How to Draw an Anime Girl from Your Cellphone with a Pencil: A Step-by-Step Guide

Anime characters, especially anime girls, are iconic for their expressive eyes, detailed hairstyles, and unique fashion choices. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, drawing an anime girl with a pencil while using your cellphone for reference is a convenient and rewarding experience.

In this guide, we’ll break down the process into simple steps, giving you the tools to create your anime character directly from the screen of your smartphone by using ar drawing app.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Before diving into the drawing process, make sure you have the following:

• Smartphone: You’ll use this for reference images or tutorials. You can easily search for anime girl sketches, character designs, or step-by-step guides online.
• Pencil: A basic HB pencil works well, but you can also use a range of pencils (2B for shading, 4H for light sketching) for added depth.
• Eraser: A soft eraser will help you correct mistakes without damaging the paper.
• Paper: A smooth surface like sketch paper is ideal.
• Ruler: This can help with creating guidelines and proportions.

Now that you’re set with materials, let’s dive into the actual drawing process.

Step 2: Finding a Reference Image

When drawing from your cellphone, it’s important to find a reference image that clearly shows the style and pose of the anime girl you want to draw. There are many places you can get images or tutorials, such as Pinterest, Instagram, or even anime tutorials on YouTube.

Make sure the reference image is detailed and has a clear, defined style. You can either follow it closely or use it as inspiration to develop your own unique character.

Step 3: Start with Basic Shapes

Anime characters are based on simple geometric shapes. Start by lightly sketching the basic outline of the anime girl using these shapes. This will serve as a foundation before you add in details.

• Head: Start by drawing a circle for the head. This will help you establish the size of the head. You can also lightly draw a vertical line down the center of the circle and a horizontal line to represent the eye level.
• Body: The anime girl’s body is made up of ovals and rectangles. The torso is an elongated rectangle, while the hips can be drawn as a wider oval or trapezoid.
• Limbs: Sketch the arms and legs as simple stick figures or cylinders. This ensures that you capture the correct proportion and flow of the figure.

At this stage, don’t worry about details. Keep the lines light and easy to erase so that you can refine them later.

Step 4: Drawing the Face

One of the most important aspects of drawing an anime girl is getting the face right. Anime faces are typically characterized by large, expressive eyes and small, delicate features.

Step 4.1: Drawing the Eyes

Anime eyes are the most expressive feature, and there are many different styles. Here’s a common approach:

1. Positioning the Eyes: Use the horizontal guideline you drew earlier to help position the eyes. In anime, the eyes are usually placed lower on the face than in realistic human drawings.
2. Size and Shape: Draw large almond shapes or oval shapes, depending on the style. Keep in mind that anime girls often have eyes that are nearly half the width of their face.
3. Details: Add details like the iris, pupil, and highlights to bring the eyes to life. You can add a couple of curved lines for the upper and lower eyelashes to define the shape further.

Step 4.2: Drawing the Nose and Mouth

• Nose: Anime noses are often minimalistic. A small dot, dash, or line on the center guideline can represent the nose.
• Mouth: The mouth is also simple and delicate. It can be a small curved line beneath the nose. If the character is smiling, extend the curve slightly upwards.

Step 5: Drawing the Hair

Anime girl hair is often voluminous and detailed. The hair should frame the face, so start by drawing the hairline and hair strands.

1. Hairline and Bangs: Lightly sketch the hairline along the top of the head. If your reference has bangs, sketch them falling over the forehead in the direction they flow.
2. Add Volume: Anime hair often defies gravity, so exaggerate the flow and volume. Instead of drawing each hair strand, focus on drawing large sections or clumps of hair that follow a general direction.
3. Details: Once the general hair shape is in place, add more detailed strands to give texture.

Step 6: Drawing the Body and Clothes

Anime characters often have stylized proportions with long limbs and slim bodies.

1. Torso and Limbs: Refine the basic stick figure you drew earlier by fleshing out the limbs and torso. Make the lines cleaner, and ensure the proportions match your reference.
2. Clothing: Depending on the style of the anime girl, clothing can range from simple school uniforms to intricate fantasy outfits. Start by sketching the general shape of the clothing, then add folds and details like collars, buttons, or accessories.

Step 7: Adding Details and Shading

With the basic structure and features in place, now you can focus on refining your drawing.

1. Clean Up: Use your eraser to lighten or remove unnecessary guidelines. Darken the final lines to give the drawing a clean look.
2. Shading: Use a softer pencil (like 2B or 4B) to add shading and depth to your drawing. Shade areas like the hair, eyes, and folds in the clothing to give your drawing more dimension.
3. Final Touches: Add any final details such as accessories, jewelry, or background elements. Don’t overdo it — sometimes a minimal approach can enhance the character’s appearance.

Step 8: Practice and Experiment

The best way to improve your anime drawing skills is through practice. Try drawing different types of anime girls in various poses, with different expressions and outfits. As you grow more comfortable, experiment with your style and incorporate your unique flair into each drawing.

Conclusion

Drawing an anime girl with a pencil while using your cellphone for reference is a fun and engaging way to develop your artistic skills. By breaking the process into manageable steps, from finding a reference and sketching basic shapes to adding details and shading, you’ll create a beautiful anime character that expresses your creativity. Keep practicing, experimenting, and most importantly, enjoying the process!