Free Guide

How to Draw Anime Faces at Different Ages: A Step-by-Step Guide by Japanese Pro Artists

The short answer: Age comes from three things: the outline of the face, where the eyes, nose and mouth sit, and how many lines you add. A toddler is round, with everything set low on the head. Each stage after that stretches the face, makes the eyes read a little smaller and adds a few lines.

The mom, the mentor, the little sister. If they all come out looking seventeen with different hair, this is the fix. Below, one girl and one boy go from toddler to elderly, and each stage shows what to change.

One girl and one boy drawn in anime style at five ages each: toddler, teen, adult, middle-aged and elderly Illustrated examples
One girl (top row) and one boy (bottom row) at five ages.

The five stages at a glance

Toddler girl and boy with round faces and big eyes 01
ToddlerRound outline, big eyes, features set low on the head.
Teenage girl and boy with soft cheeks and a sharper chin 02
TeenSoft cheeks plus a sharper chin. Eyes still on the big side.
Adult woman and man with longer faces and a clear nose line 03
AdultLonger face, clear nose line, eyes that read smaller.
Middle-aged woman and man with a few lines on the forehead and around the eyes 04
Middle-agedFirst lines on the forehead and around the eyes. The face loses volume.
Elderly woman and man with sagging outlines and drooping eyelids 05
ElderlySkin sags, the outline softens, nose and cheekbones stand out.

Step 01 · Toddler

How do you draw a toddler's face in anime?

Keep the skull small and the outline round, and put the eyes, nose and mouth low on the head.

A toddler's bones are still small, so the outline of the face is one soft curve with no corners. Against that small face the eyes look big. The part most people miss is placement. The eyes, nose and mouth all sit in the lower half of the head, which leaves a wide forehead. That low placement does most of the work of making a small child look cute.

Girls and boys look almost the same at this age. A toddler boy is just as round and smooth, with no bumps in the outline. If you need to tell them apart, draw the boy a touch slimmer. That's it. Save the jawline for later.

Red-pen checkIf your toddler looks like a small adult, the features are too high. Slide the eyes, nose and mouth down together before you change anything else.
A toddler girl and a toddler boy drawn in anime style, both with round faces, big eyes and features set low on the head Illustrated examples
Toddler girl and boy. Same round outline; the boy is drawn slightly slimmer.

Step 02 · Teen

What changes when an anime character becomes a teenager?

The head is close to adult size, but the eyes stay fairly big and the cheeks stay soft.

A teenage girl is halfway there. She keeps the soft outline of a child and picks up some of an adult's sharpness, both at once. Her head is nearly adult size and the features are spread evenly across the face, so nothing looks crowded into the bottom half any more.

On a teenage boy the chin comes to a point and the bridge of the nose shows for the first time. He's still growing, so the eyes stay large and the face keeps a slightly androgynous look. Don't square the jaw yet.

Red-pen checkA teen who looks twenty-five usually has adult eyes. Open the eyes back up and round off the cheek line a little.
A teenage girl and a teenage boy drawn in anime style, with fairly big eyes, soft cheeks and a more pointed chin than the toddlers Illustrated examples
Teen girl and boy. Big eyes and soft cheeks stay; the chin starts to sharpen.

Step 03 · Adult

How do you make an anime character look like an adult?

Lengthen the face, give the nose a clear line, and let the eyes read a little smaller.

Once the bones have finished growing, the face is longer and the chin is pointed. The nose now has a defined bridge, and next to it the eyes look smaller even if you barely change them. Draw the eyes slightly narrower than the teen's. The result looks sharp and intelligent.

An adult man's face stretches a little from top to bottom compared with the teen, and the eyes are toned down in the same way. The big difference is the lower jaw. Make that outline solid and firm. That jaw is what makes him read as someone you can lean on.

Red-pen checkDon't shrink the eyes on their own. Lengthen the face and define the nose first, and the eyes will already look smaller.
An adult woman and an adult man drawn in anime style, with longer faces, a clear nose line and smaller-looking eyes; the man has a solid lower jaw Illustrated examples
Adult woman and man. Longer faces and a clear nose line; his lower jaw is drawn solid.

