You've probably been there. You grab a pencil, open a fresh sketchbook, and try to replicate that cool character from Spy x Family or Chainsaw Man. Ten minutes later, you're staring at something that looks less like an anime girl and more like a distorted balloon with eyes. It's frustrating. Honestly, it's why most people quit before they even get to the "good" part of the hobby.
Easy anime girl drawing shouldn't feel like you're trying to solve a high-level calculus equation with a crayon.
The problem isn't usually your hand-eye coordination. It's the "symbol drawing" trap. Our brains are hardwired to draw symbols—an oval for a head, two circles for eyes—rather than seeing the actual 3D forms. If you want to get better, you have to stop drawing what you think a girl looks like and start seeing the underlying structure. It’s about building a mannequin, not just tracing a pretty face.
The "Circle and Cross" Lie
Most beginners start with a circle. They draw a cross in the middle. They think they're done. But if you look at the work of professional illustrators like Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor Moon) or modern masters like Ilya Kuvshinov, that circle is just the very beginning of a much more complex spatial puzzle.
The circle represents the cranium. That's fine. But the jaw is where everyone messes up.
In anime, the jawline is often simplified into a sharp "V" or a soft curve, but it still needs to connect to the ears. If you place the chin too low, she looks like an alien. Too high? Now she has no neck. A good rule of thumb is that the distance from the brow line to the nose is usually equal to the distance from the nose to the chin. Keep it balanced.
It's All in the Eyes (Literally)
Anime is famous for massive, expressive eyes. But here’s the kicker: they still have to fit inside a skull. Beginners often draw eyes right on the surface of the face like stickers. Real pros understand the eye socket.
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Try this. Instead of drawing two giant ovals, draw two light boxes first. This helps with perspective. If the head is turned even slightly, the "far" eye will be narrower than the "near" eye. It's a tiny detail, but it’s the difference between a flat drawing and one that pops off the page. Also, don't forget the "one eye width" rule. Usually, the space between the eyes is the width of exactly one eye. It’s a classic art school trick that translates perfectly to the anime style.
Why Your Hair Looks Like Plastic
Hair is usually the most intimidating part of an easy anime girl drawing. People try to draw every single individual strand. Don't do that. It’s a nightmare and it looks messy.
Think of hair as "clumps" or ribbons.
- Find the crown. This is the point on the head where the hair grows out from.
- Map the big shapes. Draw the bangs first. Then the sides. Then the back.
- Add the detail last. If you look at the character designs in Kyoto Animation productions (like Violet Evergarden), the hair has weight. It follows gravity. It wraps around the volume of the head. If your hair looks flat, it's probably because you aren't drawing the "back" of the hair that sits behind the neck.
Proportions That Don't Look Broken
Let's talk about the body. Most people struggle here because they try to draw the clothes before they draw the person. Big mistake. You need to draw the "naked" gesture first—even if it's just a stick figure with some joints—to make sure the pose makes sense.
In most "standard" anime styles, a female character is about 6 to 7 heads tall.
- The Torso: Think of it as two boxes. One for the ribcage, one for the hips. Connect them with a flexible spine.
- The Limbs: Elbows usually hit at the waistline. Fingers usually reach mid-thigh.
- The "S" Curve: If you want a pose to look natural and not like a wooden mannequin, give the spine a slight "S" shape. It adds "flow" or gestural energy.
Human anatomy is weird. Anime anatomy is even weirder because it's a simplification of reality. You have to know the rules before you can break them. Experts like Andrew Loomis—whose books are basically the bible for figure drawing—emphasized that even stylized art needs a foundation in reality. If the shoulders are wider than the hips, she might look more masculine or athletic. If the neck is too thin, it looks like her head might fall off.
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The Tools You Actually Need (and the ones you don't)
You don't need a $2,000 Wacom tablet to start. Seriously.
I’ve seen incredible art made with a Bic ballpoint pen on a napkin. However, if you're serious about practicing, grab a 2B pencil and some decent 80lb paper. The 2B is soft enough to give you dark lines but light enough that you can still erase your mistakes.
If you're going digital, Clip Studio Paint is the industry standard for anime. It has built-in 3D models you can pose, which feels like cheating, but it's a great way to learn how limbs move in space. Procreate on the iPad is also a solid choice because of how intuitive the brushes feel.
But honestly? Just use what you have. Consistency matters way more than your gear.
Avoiding the "Same Face" Syndrome
This is a trap even professional mangaka fall into. You get really good at drawing one specific girl, and suddenly every character you draw looks like her twin sister with a different wig.
To fix this, vary the eye shapes. Some can be droopy (taresame), some can be slanted upwards (tsurime). Change the nose height. Adjust the roundness of the cheeks. Even a slight change in the thickness of the eyebrows can completely change a character's personality from "shy" to "aggressive."
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Dealing With "Art Block" and Frustration
There will be days when your hands just don't want to cooperate. Your lines will be shaky. The proportions will feel "off" no matter how many times you erase.
This is normal.
When this happens, stop trying to draw something "perfect." Just do some "blind contour" drawings—where you look at a reference and draw without looking at your paper. It trains your brain to see shapes. Or, do some 30-second gesture sketches. The goal isn't a finished piece; it's just to get the "bad drawings" out of your system.
Art is a muscle. You wouldn't expect to bench press 300 pounds on your first day at the gym. Don't expect to draw a perfect easy anime girl drawing without a few hundred "ugly" ones first.
Actionable Steps To Improve Right Now
Instead of just reading about drawing, go do it. Here is a specific path to follow for your next practice session:
- The 5-Circle Challenge: Draw five circles on a page. Turn each one into a different head angle (front, side, three-quarters, looking up, looking down). Focus only on the jawline and ear placement.
- The Ghosting Technique: Before your pencil touches the paper, move your hand in the motion of the line you want to draw. Do it two or three times in the air. Then, commit. It leads to much smoother, more confident lines.
- Reference Study: Find a screenshot from an anime you like. Don't trace it. Try to "break it down" into shapes. Where is the ribcage? Where are the joints? Identify the "landmarks" of the body.
- Inking Practice: Take one of your sketches and go over it with a fine-liner or a dark pen. This forces you to make decisions. You can't hide a bad sketch under messy pencil lines once you start inking.
- Flip the Canvas: If you're drawing on paper, hold it up to a mirror or a bright window and look at the back. If you're digital, hit the "Flip Horizontal" button. You will immediately see every anatomical error you missed because your eyes had gotten "used" to the mistakes.
The secret isn't talent. It’s just showing up at the desk more often than you want to. Keep your pencils sharp and your expectations low while you're learning. The "easy" part of easy anime girl drawing only comes after you've mastered the hard parts of basic structure.