly back up again. Once more don't add whatsoever shadows to the irises and draw only 1 set of reflections.

Draw the rima oris with the teeth showing in a wide grinning.

Eventually yous should end up with crazy looking eyes and a grinning mouth. Prefect expression for a villain (though information technology might be a bit difficult to actually pull this one off in real life)

Drawing an Aroused Looking Anime Villain Graphic symbol

Anime villain girl angry face drawing
Anime villain girl angry confront drawing

This angry expression is one that anime villain characters tend to make when they are ticked off (often from their evil plans failing).

Anime villain female character angry face drawing
Anime villain female character angry face drawing

For the angry looking villain draw the top eyelids lowered and the bottom eyelids raised (in reversed curves). Depict the pupils and irises modest with no shadows and small reflections same equally the previous example.

Position the eyebrows lower downward in wave like shapes.

Describe the mouth in a sort of "bean" shape with the bottom ends curving slightly downwards and the teeth showing.

Cartoon Tsundere Anime Character

Anime tsundere girl face drawing
Anime tsundere girl face up cartoon

For those that don't know a tsundere is a grapheme that may human action somewhat hostile at times but it actually squeamish. These types of characters usually have trouble showing their true feelings and become embarrassed when they do.

Anime tsundere female character face drawing
Anime tsundere female person character face drawing

For a tsundere'due south normal expression you tin pretty much draw her the same equally y'all would the "ordinary girl".

Some small tweaks you lot can make are drawing the top eyelids slightly lower down and drawing a slightly smaller mouth to give her less of a smile.

You lot tin also draw slightly smaller irises and pupils than the "ordinary girl. This will requite her a slightly less friendly just still normal appearance.

Pigtails may be a good hairstyle for a tsundere to requite the character a slightly more childish/young appearance.

Cartoon an Angry Anime Tsundere Character

Anime tsundere girl angry face drawing
Anime tsundere daughter angry face up drawing
Anime tsundere female character angry face drawing
Anime tsundere female grapheme angry face drawing

For the angry (and slightly embarrassed look) draw the eyes slightly squinted and the eyebrows with their inner ends lowered.

Describe the mouth curving downwards.

Finally signal some blush on the cheeks with some small striped lines.

Drawing an Embarrassed Anime Tsundere Graphic symbol

Anime tsundere girl embarrassed face drawing
Anime tsundere girl embarrassed face cartoon

Equally already mentioned a "tsundere" character tends to get embarrased when showing their true feelings and so this can be a fairly mutual expression for them.

Anime tsundere female character embarrassed face drawing
Anime tsundere female graphic symbol embarrassed confront drawing

For an embarrassed "tsundere" face up draw the optics squinting and looking downwards. Draw a horizontally wide rima oris with the bottom ends wider than the pinnacle. Also keep in mind that when the mouth is open you should draw the jaw slightly lower down.

Draw the eyebrows lower down.

Cartoon a Yandere Anime Grapheme

Anime yandere girl face drawing
Anime yandere daughter face cartoon

A yandere is a contrary of the tsundere. A graphic symbol who appears to be nice and friendly but tin really be quite hostile. The farthermost versions of this character tin be a downright crazy.

Anime yandere female character face drawing
Anime yandere female character confront drawing

For the yandere'due south normal face you can describe it exactly the same every bit you would the "ordinary girl" with big optics and a fairly friendly expression.

You can likewise give her long but slightly more messy hair to requite a hint that there may be something "off" about her.

Cartoon a "Common cold Stare" Anime Yandere Character

Anime yandere girl cold stare face drawing
Anime yandere girl cold stare face drawing

The "cold stare" confront is i the yandere grapheme tends to make when her true colors come out. Usually it's towards a female person rival but can be for anyone she is "upset" with.

Anime yandere female character cold stare face drawing
Anime yandere female character common cold stare face cartoon

For this type of face up draw the optics very slightly squinted with the lesser eyelids in reverse of their normal cures. Draw the pupils of the eyes very minor in relation to the iris with no shadows and pocket-sized highlights/reflections.

Draw the inner ends of the eyebrows raised and draw the mouth only very lightly open with the top lip raised and revealing some of the teeth.

