Categories: Easy Drawing

How to Draw Male Anime Characters Step by Step

This tutorial will show you how to draw manga and anime characters for males. This tutorial includes eight examples of popular characters with three versions of each.

 

Anime male characters drawing

This tutorial is all about personality. This tutorial shows you how to take an anime-style male face and make it look different by changing the hairstyle and facial features. This video also shows you how to draw the facial expressions that these characters might use.

These are the character types that this tutorial covers:

  • Average Guy
  • Antagonist/Villain
  • Delinquent
  • Henchman
  • Friendly Guy
  • Wealthy Guy
  • Loner
  • Intellectual

See:

Tutorial Drawing Anime  3DVKARTS.NET Characters

Male Anime Face Shape Breakdown

It’s a good idea first to analyze the characteristics of male anime characters before you start drawing them. Although there are many variations in anime and manga styles, most anime characters have big eyes, small noses, and simplified mouths.

Manga and anime male characters often have the same faces as their female counterparts. Older male characters will have larger faces, wider chins, and narrower eyes, but still bigger than the average. This tutorial will use a generic male face. It can either be a high school student, or an older adult.

The shape of male anime face breakdown

You can break down the generic male anime face shape into the three basic shapes shown in the above example.

Proportions of the Male Character in Anime

Anime male character face proportions

These are the default proportions to which the characters will refer in this tutorial. This is what you will see when someone says “draw the eyebrows lower” or “make your eyes narrower”.

 

These guidelines are meant to help you create male characters that look anime-style. This drawing template might not be applicable to every anime/manga style.

This guide will show you how to draw a male anime face.

Drawing Manga and Anime Male Heads and Faces

Below is a brief overview of how the facial features are placed and the steps involved in drawing them.

  • Eyes: Draw the eyes below the horizontal line drawn through the middle section of the head.
  • Ears Draw the ears in the middle of the horizontal line drawn between the first and bottom lines.
  • Nose Position the nose so that its bottom is at the line for the bottoms of the ears
  • Mouth: Draw the mouth with the bottom lip drawn between the bottoms of the nose, the bottom of your chin, and the mouth itself slightly higher than it

The eyebrows should be slightly higher than the eyes.

Step by Step Drawing of the Anime Male Character

Male anime character face drawing step by step
  1. To ensure that both halves of the head are equal, draw the basic shape.
  2. As described previously, position the facial features.
  3. After placing all facial features, draw the hair
  4. Apply some shading to the areas of the head and face that are not covered by hair.

See:

How To Draw Male Manga Eyes

These characters have hair drawn by:

Step by step Drawing Male Hair for Anime

Drawing an “Average Guy” Anime Male Character

Anime guy face drawing

The “average guy” character is someone viewers can identify with or cheer for. If the protagonist is a woman, these are usually the protagonists in anime and manga.

 

These characters often have messy, medium-length hair.

Anime male character face drawing

Draw the male “protagonist” character using their normal expressions.

A light smile will make your character friendly.

Drawing an animated male character named “Average Guy”

Anime guy happy face drawing

This type of character can have a happy smile. This is usually a smile that the main male character gives to a character they enjoy, such as the female protagonist.

Anime male character happy face drawing

Draw the smile of an “average guy” by raising your eyebrows and squinting your eyes. Smile. Keep the mouth open and smile.

Drawing a relaxed “Average Guy” Anime Male Character

Anime guy relaxed face drawing

Another expression this character could use is “What am I gonna have for dinner tonight?” This is a relaxed/wonderful expression that goes along the lines of “What’s for dinner tonight?”

Anime male character relaxed face drawing

To create a relaxed, slightly puzzled expression, raise the eyebrows slightly at the inner corners and draw your pupils higher (to make your eyes look rolled up).

The mouth should be in an “O-shaped” shape. The jaw can be drawn lower because the mouth is open. However, this is an option. The jaws of many anime characters are drawn in the exact same spot, even though the mouth is open.

