How to draw a manga girl
A manga schoolgirl with twin tails mixes a simple face with big hair shapes. The lesson helps you balance the two, so the hair frames the face instead of swallowing it.
- Manga
- Beginner
- 35 min
- 9 stages
Draw on paper with any pencil or pen. Compare each stage with the guide before you move on.
Stage by stage
Big shapes
Sketch the largest ovals and boxes with light marks.
Check before you move on: Do the big shapes fill the page like the reference?
Proportions
Compare height and width, then add a center line.
Check before you move on: Are the main height-to-width ratios close?
Placement
Mark the positions of the main parts before adding detail.
Check before you move on: Are the main parts in the right places?
Outer contour
Choose one clear outline over your light guides.
Check before you move on: Does the silhouette match the reference?
Interior edges
Add only the inner edges that explain the form.
Check before you move on: Can you understand the form without extra lines?
Shadow shapes
Fill the largest shadow areas with one pale tone.
Check before you move on: Are light and shadow clearly separated?
Midtones
Add a middle tone between the light and shadow.
Check before you move on: Can you see light, middle and dark groups?
Accents
Deepen a few dark accents where forms overlap.
Check before you move on: Are the darkest marks limited and deliberate?
Finish
Refine a few focal details and keep the rest simple.
Check before you move on: Does one focal area stand out?
Tips for this drawing
- Draw the head as a circle with a center line and an eye line, then add the jaw below.
- Place the eyes along the eye line, about one eye width apart, and keep the nose and mouth small.
- Draw the twin tails as big, flowing shapes first, then split them into a few clumps of strands.
Make a lesson like this from your own photo
Sketchwise builds a guide image for every stage, checks your page along the way and scores the finished drawing.
