{"id":25953654,"date":"2026-04-10T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/?p=25953654"},"modified":"2026-04-21T14:21:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T21:21:26","slug":"how-to-draw-anime-hair-a-step-by-step-tutorial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/how-to-draw-anime-hair-a-step-by-step-tutorial\/","title":{"rendered":"How to draw anime hair: a step-by-step tutorial"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This is a guest tutorial by Joseph Lu. Check out some of his other tutorials at <a href=\"https:\/\/tips.clip-studio.com\/en-us\/search?user=Joseph77\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clip Studio Tips<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hi! In this tutorial, I\u2019ll guide you step by step on how to draw anime hair correctly using Clip Studio Paint software. Check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_4LkIdSrgWM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tutorial video here<\/a>, or keep reading for the full tutorial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"How to draw anime hair in CSP\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_4LkIdSrgWM?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before we start, prepare your own anime head drawing. Alternatively, you can download my head drawing <a href=\"https:\/\/freeimage.host\/i\/q6y4Esj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">at this link <\/a>and follow along with me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"618\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953656\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-2.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-2-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-2-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1100px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Preparing Line Art<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you\u2019ve downloaded the file and opened it in Clip Studio Paint, go to <strong>Edit \u2192 Convert Brightness to Opacity<\/strong>. This is a convenient way to remove the white background and keep only the line art. Then, create a new layer underneath the line art layer and fill it with white to use as the background. Now everything is set up and ready for us to start learning drawing hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"618\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953657\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-5.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-5-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-5-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1100px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Common Beginner Mistake #1: Skipping the Scalp<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A common mistake beginners make is drawing the hair without first establishing the scalp or base shape. <strong>Hair grows on top of the scalp, not directly from the face outline.<\/strong> If we skip this step, the entire hairstyle can end up looking flat or incorrectly positioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"618\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953658\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-6.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-6-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-6-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1100px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I like to think of the scalp as the foundation for the hairstyle. By sketching it first, it becomes much easier to wrap the hair naturally around the head. We can then erase the scalp at the final stage. Lets focus on the anime girl character first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 1: Make Sure the Scalp Is Drawn First<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Make sure to draw the scalp if you are using your own anime head drawing. In anime-style drawing, the scalp is usually simplified into a <strong>round or circular shape<\/strong>. This circle represents the top and back of the head and helps guide where the hair should sit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"480\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953659\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-7.jpg 480w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-7-384x600.jpg 384w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-7-128x200.jpg 128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Common Beginner Mistake #2: Drawing Hair Strand by Strand from the Start<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s tempting for beginners to fill the hair with lots of small lines, but this often makes the hairstyle look flat and messy, and it becomes harder to control the overall hair design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, mark the hair whorl first, then focusing on designing the overall flow of the hair using larger hair chunks. I\u2019ll explain this more clearly in the next two steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"618\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953660\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-8.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-8-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-8-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1100px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, try to avoid drawing individual hair strands right from the beginning. It doesn't typically lead to good hair design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 2: Mark the Hair Whorl<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hair does not grow straight down evenly from the entire scalp. Instead, it usually spreads outward from a specific area on the top of the scalp. When viewed from a high angle, you can see that the hair grow from a line or point, which is called the <strong>hair whorl<\/strong> (highlighted in red below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"619\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953661\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-9.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-9-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-9-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1100px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyone has a hair whorl, but its position can vary from person to person. In anime drawing, we usually simplify this by placing the hair whorl on the <strong>left, center, or right<\/strong> of the scalp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"769\" height=\"440\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-10-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953686\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-10-1.jpg 769w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-10-1-480x275.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 769px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lower the opacity of the head layer, then create a new layer on top to start drawing. In this example, let\u2019s place the hair whorl at the middle, which is around the center of her head. Since the head is an oval, the mid point always stays in the middle at any angle. By marking the hair whorl first, it becomes much easier to design the flow of the hairstyle using hair chunks in the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 3: Design the Flow of the Hairstyle Using Hair Chunks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When designing hair chunks, think of the hairstyle as being divided into three main sections: the <strong>bangs (front)<\/strong>, the <strong>sides<\/strong>, and the <strong>rear (back)<\/strong>. This applies to both short and long hairstyles. Keeping these three sections in mind helps guide the direction of your hair chunks. It prevents you from drawing them randomly and gives the hairstyle a clearer flow and structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"634\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-12.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953662\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-12.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-12-980x565.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-12-480x277.