Drawing a Crazy Looking Anime Yandere Graphic symbol

Anime yandere girl crazy face drawing
Anime yandere girl crazy face drawing

This particular crazy face is 1 a tsundere tends to make for someone she is obsessed/in love with.

Anime yandere female character crazy face drawing
Anime yandere female character crazy confront drawing

For the crazy expression draw the eyes slightly wider than normal with small irises/pupils/highlights and no shadows.

Depict the eyebrows in upside down curves (from their normal state) with the inner sides of the eyebrows raised.

Draw the oral fissure open in a sort of relaxed state (non also wide). Call back to draw the chin slightly lower down for the open up mouth.

Cartoon a Shy Anime Grapheme

Anime shy girl face drawing
Anime shy daughter face drawing

These types of characters are usually nice and harmless merely may be loners due to being afraid to talk to others.

A good hairstyle for this type of character can be the "hair over 1 eye" to reinforce the idea of "hiding" and shyness. Simply in instance you want to depict a different hairstyle both eyes are show in the case below.

Anime shy female character face drawing
Anime shy female grapheme face drawing

You can pretty much draw this grapheme the same style as the "ordinary girl" merely with slightly smaller irises/pupils to give her a bit more of a "scared" look.

Drawing a Heedless Shy Anime Character

Anime shy girl daydreaming face drawing
Anime shy girl daydreaming confront cartoon

As the "shy girl" characters tend to be loners they may often exist heedless by themselves.

Anime shy female character daydreaming face drawing
Anime shy female character daydreaming face drawing

For the daydreaming expression depict the middle/eyes to one side of the face up with both the top and the bottom eyelids slightly raised. Y'all can also draw slightly raised eyebrows

Depict the mouth grin with the teeth showing and add some blush below the eyes.

Cartoon a Shy Anime Character with an Awkward Look

Anime shy girl awkward face drawing
Anime shy girl awkward face drawing

When dealing with other characters the shy characters often tend to avoid middle contact and look downwards. They may besides have a bit of a nervous smile.

Anime shy female character awkward face drawing
Anime shy female character awkward face drawing

For the awkward expression depict the eye/optics looking downwards as mentioned in a higher place with the bottom office of the iris slightly covered by the lesser eyelid. Leave a chip of space betwixt the iris and the top eyelid.

Drawing a Tough Anime Graphic symbol

Anime tough girl face drawing
Anime tough girl face drawing

These are often positive characters that may help protect the protagonist but they can as well sometimes smack them around. They also tend to exist into some sort of martial arts or "kendo" and may often get into fights.

A pony tail tin exist fairly common for these types of characters equally it can give them that "sporty" as athletes often tie their pilus back then it doesn't get in the way.

Anime tough female character face drawing
Anime tough female graphic symbol face drawing

For a tough looking character draw the optics with the pinnacle eyelids down and the bottom eyelids slightly raised. Draw the eyebrows with the inner ends lowered.

Draw the oral fissure in a very calorie-free upside down bend.

Drawing an Angry Tough Anime Character

Anime tough female character angry face drawing
Anime tough female person character angry face drawing

The "though girl" anime characters tend to be fairly emotional and can get angry easily.

Anime tough female character angry face drawing
Anime tough female person character angry confront cartoon

For the angry face draw the optics a lot more than squinted than normal and the eyebrows even lower downwardly.

Describe the mouth open and fairly wide (horizontally) with the bottom being slightly wider than the top.

You can also requite her a bit of medical tape on her cheek to reinforce the idea of her "active" character (working out or getting into fights).

Drawing a Happy Tough Anime Character

Anime tough girl happy face drawing
Anime tough girl happy face drawing

Every bit already mentioned these types of characters can exist adequately emotional and are as probable to easily be happy as angry.

Anime tough female character happy face drawing
Anime tough female person character happy face drawing

For a happy/content face draw the "tough" girls optics fully airtight. Basically a set of curves with eyelashes. Draw the eyebrows slightly flatter than normal (less of a curve).

For a detailed explanation on cartoon closed anime eyes meet:

How to Draw Closed, Closing & Squinted Anime Optics

Drawing a Delinquent Anime Character

Anime delinquent girl face drawing
Anime delinquent daughter confront drawing

This blazon of graphic symbol can oftentimes be a nifty/hostile and pick fights. A practiced hairstyle for the runaway can be brusque and maybe slightly messy hair. Information technology will help create a sort of "tomboy" epitome for the character.

