In this free art lesson, you’ll learn how to draw a Manga Girl with long hair step-by-step. All of the tutorials on How2DrawManga.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw manga step by step.
To learn how to draw long hair, we will be using the Basic Girl Head / Face template that we created in a previous tutorial. Click on the link below to complete the Head and Face drawing first:
After you have your drawing for the Basic Head / Face, follow the step-by-step drawings below to add the long hair. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you’ll know exactly what to draw next. Take your time and draw at your own pace.
Intro: Start off with a pencil sketch. In the beginning stages, don’t press down too hard. For every step, sketch lightly at first so that it’s easy to erase if you make a mistake
Step 1: On the top edge of the head, draw a short curved line for the first part of the top of the hair. On the left side of the head, draw a long, curved line for the first part of the side of the hair. The line should overlap the ear. Near the bottom, draw an extra thin, pointy shape for a thin clump of hair. The bottom-most tip should curve to the right. You can make this line longer if you want and if you have enough room on your paper.
Step 2: Inside the head, draw another long curved line for the inner edge of the front chunk of long hair. This line should start above the eyebrow on the right and then curve up first before curving back down and to the left. The wavy line should then overlap a bit of the eye and the cheek. At the bottom, this line should meet the first line and create a pointy tip.
Step 3: On the right side of the head, draw a series of similar lines. Draw the two sides similar but they don’t have to be exactly the same. On the left side the line can extend farther to the right than the ear. Add a longer strand of hair near the middle of the main line. At the bottom curve the line to the left. The two sides don’t have to be symmetrical but make sure they’re the same length at the bottom.
Step 4: Draw more lines on the right side of the face for the inner edge of the hair chunk. At the top, this line should curve up before curving down. It’s okay to overlap the eye. Add a couple of pointy shapes at the bottom that curve to the right. When you draw hair, don’t draw every individual hair strand. Instead, draw big chunks of hair like these.
Step 5: At the top, draw a series of lines within the curvature of the previous hair chunks for the roots and hairline. Curve these lines. The lines near the middle should be longer than the lines on the outer sides. The lines on the bottom should be the same length to create the hairline above the forehead.
Step 6: Starting above the head, draw a long line that curves to the left of the head and then curves downward for the back of the hair. Follow the curvature of the head as you draw this line. The line should end at the shoulder to indicate the the hair continues on her back. Near the bottom, draw a thin, long shape for another chunk of hair.
Step 7: To the right of the head, draw another long, curved line for the other side of the back of the head. Follow the curvature of the head as you draw the line. Keep the back of the hair close the head so that the hair isn’t too poofy.
Step 8: Add a few more long, curved lines throughout the shape of the hair for extra detail on the hair strands. The lines at the top should be shorter to indicate a part in the hair. Don’t draw too many of these lines; just a few to give more structure.
Step 9: Using a pen or marker, go over the lines to make your drawing permanent. Ink slowly and carefully to avoid accidents. Don’t ink the parts of the ears that are behind the clumps of hair. If you’d like, you can draw the eyebrows over the hair like in the image or omit everything that is behind the hair. It all depends on personal style. Some manga artists draw the eyebrows over the hair because it’s a bit see-through and others don’t. It’s up to you. After the ink dries, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser.
Final Step: Color your drawing! This drawing was colored digitally but you can achieve the same result using color pencils, markers or crayons! Using light orange or yellow-orange, color a few streaks across the top of the hair for highlights. Use orange for the rest of the hair and don’t overlap the highlights. Use light brown for along the top and bottom of the hair for some shadows. Color lightly at first and slowly blend the colors together. For an easier drawing, just color the entire hair a single orange color. You can also use any other color you want. Manga characters are always colorful so use, green, pink, purple or any other color you want for the hair.
Use peach for the skin. Add a bit of pink to the cheeks for blush. Use a bit of light brown under the head for a shadow. Color the irises dark green at the top and gradually add light green at the bottom. Using two colors gives the iris a more rounded feel. For a simpler drawing, you can also just use a single color for the iris. You can also use any other color you’d like for the eyes. Don’t overlap the tiny highlight circles inside the eyes as you color the irises.
That’s it! Keep practicing until you get the hair right. Draw it again and again using different colors and eventually you’ll get better! Bookmark this page for different upcoming hairstyles.
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