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1100px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this example, let\u2019s draw a moderately short hairstyle for this anime girl. After marking the hair whorl, start by drawing the <strong>front section (bangs)<\/strong>. Divide it into three hair chunks, with the middle chunk larger than the two on the sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Personally, I find it easier to start my lines at the hair whorl and extend them downward to form each hair chunk. You can try starting your lines from the hair whorl or maybe from the sides or bottom if that feels more comfortable for you. No matter where you begin your lines, remember that <strong>the hair whorl is the origin point of the hair<\/strong>. Because of this, the hair chunks should <strong>visually connect back toward the hair whorl<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, draw the <strong>side<\/strong> hair chunk. Make this chunk longer and slightly sharper, giving it <strong>a different shape design<\/strong> compared to the front chunks. You can also optionally add a small sideburn near the ear, which we will draw in this tutorial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"726\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-13-14.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953666\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-13-14.jpg 726w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-13-14-480x352.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 726px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lastly, draw the back hair chunk, which is the largest of all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Hair Drawing Tip: Flow Direction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When designing hair chunks, you can also <strong>change the flow of the hair<\/strong>. Instead of having all the hair chunks fall straight downward around the scalp, you can adjust the direction of some chunks to create a more interesting design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"890\" height=\"605\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-15-16.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953667\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-15-16.jpg 890w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-15-16-480x326.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 890px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this example, we can erase and make the <strong>side hair chunk flow backward toward the ear<\/strong> instead of covering it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you can see, we have constructed an interesting volumetric hair design without drawing a bunch of messy hair strand lines. Once you are satisfied with the overall hair chunk layout design, you can start turning the chunks into hair strands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 4: Detailing each hair chunk into hairstrands<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Common Beginner Mistake #3: Drawing Each Hair Strand the Same Pattern<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beginners often draw each hair strand with <strong>similar width and length<\/strong>, which results in a <strong>stiff, unnatural hairstyle<\/strong>. To make the hairstyle look <strong>natural and interesting<\/strong>, make sure the strands vary in height and width&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;some taller, some shorter, some wider, and some narrower. A little repetition is fine, but <strong>avoid repeating the same size across the entire hairstyle<\/strong>. I personally like to think in terms of <strong>big, medium, and small<\/strong> when drawing each hair strand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"698\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-17.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953668\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-17.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-17-980x622.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-17-480x305.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1100px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another useful technique for drawing hair strands is to <strong>focus on the negative shapes<\/strong>, which are the small <strong>triangular gaps between strands<\/strong> (highlighted in light red below). Try to make the triangular gaps vary in shape and size in each hair chunk to keep the hairstyle natural and interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"777\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-18.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953669\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-18.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-18-980x692.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-18-480x339.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1100px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 4b: Adding Unique Individual Strands (Optional)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To make the character\u2019s hairstyle <strong>more unique<\/strong>, you can add <strong>individual strands<\/strong> that stand out from the main hair flow. In this example, we can add a strand on top of the hair whorl flowing in a different direction, and two strands around the side hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"469\" height=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-19.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953670\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-19.jpg 469w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-19-410x600.jpg 410w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-19-137x200.jpg 137w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 469px) 100vw, 469px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 5: Clean Line Art<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once we are satisfied with everything, go back to the head layer and erase the scalp where the hair is covering it. Then lower the hair layer opacity and create a new layer on top to draw clean line art for the hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"553\" height=\"697\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-20.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953671\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-20.jpg 553w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-20-480x605.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 553px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Hair Drawing Tip: Line Weight<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can enrich the line weight by <strong>thickening the lines between hair gaps<\/strong> to create <strong>occlusion shadows<\/strong>. You can also use an eraser to <strong>gradually taper the lines<\/strong> as they approach the hair whorl. Leaving some <strong>blank space<\/strong> also helps the hair look more natural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-22.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953673\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-22.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-22-980x593.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-22-480x291.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1100px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Hair Drawing Tip: Detailing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can keep the hair clean as it is now, or add as many strand details as you want depending on your art style and preference. In general, if you do not plan to color, you can add more details, similar to a monochrome manga or comic style. However, if you intend to proceed to coloring, <strong>keep the line art clean for coloring<\/strong>, so you have more room to develop the details during the coloring stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"692\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-24.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953674\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-24.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-24-980x617.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-24-480x302.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1100px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now you should have a better idea of how to draw anime hair step by step! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s go through another example&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;this time, an anime boy\u2019s hairstyle. The method is exactly the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 1: Draw the Scalp<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Make sure the scalp is drawn first before adding the hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"533\" height=\"663\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-25.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953675\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-25.jpg 533w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-25-480x597.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 533px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 2: Mark the Hair Whorl<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just like with anime girls, the hair whorl can be placed on the <strong>left, center, or right side of the scalp<\/strong>. Lower the head layer opacity and create a new layer on top to start drawing the hair. This time, let\u2019s place it on the character\u2019s left side to create a right-swept hairstyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1087\" height=\"387\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-26-27.