Fraud Blocker
top of page
Writer's pictureWinged Canvas

How to Draw Female Anime Hair in Pencil: Bangs, Pigtails and Ponytails


Anime girl with pigtails
Anime girl with pigtails

"How do you tell who the main character is? Probably their hair".


Today is the day you learn how to draw those oh-so expressive Hatsune Miku level pigtails. The type of pigtails that make you think "no actual human being has that much hair". The beauty of anime and manga are the fantastical worlds and limits that are broken within them, including hair count.


This step-by-step detailed tutorial is beginner friendly and will make you a master of the tails in no time!


If learning from an article isn't really your thing, check out my in-depth video explanation:

 

Step 1: Draw the hairline.

Bald anime girl with hairline drawn

The placement of the hairline is crucial! If it's too high up, your character will look like it has a huge forehead, too low and it looks like your character is wearing a bad wig.


Drawing Tip: The sides of the hairline follow the shape of the number 5, just flip the bottom curved part!



Step 2: Mark where the hair will be parted.

bald anime girl with dot on hairline

I put my hair parting in the middle, you can put it on the side for side-swept bangs, or no parting at all! You can have all the hair snatched up in ponytail/pigtail.



Step 3: Use an upside down "V" to start the bangs.

Anime girl with beginning of bangs


Step 4: Draw curved guidelines to the top of the ears.

Anime girl with bangs

Most bangs cut off the top if not all of the eyebrows, any shorter and they may look like micro-bangs!



Step 5: Use little lines to mimic the bang hairs.

anime girl with detailed bangs

In an upwards motion, draw lines to mimic the bang hairs. Note that I put longer pieces of hair on the sides of the face to frame the face. I tucked the long piece of hair behind the left ear and left the right one in front of the ear.



Step 6: Indicate where the bangs are coming from.

anime girl with detailed bangs and face framing hairs

Use two sharply curved lines to indicate that the bangs are coming from the point of reference we drew in step 2. The sharper the curve, the more voluminous the hair will look.



Step 7: Draw the hair parting and map out where the pigtails will be.

drawing pigtails on anime girl

I used a small triangle in the middle of her head to indicate where her hair is parted, if you're drawing a single ponytail this isn't needed. Next, draw ovals where you want the ponytail or pigtails to be.



Step 8: Draw curved lines into the pigtails.

anime girl in beginning stages of pigtails being drawn

Draw curved lines into your tail, since I'm drawing pigtails I have 4 curved lines in total, but if you're drawing a. single ponytail then you should draw 2 curved lines. Erase your guidelines, you won't be needing them at this point.


Drawing Tip: Make sure these curved lines do not lay flat on the characters scalp, or the hair can look very flat. But if the ponytail or pigtails are extremely tight, then lay it flat on the scalp.


Step 9: Draw the hairbands and triangles.

anima girl with hairties

I drew two circles as cherry charms on my hair ties. The triangle will act as a guiding shape for the ponytail or pigtails. You can draw one, or two, or however may you want! Note that the triangle is pointing directly up, this will help the tail look voluminous like Hatsune Miku's!



Step 10: Draw the pigtails.

anime girl with bangs and pigtails

Use free flowing lines to draw the tail(s). Draw some stray hairs for more visual interest.


Step 11: Draw triangular like shapes for highlights.

anime girl with shaded bangs and hair

On the high points of the hair, draw triangular-like organic shapes to indicate where the light hits the hair. After, colour in the rest of the hair with your pencil.


Drawing Tip: The locations of these shapes will change depending on the light setting the character is in! Use reference images to get a better understanding of where the light hits the hair.


Step 12: Shade the pigtails!


anime girl with shaded bangs and pigtails

Following the same instructions from Step 11, shade in your pigtails. If you want to be fancy, you can lessen the pressure on your pencil and create small, long triangles within the highlighted parts for a touch of depth.


And... Voila! Your ponytail or pigtails are done. This detailed step-by-step guide should have taught you the basics of drawing and shading female anime hair. Feel free to take this knowledge and experiment with different styles, such as curly, straight, spiky, long, or short hair. Manga and anime always has crazy hairstyles that defy the laws of physics, so have fun with it!


If you found this article helpful, check out some of my others:


Check out our other blog about drawing hair:


Click that heart if you like this post! If you found this helpful, please help us share the knowledge with others.


3 Comments


CBKM BOCU
CBKM BOCU
Oct 29

EPS Machine EPS Cutting…

EPS Machine Eps Raw…

EPS Machine EPS Recycling…

EPS Machine EPS Mould;

EPS Machine EPS Block…

EPP Machine EPP Shape…

EPTU Machine ETPU Moulding…

EPS Machine Aging Silo…

EPTU Machine ETPU Moulding…

EPS Machine EPS and…

EPS Machine EPS and…

AEON MINING AEON MINING

AEON MINING AEON MINING

KSD Miner KSD Miner

KSD Miner KSD Miner

BCH Miner BCH Miner

BCH Miner BCH Miner

Like

CBKM BOCU
CBKM BOCU
Oct 29

EPS Machine EPS Cutting…

EPS Machine Eps Raw…

EPS Machine EPS Recycling…

EPS Machine EPS Mould;

EPS Machine EPS Block…

EPP Machine EPP Shape…

EPTU Machine ETPU Moulding…

EPS Machine Aging Silo…

EPTU Machine ETPU Moulding…

EPS Machine EPS and…

EPS Machine EPS and…

AEON MINING AEON MINING

AEON MINING AEON MINING

KSD Miner KSD Miner

KSD Miner KSD Miner

BCH Miner BCH Miner

BCH Miner BCH Miner

Like

CBKM BOCU
CBKM BOCU
Oct 29

EPS Machine EPS Cutting…

EPS Machine Eps Raw…

EPS Machine EPS Recycling…

EPS Machine EPS Mould;

EPS Machine EPS Block…

EPP Machine EPP Shape…

EPTU Machine ETPU Moulding…

EPS Machine Aging Silo…

EPTU Machine ETPU Moulding…

EPS Machine EPS and…

EPS Machine EPS and…

AEON MINING AEON MINING

AEON MINING AEON MINING

KSD Miner KSD Miner

KSD Miner KSD Miner

BCH Miner BCH Miner

BCH Miner BCH Miner

Like
ezgif.com-gif-maker (41).webp

Virtual Art Classes

Live, interactive art lessons from the safety of home. Flexible enrollment. Join in anytime!

ezgif.com-gif-maker (42).webp
ezgif.com-gif-maker (39).webp

Art Mentorship

This is an art program specifically for students who know what they'd like to learn, or those seeking one-on-one style lessons.

ezgif.com-gif-maker (40).webp
ezgif.com-gif-maker (43).webp

Teacher Resources

Doesn't matter what grade you teach, you can use our free teaching resources to help you educate the next generation of artists.

ezgif.com-gif-maker (44).webp

Access the Best Art Education From Anywhere!

winged-canvas-WEB-illys-11.png
bottom of page