Free Guide

How to Draw Anime Face Shapes (Male vs Female): A Step-by-Step Guide by Japanese Pro Artists

The short answer: Keep the face the same and change only the outline: how pointed the chin is, how angular the jaw corners are, and how long the face runs. Boys get four shapes (egg, long, inverted triangle, square) and girls get four (egg, long, pentagonal, round). Each one changes how old the character looks and how they come across.

If all your OCs keep ending up with the same face, try changing the outline before you touch the eyes or the hair. All eight drawings below use one boy and one girl. The eyes, hair and expression stay put. Only the outline moves.

Eight anime face shapes, numbered 1 to 8: a boy drawn as egg, long, inverted triangle and square, and a girl drawn as egg, long, pentagonal and round Illustrated examples
One boy, one girl, eight outlines. The face stays the same; only the chin, jaw corners and cheek line change.

The two sets at a glance

The same anime boy drawn with four face shapes: egg, long, inverted triangle and square 01
Male face shapesEgg, long, inverted triangle, square.
The same anime girl drawn with four face shapes: egg, long, pentagonal and round 02
Female face shapesEgg, long, pentagonal, round.

Step 01 · Male face shapes

What are the main face shapes for anime boys?

Four: egg, long, inverted triangle and square. They run from boyish to grown up and strong.

Look at the jaw corners first. On a boy they're a bit more angular than on a girl, even in the softest shape, and that small corner is a big part of why he reads as male.

Then pick the chin. A pointed chin keeps him young. Square off the tip and stretch the face a little, and he starts to look older.

Red-pen checkDoes your adult man still look like a teenager? Check the jaw. Square is the shape that suits characters older than the other three.
Anime boy with an egg-shaped face: a pointed chin and a rounded outline
01

Egg (oval)

Young, classic look

The chin comes to a point. The jaw corners are a little more angular than on a girl, but the outline stays rounded overall, so he still has a bit of boyishness left in him.

Anime boy with a long face: the tip of the chin squared off and the face slightly longer
02

Long (oblong)

Boys, young men, men in their prime

The tip of the chin is squared off, so the face looks a little longer. Put it next to the egg shape and he already looks more grown up. It covers the widest age range of the four.

Anime boy with an inverted triangle face: almost no jaw corners and a chin that narrows to a point
03

Inverted triangle

Sharp, clean, can read androgynous

Sharp and clean, with a chin that narrows like the tip of a triangle. Barely draw the chin and jaw corners. With no bumps in the outline, the face looks smooth, and it can come across as androgynous.

Anime boy with a square face: an angular jaw with a flat bottom
04

Square

Strong, older characters

Even more angular than the long face, and it looks strong. It suits characters older than the other three. Give it to a young character and you get the guy who looks older than he is. That's a personality trait on its own.

Step 02 · Female face shapes

What are the main face shapes for anime girls?

Four: egg, long, pentagonal and round. Egg is the safe default, and the other three push the age and personality.

The egg shape fits any girl at any age, so it's the one most characters start from.

Long makes her look more mature and a little cool. Round makes her look younger. Pentagonal widens the face and gives her a strong, friendly look that shows up a lot on comedic characters.

Red-pen checkDoes your adult character keep coming out too young? Look at the outline. Round is the shape that reads the youngest.
Anime girl with an egg-shaped face: rounded overall and a little longer than a round face
05

Egg (oval)

Any character, any age

The standard shape. It works on almost any character. The outline is rounded overall, but it's not a round face: it runs a little longer than that.

Anime girl with a long face: a tall oval with a slightly pointed chin
06

Long (oblong)

Mature, cool, level-headed

Draw it like a tall oval. Give the chin a slight point and keep the curves restrained, and she looks more mature. A clean outline like this also brings a cool, level-headed feel.

Anime girl with a pentagonal face: wide jaw corners, shaped like a baseball home plate
07

Pentagonal (home-plate shape)

Comedic, friendly, easy to like

The jaw corners stick out, like a baseball home plate, and the face is wider than the other three. The character's impression gets stronger and clearer. You'll see it a lot on comedic, friendly characters.

Anime girl with a round face: round from the cheeks to the chin
08

Round

Younger characters, babyfaces, kids

At first glance, it reads younger than the others. Use it for younger characters or a girl with a babyface. It's also a good shape for drawing small children.

Same name, different jaw: the egg shape on a boy and a girl

Both are egg shapes with a pointed chin. On the boy, the jaw corners are more angular. On the girl, the outline stays round all the way down.

Anime boy with an egg-shaped face and slightly angular jaw corners

Male egg shape: a pointed chin, with jaw corners a little more angular.

Anime girl with an egg-shaped face and a round outline

Female egg shape: rounded overall, a little longer than a round face.

Where people usually get stuck

"All my characters have the same face."

Change the outline before you change the eyes or the hair. Same face, different jaw, and the age and personality already shift.

"My boys look like girls."

Even in the egg shape, make the jaw corners a little more angular. That small angle is what makes the boy's egg shape read as male.

"My character looks too young, or too old."

Round reads the youngest. Square suits characters older than the rest. Pick the outline for the age you want.

Anime face shapes FAQ

What are the main anime face shapes?

This guide uses eight. For male characters: egg (oval), long (oblong), inverted triangle and square. For female characters: egg (oval), long (oblong), pentagonal (home-plate) and round.

Which face shape makes an anime character look younger or older?

Round reads the youngest and suits younger characters and small children. Square suits characters older than the others. The long shape looks more grown up than the egg shape.

How are male and female anime face shapes different?

Even in the same egg shape, the male jaw corners are a little more angular, while the female outline stays round. The male set adds inverted triangle and square, and the female set adds pentagonal and round.

How do I get feedback on my face 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.