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953676\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-26-27.jpg 1087w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-26-27-980x349.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-26-27-480x171.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1087px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 3: Design the Flow of the Hairstyle Using Hair Chunks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Boys in general have shorter hair, but just like girls, the hair can be split into three sections: <strong>bangs (front)<\/strong>, <strong>side<\/strong>, and <strong>rear (back)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"521\" height=\"351\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-28.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953677\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-28.jpg 521w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-28-480x323.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 521px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start by drawing the front hair from the hair whorl. Draw one larger and one smaller chunk, both flowing toward his right side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Anime Hair Drawing Tip: Flow Direction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can always experiment with drawing hair chunks in different flow directions. In this case, I feel the front hair doesn\u2019t always have to fall straight down \u2013&nbsp;it can also be styled to the side. So here, we can draw the left front section flowing backward toward the left side, slightly covering part of the ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-29-31.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953678\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-29-31.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-29-31-980x361.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-29-31-480x177.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1100px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After that, we can design a longer hair chunk on his right side to help differentiate it from the other chunks. Lastly, we can draw the side and back sections as one connected chunk to complete the overall chunk design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"491\" height=\"548\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-32.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953679\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-32.jpg 491w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-32-480x536.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 491px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 4: Detailing each hair chunk into hair strands<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just like how we drew the girl\u2019s hair earlier, start refining each hair chunk into strands. Try to <strong>vary the width and length<\/strong> of each strand to make the hair look more natural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 4b: Adding Unique Individual Strands (Optional)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We can also add a few <strong>flipped-up strands<\/strong>, which are very common in male anime hairstyles. However, be careful not to add too many, unless you\u2019re aiming for a spiky or messy hairstyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"997\" height=\"528\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-33-34.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953680\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-33-34.jpg 997w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-33-34-980x519.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-33-34-480x254.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 997px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 5: Clean Line Art<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just like how we draw girls' hair, ease the scalp then draw a clean line art on a new layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"567\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-35.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953681\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-35.jpg 584w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-35-480x466.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 584px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Anime Hair Drawing Tip: Line Weight<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Enrich the lineweight by thickening the hair gap as occlusion shadow and taper the lines as they converge into the hair whorl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"624\" height=\"652\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-36.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953682\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-36.jpg 624w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-36-480x502.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 624px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Anime Hair Drawing Tip: Detailing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once your hair drawing looks solid in its simple form, you can decide whether to add more strand details to enhance it. If you plan to move on to coloring, keep the line art clean for more room to develop the details during the coloring stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"734\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-37.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953683\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-37.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-37-980x654.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-37-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1100px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s a wrap! You\u2019ve now learned how to draw anime hair step by step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"772\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-38.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25953684\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-38.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-38-980x630.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/04\/Anime-Hair-38-480x309.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1200px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Want more tutorials? Check out my other ones at <a href=\"https:\/\/tips.clip-studio.com\/en-us\/search?user=Joseph77\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clip Studio Tips<\/a>. Keep practicing, have fun, and I\u2019ll see you in the next one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/09\/MovinkPad11-InUse-Cafe-Best-Tablets-Beginners-Feature-1080x540.jpg\" alt=\"MovinkPad11-InUse-Cafe-Best-Tablets-Beginners-Feature\" class=\"wp-image-820572\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/09\/MovinkPad11-InUse-Cafe-Best-Tablets-Beginners-Feature-980x490.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/09\/MovinkPad11-InUse-Cafe-Best-Tablets-Beginners-Feature-480x240.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1080px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Want more drawing tutorials? Learn to draw with Wacom<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check out Wacom's <a href=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/learn-how-to-draw-with-wacom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn to Draw page<\/a> for tons of tutorials for character design, anime &amp; manga, and more digital drawing tips from the experts!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this tutorial, I\u2019ll guide you step by step on how to draw anime hair correctly using Clip Studio Paint software<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159,"featured_media":25953655,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2919,2317,6021,2338,2553],"tags":[6160],"class_list":["post-25953654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-manga","category-digital-drawing-painting","category-how-to-draw","category-how-to","category-learn-manga-anime","tag-joseph-lu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25953654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25953654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25953654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25953655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25953654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25953654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25953654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}