Anime delinquent female character face drawing
Anime delinquent female graphic symbol face drawing

You tin can draw the "delinquent" confront like to the "tough girl" just draw the bottom eyelids almost straight and the irises (with everything inside them) much smaller. Depict the top of the irises covered by the top eyelids and leave some infinite between them and the bottom eyelids.

Draw the mouth in a calorie-free upside downward curve.

Cartoon a "One Eyebrow Raised" Delinquent Anime Grapheme

Anime delinquent girl one eyebrow raised drawing
Anime runaway girl ane eyebrow raised drawing

This is a face anime runaway characters tend to brand when gloating or bullying someone.

Anime delinquent female character one eyebrow raised drawing
Anime delinquent female character 1 countenance raised drawing

For this expression depict one middle squinted with the eyebrow over that heart lower downward in a reversed curve. Draw the second eye slightly wider and with the eyebrow over that eye raised.

Depict the rima oris in a sort of "crooked" smile with the teeth showing.

Cartoon a "Bullying" Delinquent Anime Character

Anime delinquent girl bullying face drawing
Anime delinquent girl bullying face drawing

This is withal some other "bullying" face the delinquent tends to make.

Anime delinquent female character bullying face drawing
Anime runaway female character bullying face cartoon

For this expression draw the eyebrows lower down in reversed curves. Describe the mouth slightly open.

Drawing an Anime Bookworm Character

Anime bookworm girl face drawing
Anime bookworm girl face cartoon

The bookworm as the name suggest is a graphic symbol that commonly spends a lot of time reading and studying. They can often serve equally a sort of "become to for advice" type graphic symbol for the protagonist.

A more neatly combed hairstyle may be more appropriate for this type of character as they are usually fairly diligent in everything they do.

Anime bookworm female character face drawing
Anime bookworm female character face drawing

Y'all can draw the eyes for the "bookworm" almost the same as you would for the ordinary character.

Depict the oral cavity pretty much directly with no curve to give her a more than serious wait.

Finally y'all want to give her some spectacles. For more on drawing anime glasses y'all can see:

How to Draw Anime & Manga Glasses

Cartoon a Curious Bookworm Anime Character

Anime bookworm girl curious face drawing
Anime bookworm girl curious face up drawing

The curious expression is ane the "bookworm" tends to take when reading or looking at something they are particularly interested in. In this expression the eyes are often hidden behind the reflection of the calorie-free in the glasses.

Anime bookworm female character curious face drawing
Anime bookworm female grapheme curious confront drawing

While the eyes are not shown in this expression you tin nevertheless use the vertical halfway line to make sure you correctly position the glasses.

Depict the mouth shut to a sort of "rounded square" shape with (slightly wider towards the bottom).

Drawing a Shy Looking Bookworm Anime Character

Anime bookworm girl shy face drawing
Anime bookworm girl shy face drawing

The "bookworm" can also be shy at times especially towards someone they like.

Anime bookworm female character shy face drawing
Anime bookworm female grapheme shy face cartoon

For a shy "bookworm" confront draw the eyes as normal with the eyebrows raised towards the center of the face.

Draw the mouth in a light grin and add together some chroma to the cheeks.

Conclusion

This concludes the anime character drawing tutorial. In that location are still many more than archetypes and other aspects that get into making a character but it'southward difficult to encompass that much in one tutorial (this is already the longest one here on AnimeOutline thus far).

These examples should give you enough to work with that you can use them to create other character types.

For drawing other graphic symbol types with unlike proportions also see:

  • How to Describe a Beautiful Anime Daughter Stride by Step
  • How to Describe an Anime Elf Daughter Step by Step
  • How to Draw Anime Christmas Santa Hat Girl

You lot can also check out the tutorial below for some more anime and manga style facial expressions and personality related cartoon communication:

  • How to Draw Anime and Manga Eyes to Show Mood & Personality
  • 12 Anime Facial Expressions Nautical chart & Drawing Tutorial
  • sixteen Examples of How to Draw Chibi Anime Facial Expressions

For drawing a semi-realistic looking female anime character meet:

How to Draw a Realistic Anime Face up Step by Step

For drawing different poses see:

How to Draw Anime Poses Footstep by Step