 

Drawing an Antagonist/Villain-Anime Male Character

Anime villain guy face drawing

This is the look that most “main villains” in sci-fi and fantasy shows and manga have. They are intelligent, strong, and calm, confident.

These men often have long hair.

 

Anime villain male character face drawing

The villain’s normal look is to have the inner eyebrows slightly lower than the rest. The irises should be slightly smaller than the “protagonist” eyes. Make the pupils smaller.

In light upside-down curves, draw the mouth and hint of the bottom lips.

Combining the facial features in this way will give the “villain’ a confident, but unfriendly/stuck-up look.

Drawing an Angry Antagonist/Villain-Anime Male Character

Anime villain guy angry face drawing

This is a common expression that villains use when they get angry/angry/upset.

Anime villain male character angry face drawing

To create an angry look, draw your eyebrows closer together. To further signal that the eyebrows are being squeezed together, add a hint of wrinkles in between them. Draw your eyes narrowly and make the iris smaller than normal.

The eyes will appear colder and less caring if they are not drawn to reflections.

The mouth should be drawn open, and the shape of the mouth should look like the number 8 that has been turned on its side. The mouth can be made slightly wider on one end and a hint of the split between top and bottom teeth by using curved lines.

See:

How to Draw Hand Poses Step by Step

Drawing a Scheming Antagonist/Villain Male Animation Character

Anime villain guy scheming face drawing

Another expression that a negative anime/manga character will likely have is the scheming/plotting expression. This is the face they use to anticipate their success.

Anime villain male character scheming face drawing

Draw a clever expression by raising the eyebrows at the inner ends. Then, look down and lower your top eyelids. Add a hint of the split between the top and bottom teeth to draw a smile on the mouth. This will make your smile appear more friendly and more like you are grin.

Drawing a male Delinquent/Thug Anime Character

Anime thug guy face drawing

A “delinquent” character is usually a bully or a thug. These characters are often negative and cause trouble for other characters in anime or manga.

A goatee and wild hair can make a great combination for the delinquent.

Here’s a tutorial for drawing facial hair anime style:

How To Draw Anime Facial hair – Beards and Mustaches

Anime thug male character face drawing

Draw the eyebrows in their natural positions to give the delinquent a normal appearance. The eyes should be drawn with the lower eyelids curving down. Draw the pupils smaller than normal. You should leave enough space between your irises (and the bottom of your eyelids) to allow for proper spacing. A pair of small, curved lines can give the appearance of bags under your eyes.

Draw the mouth in an upside-down curve. Next, draw the bottom lip.

Combining facial feature adjustments with a skewed look will give the delinquent an unfriendly, slightly crazy, and dumb appearance.

Drawing a grinning delinquent/thug male anime character

Anime thug guy bullying face drawing

When they see someone they like, a thug/delinquent is likely to smile.

Anime thug male character grinning face drawing

Draw a grinning expression to the deluded character by lowering the eyebrows.

Draw the mouth smiling, but with a hint about the teeth (same for the villain).

Drawing a Bullying Delinquent/Thug Male Animal Character

Anime thug guy grinning face drawing

When they are able to corner their target, the bully/thug will likely use the “bullying smile” expression.

Anime thug male character bullying face drawing

One eyebrow should be raised and one lowered for the “bullying” face of the delinquent/thug. You should squint the eye below the lower eyebrow and open the eyebrow slightly wider than usual.

The drawing should be done with the smile/grin tilted to one end. Draw the top of the mouth upside-down (as opposed to the previous example).

Drawing a Male Anime Character called “Henchman”

Anime henchman face drawing

The “henchman”, which is the most common-looking character in manga and anime, is probably the most boring. They all look pretty much the same if there is more than one. These characters are often minor minions or security guards.

These characters may benefit from a “buzz cut”.

Anime henchman character face drawing

Draw the “henchman” character, with the eyebrows at their normal level. Draw your eyes slightly lower than normal, and with the iris smaller than normal. By only drawing one small reflection per eye, you can make the eyes appear less caring. A pair of curved lines can give the appearance of bags beneath your eyes.

