Simple Tips for Drawing Manga Faces

If you’re just starting out with manga art, drawing expressive and well-proportioned faces can be challenging. But worry no more! Andrea Cofrancesco’s course, “Draw a Manga Character from Scratch”, is full of step-by-step lessons on how to draw in the manga style. Let’s go through some of Andrea’s tips to help you get started!

Start with Basic Shapes

Most manga faces begin with a simple shape (as shown above) with a lightly drawn cross to mark the centerline. This helps position the eyes, nose, and mouth symmetrically. When drawing manga faces in different perspectives, adjust the centerlines to help guide where to place the facial features!

Keep the Eyes Large

Manga eyes are often exaggerated and are a key component to drawing a manga face. To draw them, start with a curved top eyelid and a flatter bottom line! 

One thing to note is that, although the eyes take up much of the face, Andrea Cofrancesco points to the eyebrows as what creates the expression. He says, “In my personal approach, the eyebrows are even more important [than the eyes] because they define the mood of the character a lot.” We’ll talk more about manga expressions in just a bit!

Simplify the Nose & Mouth 

Unlike realistic art, manga noses are often just a small line or dot, especially in front views. The mouth is usually a simple curve and can be drawn wider for bigger expressions such as a smile or shout!

Pay Attention to Chin & Jawline

For a classic manga look, taper the chin to a soft point! The jawline should be smooth, with a slight curve unless you’re intentionally drawing a very angular face.

Play with Hair & Proportions

Hair in manga can be as imaginative as you’d like! Since the world of manga isn’t real, we can defy gravity and create any shape we want! To draw the hair, block out the basic shape before adding smaller strands. Starting with the overall shape will help you avoid adding too much detail or overcomplicating the lineart. 

Tip: Try touching your scalp! Notice how the hair isn’t completely flat on the skull. Unless you’re in a gelled slickback for a strict ballroom competition, even the flattest hairstyles will have a sliver of space between the skin and the tippy top of the hair. So when drawing the hair, make sure the hair is drawn slightly larger than the head’s outline!

Practice Expressions

As said earlier, much of the expression lies in the eyebrows. Tilt the eyebrows downward for an angry look, arched for a surprised look, etc. Then, use the mouth to push the expression further! Try sketching the same face with different emotions using just the brows and mouth. You’ll find that even the smallest change makes a big difference!

Final Tip: Use References!

Study your favorite manga artists and practice drawing in their styles. The goal isn’t to copy their art style but to learn and glean inspiration from artists you’re inspired by! Over time, you’ll develop your own unique approach!

So, do you think you have what it takes to draw manga characters? Apply what you’ve learned using our FREE PDF worksheet and check out the rest of Andrea Cofrancesco’s course and start your manga drawing journey today! The first few lessons are completely FREE to watch, covering the digital brushes Andrea Cofrancesco personally uses, body proportions, and more. You got this and good luck artists!