Secret Tips To Draw Anime Side Profile As A Beginner

Anime is fun, creative, and expressive to draw, but when drawing the side profile, most beginners get stuck. 

Why? Because in anime, the side view turns everything around: proportions, positioning, and angles. Unlike with front views where both the eyes and the symmetry help you, side profiles are all about perspective and accuracy.

The silver lining here is that anime does not require photorealism. Rather, it lives on simplified shapes, clean lines, and exaggerated stylization. After learning a few tricks, drawing side profiles will not appear so daunting anymore.

This guide will walk you through it all: from construction fundamentals, facial characteristics, hair, common errors, practice shortcuts, and even creative variations.

What Makes Side Profiles Challenging For Beginners?

Most beginners are guilty of creating a side profile as if it were a flat sticker. What results is usually stiff, unrealistic, or unpleasant.

Here’s why side profiles are tricky:

1. Head is 3D, not flat – The skull is not flat but has curves and depth, which need to be displayed even in anime.
2. Feature placement changes – The eye, nose, lips, and ear all shift in profile view.
3. Proportions shift – The jawline, forehead slope, and chin angle change by age, sex, and style.
4. Hair drapes differently – Hair needs to flow around the curvature of the skull.

But with construction lines and basic guidelines, all these issues are resolved.

Step 1: Construction Lines – The Foundation

All great anime drawings begin with guidelines. Consider this your “scaffolding” before you construct the face.

• Draw a circle → This is the skull.
• Add a vertical line → Position it slightly forward to bisect the circle. This is where the face will be.
• Draw a horizontal line → Near the center of the circle; this will assist you in placing the eyes.
• Extend the jawline → From the bottom of the circle, curve around in a downward and forward direction into a chin shape.

Secret Trick: Draw 10 jawline circles prior to creating features. It conditions your hand to naturally record head proportions.

Step 2: Positioning the Facial Features

Anime side views are reduced, yet proportions are crucial.

1. Eye Position
   1. Position the eye along the horizontal guideline, in front of the vertical line.
   1. In side profile, the eye is skeletonized and stretched, resembling a sidelong teardrop or almond.
   1. Don’t make it as large in the side view as it is in the front view — this is a typical first-timer mistake.
2. Nose
   1. Anime noses are caricatured. They are as minimalistic as a small bump line or an angular triangle.
   1. Position it along the vertical face line, leaning slightly outward.
3. Mouth
   1. Sketch a short, slanted line under the nose.
   1. Include a small curve for the bottom lip, but don’t overdo it — anime tends to keep lips simple.
4. Ear
   1. Ears sit between the eye line (top) and the nose line (bottom).
   1. Draw it slightly tilted backward to match the skull’s curve.
5. Neck
   1. Begin just behind the jawline, sloping slightly backward.
   1. For female characters, keep it slender. For males, make it thicker.

Secret Trick: Keep a mirror handy and look at your own side profile. You’ll see how ears, nose, and mouth line up naturally.

Step 3: Anime Eye in Profile

The most expressive feature of an anime face is the eye — but done in profile, it’s easy to over-embellish.

• Shape: Imagine a skinny wedge or sideways tear drop.
• Eyelid line: Deeper and darker for top lash; lighter for bottom lid.
• Pupil/Iris: Off-center towards the nose, so the stare appears natural.
• Eyelashes: Male can be optional, but longer for a female to provide expressiveness.

Secret Trick: Place fewer lines. A subtle angled line with a curve will evoke an anime eye wonderfully in side view.

Step 4: Nose and Lips — Small Details, Big Impact

In comparison to front views, the nose and lips determine side profiles.

• Nose:
  • Minimalist style → one line or tiny bump.
  • Elaborate style → triangular projection with shadows.
• Lips:
  • Upper lip typically protrudes a bit.
  • Lower lip is less pronounced — only a curve.
• Chin:
  • Don’t create pointy, dagger-like chins. Rounded shapes that are not too sharp appear more natural.

Secret Tip: Less is more. Most anime styles minimize the nose and lips to just two or three lines.

Step 5: Adding Hair

Hair can make or break your anime character. Personality and style are added by it.

• Hairline: Position it slightly above the top curve of the forehead.
• Bangs/Fringe: Have them fall forward naturally, but remember perspective — do not make them protrude unnaturally.
• Sideburns: Females have them shorter, males have longer or pointed ones.
• Back Hair: Falls behind the ear, curving around the skull shape.

Secret Tip: Think of hair as a helmet resting on the head. This provides volume and realistic rather than flat results.

Step 6: Jawline and Neck Refinement

• Female Jawline: Rounded and smooth, narrowing into a soft chin.
• Male Jawline: Sharper jaw with a pointy chin.
• Neck: Shouldn’t meet at the chin — newbies tend to put it too far forward. It’s behind the jaw where it goes.

Secret Trick: Try drawing both male and female versions of the same character in profile. You’ll instantly see how jaw and neck change.

Extra Tips And Tricks For Beginners

1. Keep it light at first – Use soft pencil strokes or digital sketch layers.
2. Draw different styles – Chibi side profiles, semi-realistic, or exaggerated anime.
3. Flip your drawing (digitally) – It reveals errors in symmetry and proportion.
4. Don’t forget shadows – A tiny shadow under the nose or chin makes the face pop.
5. Practice micro-details – Draw noses only, or eyes only, in side view until you’re comfortable.

Common Mistakes Beginners Make

• Eyes drawn too big, like in front view.
• Nose too sharp or extending unnaturally. 
• Jawline too flat or too pointed. 
• Neck connecting to the chin. 
• Ignoring construction lines.

Practice Exercises

To gain confidence, practice these easy drills:

• 10 head outlines with circles and jawlines — no features, only head shape practice.
• Expression sheet: Same side profile with happy, sad, angry, surprised faces.
• Style study: Replicate profiles from your favorite anime/manga.
• Hair variations: One profile, five hairstyles.
• Male vs. Female practice: Pay attention to differences in jaw, eyes, and neck.

Beyond Basics: Emotion & Style

Once settled, begin trying things out:

• Age differences → Children have more rounded heads, larger eyes, and softer noses.
• Villains → More angular features, more pointed noses, longer chins.
• Romantic characters → Softer lines, larger eyes, gentle jawlines.
• Chibi/Kawaii → Extremely large eyes, small noses, extremely rounded faces.

To Sum Up!

Drawing anime side profiles may feel overwhelming at first, but with guidelines, proportions, and simple shapes, it becomes much easier. Remember: anime doesn’t aim for realism — it’s about style, emotion, and storytelling.

By practicing with circles, jawlines, and feature placement, you’ll build the confidence to sketch clean and expressive profiles. Soon, you’ll be experimenting with different styles, characters, and even complex poses.

The trick is practice, patience, and playful experimentation. All artists begin with cringe-worthy sketches — but using these tips, your anime side profiles will soon become dynamic pieces of art.

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