Draw the mouth upside-down.

This combination will give the character a non-caring, unfriendly, and somewhat tired appearance. This could be a guard who has been working a long shift.

Drawing an Alarmed “Henchman”, Male Anime Character

Anime henchman alarmed face drawing

The “henchman” characters will get the “alarmed” look when they notice a break-in or are guarding something.

Anime henchman character alarmed face drawing

To create an “alarmed” look, place the eyebrows lower on the head and closer together. However, one should be slightly higher than the others. To show how they are squeezed together, you can draw wrinkles between your eyebrows. The eyes should be drawn slightly to the side, one eye opens wide and one closed.

Draw your mouth with an even more upside-down curve than usual.

Drawing a Male Anime Character with a Scared “Henchman”,

Anime henchman scared face drawing

After seeing that the intruder/s are too much to handle, the “henchman’ can make a scared face.

Anime henchman character scared face drawing

Draw the “henchman” in a scared expression with their eyes open and eyebrows raised. Draw the iris smaller than usual, leaving some white space between them and the top and lower eyelids.

The mouth should be drawn in an “8” shape, with the teeth visible and the bottom of the lip in an upside-down curve.

Drawing a friendly male anime character

Anime-friendly guy face drawing

The “friendly guy”, or positive support character, is often the protagonist’s best friend.

For the “friendly guy”, a short, messy hairstyle can work well because it can reflect a laid-back personality.

Anime-friendly male character face drawing

Draw the eyebrows as they are in the natural state for the “friendly guy” look. Make the eyes larger (longer) and the iris and all of it bigger than the example at the beginning.

Give your mouth a gentle smile.

A friendlier appearance will be achieved by having larger eyes. A light smile will add to this effect.

Drawing a content-friendly male anime character

Anime-friendly guy content face drawing

A friendly person is more likely to smile contently after helping someone.

Anime-friendly male character content face drawing

Draw the “friendly guy” with his eyebrows raised and his eyes closed for a happy, content look. The closed eyes are hair with dark curves that are similar to the eyebrows.

Make a bigger smile with your mouth than in the previous example.

You can draw anime eyes in various states by visiting:

Drawing Closed, Closing, and Squinted Anime eyes

Draw a surprise male anime character

Anime-friendly guy surprised face drawing

They are light-shocked faces like they meet their friend unexpectedly.

Anime-friendly male character-friendly face drawing

To achieve the “lightly shocked” look, raise your eyebrows slightly wider than usual and open your eyes slightly wider.

With your jaw open, position your chin slightly lower so that only the top row is visible.

This will give the character a “happy to bump into” look.

Drawing a “Wealthy Guy”, Anime Male Character

Anime wealthy guy face drawing

Characters who are “wealthy guys” tend to be wealthy and successful. They often tend to look down upon those of lower status around them.

Anime wealthy male character face drawing

The eyebrows should be slightly lower than the “wealthy man’s” normal face. Draw your eyes slightly lower than normal, and the irises slightly smaller than normal.

Draw the mouth with a hint or a smile, but instead of one curve drawing it, draw it with several curves (one curve for each side).

Combining these features will give the character a confident, but slightly sly appearance.

Drawing a disgusted “Wealthy Guy”, Anime Male Character

Anime wealthy guy disgusted face drawing

When they see someone or something they find beneath them, the “wealthy”, the archetype of character tends to give a disgusted expression.

Anime wealthy male character disgusted face drawing

Draw the “wealthy man’s” face with a disgruntled look by drawing the eyebrows in the opposite direction to their normal curves. Draw the eyebrows closer together by raising the eyebrows’ inner ends. The eyes should be slightly squinted.

Draw your mouth upside-down, with the teeth visible. You can also flip the bottom lip upside-down.

