Free Guide

How to Draw an Anime Running Pose: A Step-by-Step Guide by Japanese Pro Artists

The short answer: A run is a chain of movements. The supporting leg bends and lowers the center of gravity, then springs up as the other leg lifts and the body jumps forward. Swing the shoulders, turn the hips, lean the body toward the direction of the run, and let the hair and clothes flow back in the wind.

If your running characters look like they are standing still, the body is probably too upright. This guide covers the shoulder swing, the hip turn, the forward lean, hair in the wind, and one stride seen from the side and from the front.

Four poses of the same anime girl in a T-shirt and skirt: running toward the viewer with a shoulder bag, running with her fists up, leaning forward with a school bag in one hand, and running to the left holding a ball with her twin tails flying — One character, four ways to show a run.

The six stages at a glance

An anime girl running toward the viewer with a shoulder bag, with blue arrows for the shoulders turning back and forth, a ring around the waist, lines on the legs and a downward arrow for the center of gravity

Swing the shouldersThe shoulders turn back and forth, and the knees show the legs moving.

An anime girl running toward the viewer, one fist at her chest, with blue lines down the center of the body and along both legs, and a ring on the front knee

Turn the hipsTurning the hips makes the legs move naturally.

An anime girl running in a hurry with a school bag in one hand, with a long blue line along the forward tilt of her body and a dot for the center of gravity at the waist

Lean forwardThe center of gravity sits lower than in a walk and shifts toward where she runs.

An anime girl running to the left holding a ball, her long twin tails and skirt blowing back, with blue arrows for the flow of the wind and a loose arc at the hair tips

Hair and clothes in the windLet them flutter, and draw the hair in a loose arc.

The same anime girl running to the left in four frames seen from the side, numbered 4 to 1, with blue dashed lines for the height of the head, waist, knee and ground

One stride from the sideWatch the body as a foot pushes off and as a foot steps forward.

The same anime girl running toward the viewer in four frames, numbered 4 to 1, with blue dashed lines for the head, waist, knee and ground and a note under each frame about which foot lands and which pushes off

One stride from the frontCompare where the knees and elbows sit in each frame.

Step 01 · Swing the shoulders

What makes a running pose look natural?

A run is a chain of movements, so show that motion in the shoulders and the knees.

Running mixes several motions: the body rises and drops, the center of gravity moves, and every stride is a small jump. Where you freeze that chain changes the feel of the picture, so decide which moment of the run you want to show.

Rotate the shoulders back and forth. Then decide which way each knee points, so it is clear which leg is swinging forward and which is swinging back.

Red-pen checkShoulders square to the viewer? Turn them. Without the shoulder swing, a run looks like a standing pose.

Step 02 · Turn the hips

How do you make the legs move naturally in a run?

Keep the turn of the hips in mind.

The legs start at the hips. Keep the turn of the hips in mind, and the legs move naturally.

On this drawing, the blue lines run down the center of the body and along both legs from the hips. Follow them: the front knee comes forward, and the back foot kicks up behind.

Red-pen checkStart the legs from the hips. If the hips stay flat, the legs look stiff.

Step 03 · Lean forward

How much should a running character lean?

A running body leans toward the direction of the run.

Think of the late-for-school dash in every slice-of-life opening. Nobody in that shot is standing up straight.

When a body moves, its center of gravity shifts, and the foot on the ground holds the body up. In a run, the center of gravity sits lower than in a walk and shifts toward the direction of the run.

The center line of the body tilts more, too. Draw that line first, from the head down to the foot on the ground, and build the figure along it.

Red-pen checkIf the center line is straight up and down, she is standing, not running. Tip it toward where she is going.

Step 04 · Hair and clothes in the wind

How do you show speed in a running pose?

Picture the flow of the wind, and let the hair and clothes flutter with it.

To show which way she is running and how fast, let the hair and clothes flutter in the wind. On this drawing, every wind arrow points the same way, away from the direction she runs.

The trick for the hair is to draw it in a loose, relaxed arc.

Red-pen checkHair falling straight down? Lift it back into a loose arc so it follows the wind.

Step 05 · One stride from the side

What does one running stride look like from the side?

The pose changes with the moment you pick, so watch the feet and the center of gravity.

These four frames show one stride, from frame 1 on the right to frame 4 on the left. Watch how the body moves as a foot pushes off and as a foot steps forward.

The dashed lines mark the height of the head, waist, knee and ground. Compare the frames against them to see how the body moves.

Red-pen checkSame arm and leg forward on one side? Swap them. When the right leg comes forward, the left arm does.

Step 06 · One stride from the front

How do you draw a run from the front?

Compare where the knees and elbows sit in each frame.

One knee comes up while the other leg stays down, and one elbow swings forward while the other swings back.

Read the four frames from right to left. 1: the right foot pushes off and the left foot steps forward. 2: the left foot lands and the right foot swings forward. 3: the left foot pushes off and the right foot steps forward. 4: the right foot lands and the left foot swings forward.

Red-pen checkBoth knees at the same height? Raise the one that is coming forward.

Where people usually get stuck

My running character looks like she is standing still.

Lean the body toward the direction of the run, and turn the shoulders and hips. An upright body reads as a standing pose.

The legs look stiff.

Keep the turn of the hips in mind. That is what makes the legs move naturally.

It doesn't look fast.

Let the hair and clothes flutter in the wind, and draw the hair in a loose arc instead of straight lines.

Anime running pose FAQ

How far should a running character lean forward?

Lean the whole body toward the direction of the run. When you run, the center of gravity sits lower than in a walk and shifts toward where you are going, so the center line of the body tilts more.

Which arm goes forward when the right leg steps forward?

The left arm. Arms and legs work in opposite pairs, and the shoulders turn back and forth with them.

How do I make a running pose look fast?

Picture the flow of the wind and let the hair and clothes flutter back with it. Draw the hair in a loose arc.

How do I get feedback on my running pose 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.