A beginner-friendly guide to learning how to draw a great-looking Anime Head and Face in Side View with easy, step by step drawing instructions and video tutorial. Great for beginner artists!

Jump to the step-by-step instructions.
This anime head and face in side view drawing guide will allow you to quickly and easily draw an anime character in profile.
Below, we will look at how to draw an anime girl's head in side view, one shape and line at a time. You will need to draw guidelines and erase them later, so grab a pencil and an eraser.
Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.
If you’d rather draw an anime face from a different angle, see this drawing tutorial on how to draw an anime face in front view or this 3/4 view face drawing reference.
Step-by-Step Tutorial for Drawing an Anime Head and Face in Side View

Let's learn how to draw an anime girl when viewed from the side.
Anime Head and Face in Side View drawing - Step 1

1. Begin by drawing a grid of guidelines. First, draw a straight vertical and a straight horizontal line that meet in the bottom left corner of the page. Then draw another pair of horizontal and vertical lines that meet in the middle of the page. Finally, draw shorter horizontal lines at the top and three-quarters down the page.
Now, draw a circle from the top to the three-quarter guideline. Most anime head drawings start with a simple circle.
Next, let's start drawing anime facial features.
Anime Head and Face in Side View drawing - Step 2

2. From the horizontal midline, extend a wavy line below the circle. When it reaches the bottom horizontal line, angle it back up toward the point where the vertical line intersects the circle, but don't connect it.
This outlines the girl's nose, mouth, and chin. After a break in the line, continue drawing a curved line toward the same point.
Above this line, draw the ear. Use the perpendicular cross guide to size and position the ear.
Use overlapping curved lines to detail the folds of the ear. Draw a small circle to indicate an earring. (See this guide to learn how to draw ears.)
Anime Head and Face in Side View drawing - Step 3

3. Erase the vertical guideline. Then, detail the face.
Start by drawing the eye. Place it just below the middle horizontal line. The eye has a square corner like a classic anime eye, but because of the perspective, it is more conical in shape.
Use curved lines to trace the side and top of the eye, including the lash line and eyelid. Below this, shade a small oval with a larger oval surrounding it to form the pupil and iris of the eye.
Use curved lines to enclose the eyebrow and indicate the mouth. Position the mouth halfway between the nose and the tip of the chin.
For more detailed facial features drawing tutorials, see how to draw female anime eyes, how to draw anime mouths, easy nose drawing, and how to eyebrows.
Anime Head and Face in Side View drawing - Step 4

4. Erase the horizontal guidelines, then begin drawing the girl's hair. Use curved lines that intersect and meet at points. Then, extend two lines to outline the neck.
Anime Head and Face in Side View drawing - Step 5

5. Use long curved lines to sketch the back of the head. Notice how the lines overlap at the back.
Below the ear, draw shorter curved lines that meet at points.
Anime Head and Face in Side View drawing - Step 6

6. Erase the remaining guidelines from the original circle. Texture the hair with curved lines, and enclose the round shape of the hairband on the back of the head.
Anime Head and Face in Side View drawing - Step 7

7. Draw the girl's ponytail. Use curved lines that meet at a point to outline the hairdo, then texture it with curved lines.
Anime Head and Face in Side View drawing - Step 8

8. Erase any remaining guidelines.
What to draw next?
Now that you've mastered the female manga head in profile, what else can you do? Can you change her hairstyle or draw her a different facial expression?
You can learn how to draw male characters, too. Check out this anime boy's face in profile and discover new ways to color his hair or to shape his face.
For another side profile drawing guide, see How to Draw a Curly Hair Anime Girl.
You can learn to draw your own anime and manga characters with our free drawing tutorials. Our series of drawing guides covers drawing anime and manga characters from the neck down, including faces, bodies, facial features, and expressions, hair, clothing, and emotions. All of our easy anime drawings are available here.

Click HERE to save the tutorial to Pinterest!
Printable Drawing Tutorial
This printable is for members only. Join now!

Learn how to get access to thousands of printable pages!

MEMBER TROUBLESHOOTING
Still seeing ads or not being able to download the PDF?
First, check that you're logged in. You can log in on the member login page.
If you're still not able to download the PDF, the likely solution is to reload the page.
You can do this by clicking the browser reload button.
It is a circular arrow-shaped icon at the top of the browser window, typically found in the upper-left side (you can also use keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+R on PC and Command+R on Mac).