Drawing an animated male character of a smiling “Wealthy Guy”

Anime wealthy guy smiling face drawing

Another expression that this character is known for is a fake smile. If the character is well-known, they will often do this in front of their fans.

Anime wealthy male character smiling face drawing

This expression is similar to the friendly guy content look. The closed eyes can be drawn with curves that are similar to those of the eyebrows.

Draw your mouth with a smile, but add a few teeth to each side to make it appear a little friendlier.

Drawing an “Anime Man” Character

Anime loner guy face drawing

Male loner characters can be shy, socially awkward, or just plain dislike other people. These characters can have positive or negative effects depending on the story.

Anime loner male character face drawing

The “loner” look is achieved by raising the eyebrows slightly. The top eyelids should be slightly lower than the bottom. Draw the curves on the bottom of the eyelids. Keep the iris small. Add a few curves to the underside of the eyes to show bags (as if the character has not slept in a while).

Draw the mouth upside-down.

These combined features will give the “loner”, a slightly uncaring, and unfriendly appearance.

Drawing an animated male character named “Loner” Tired

Anime loner guy tired face drawing

Another expression that is common for loner characters is the tired face. They may play online games all night and wake up tired the next morning.

Anime loner male character tired face drawing

To create a “loner’s look, draw your eyebrows upside-down with the inner ends raised. Draw the upper eyelids in the opposite direction of the normal curves, lower down.

The mouth should be the same as normal.

Drawing a “Loner” Anime Male Character

Anime loner guy scared face drawing

This is the most common expression that anime/manga loners make. This could be when they are bullied, or when they are uncomfortable (such as having to socialize with other people).

Anime loner male character scared face drawing

To give the loner a nervous/nervous appearance, raise the eyebrows (especially the inner ends) in the opposite direction to their normal curves. With smaller than usual irises, open your eyes wide. The eyebrows should only cover the top of your irises.

Draw your mouth with the teeth showing the number 8 on the side (similar to the previous example). In an upside-down curve, add a hint of the bottom lips.

Drawing an “Intellectual” Male Animation Character

Anime intellectual guy face drawing

Manga and anime don’t necessarily portray a weak or shy male character as the “intellectual” type. These characters can often be both intelligent and physically strong. These characters are often the president of the school council or another type of leader.

Anime intellectual male character face drawing

Draw the eyebrows naturally with eyes slightly wider than the default character at the beginning of the tutorial to create the “intellectual” look. Also, make the iris slightly smaller. A character with smaller or narrower eyes will look more serious.

To make the character more serious, draw the mouth in an upside-down curve.

Drawing a Male Anime Character with Concerned Intellectual Content

Anime intellectual guy concerned face drawing

The “intellectual” character will likely make the concerned expression or “thinking” expression.

Anime intellectual male characters concerned with face drawing

Draw the eyebrows closer together and lower than normal. The irises should be slightly rolled and positioned closer together.

Draw your mouth upside-down, but slightly higher than normal.

Drawing an “Intellectual” Surprised Male Anime Character

Anime intellectual guy surprised face drawing

When they make a discovery, the “intellectuals” might make a surprised face.

Anime intellectual male character surprised face drawing

Draw the surprised look of the “intellectual” character by raising your eyebrows (especially the inner ens). Then, open the eyes wide with small pupils. The mouth should be drawn in an “O” shape. Optionally, you can draw your jaw slightly lower because the mouth is open.

Conclusion

This tutorial will show you how to draw some of the most popular manga and anime male characters. It also shows examples of their facial features, expressions, and hairstyles. There is so much to draw, that it’s difficult to show all of it in one tutorial. You can look at the manga and anime you like to see more examples. You can also play with the characters’ personalities by combining facial features from one character and seeing what results you get.

You can find more tutorials about male anime characters at:

  • Step by Step Drawing Male Anime Faces
  • 12 Anime Male Expressions Chart & Drawing Instruction
  • Step by step Drawing an Anime Boy Full-Body
  • Tutorial Face Drawing for Anime Man
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