Step 04 · Middle-aged

How do you draw a middle-aged face without making it look elderly?

Add a few lines on the forehead and around the eyes, then take a little volume out of the face and hair.

For a middle-aged woman, add lines to the forehead and around the eyes, and lower the outer corners of the eyes. That small drop gives her a calm, gentle look. Her hair gets finer, with less shine and less volume, so the whole silhouette comes out slimmer.

On a man, the face loses flesh. The bridge of the nose stands out, the cheeks hollow, and the line of the cheekbone becomes visible. Add the lines that run from the nose down past the corners of the mouth, and a few slack lines on the forehead. He looks a bit weathered, and that reads as grown-up calm.

Red-pen checkCount your lines: forehead, eye corners, beside the mouth. More than that and the character has skipped ahead to elderly.
A middle-aged woman and a middle-aged man drawn in anime style, with a few lines on the forehead and around the eyes; the man has hollow cheeks and lines beside the mouth Illustrated examples
Middle-aged woman and man. A few lines, lowered eye corners, hollower cheeks on him.

Step 05 · Elderly

How do you draw an elderly face in anime?

Let the skin hang so the outline goes soft, but keep the nose and cheekbones firm.

On an elderly woman the skin of the whole face sags, starting with the cheeks and the area around the mouth, so the outline loses its clear shape. The eyelids droop as well, which makes her look more relaxed and mild. The bridge of the nose and the cheekbones don't sag, though. Their lines rise to the surface and give the face its bumps and hollows.

On an elderly man the hairline moves back, and that alone ages him fast. The skin at the forehead, the outer eye corners, the cheeks and the mouth all slackens and hangs downward, and it gathers under the chin. Compared with middle age, the sharpness goes out of his eyes. He looks softer and calmer.

Red-pen checkWrinkles everywhere turn the face into a mask. Sag the outline first, then add lines only where the skin folds: eye corners, cheeks, mouth.
An elderly woman and an elderly man drawn in anime style, with sagging outlines, drooping eyelids and firm nose and cheekbone lines; the man has a receding hairline Illustrated examples
Elderly woman and man. The outline sags, the eyelids droop, the nose and cheekbones stay firm.

The same two people, start and finish

Toddler on the left, elderly on the right. The outline, the eye size and the height of the features all changed. The characters didn't.

The girl and the boy as toddlers, with round faces and big eyes

Toddler: round outline, big eyes, features low on the head.

The same girl and boy as elderly people, with sagging outlines and drooping eyelids

Elderly: soft, sagging outline, drooping eyelids, firm nose and cheekbones.

Where people usually get stuck

All my characters look the same age

Change the outline of the face before anything else: round for a toddler, a pointed chin for a teen, longer for an adult. Then adjust the eyes. Try it on your OC first.

My child character looks like a small adult

The eyes, nose and mouth are sitting too high. Move them into the lower half of the head and keep the outline free of corners.

My older characters look scary

Too many lines, and eyes that are too sharp. Lower the outer eye corners, soften the eyes, and keep lines to the places where skin actually folds.

Drawing anime faces by age: FAQ

How do I make an anime character look younger?

Round off the outline of the face, make the eyes bigger, and move the eyes, nose and mouth lower on the head. For a toddler, leave out the bridge of the nose and any corners in the jaw.

How do I make an anime character look older?

Lengthen the face, point the chin, and add a clear line for the bridge of the nose so the eyes read smaller. For middle age, add a few lines at the forehead and eye corners. For an elderly character, let the outline sag and keep the nose and cheekbones firm.

What is the difference between drawing young boys and young girls?

Very little. Toddler boys and girls share the same round, smooth face, so draw the boy slightly slimmer and stop there. The differences show up in the teens, when a boy's chin sharpens and his nose line appears, and again in adulthood, when his lower jaw becomes solid.

How do I get feedback on my character drawings?

When you join an Anime Art Academy course, a professional Japanese artist gives you personal advice and draws red-line corrections directly on your drawing. There is no limit on how many times you can submit. The only rule: post one drawing at a time, and wait for your teacher's reply before posting the next.