Drawing bangs that make the character look attractive

When you draw a character, how much effort do you put into drawing their “bangs” ?

Bangs are actually one of the key parts to adding cuteness and/or coolness to the character.

 

“I want to draw an attractive character but it never feels right…”

If you are having this kind of a problem, try paying attention to the character’s “bangs”.

 

１．The basics of a bang

 

First, let’s analyze the basic shapes of bangs.

It does depend on the overall hairstyle but bangs usually consist of these three parts.

２．Change in impression with different bangs

I think a lot of artists change the eye shape or the expressions etc. when they are drawing characters with different personalities.

Just like those, you can also express various personalities with the character’s bangs too.

 

The below image compares illustrations with different bang lengths.

You can see that on the left, the short hair is creating a bright impression, while on the right, long bangs are making her look more quiet.

By making use of this effect, you can draw illustrations in different moods with the same character design. 

It would be great to remember this method as one of the ways to change the illustration impression.

 

３．Bang design ideas for different personalities

 

You can create an attractive original character by choosing a bang design perfect for their personality.

 

There isn’t a right answer but I gathered some samples that may help you when you are stuck with the hair design.

 

【Bright】

Characters with bangs that reveal the eyes, eyebrows and the forehead have a bright and energetic image.

It is also suitable for portraying an honest character without secrets.

【Quiet】

On the other hand, the character will have a quiet, gloomy and strange atmosphere when the bang covers their eyes.

Another characteristic here is that the ends of the hair are pointing inwards.

【Serious】

If the bangs are put together or set evenly to not touch the eyes, you can portray a serious impression.

Long and smooth hair would amplify the properness of the character as well.

【Cute】

There are various types of cuteness but with the eyebrows revealed, it makes the character look youthful and with more hair covering the face, the character will look cleverly cute.

Additionally, straight bangs like the “Hime Haircut” are also used to express cuteness too.

Just like that, the character’s impression and atmosphere changes a lot by the length and shape of the bang as well as how much it covers the face.

If you are wondering of ways to make your illustration even more attractive, let’s focus on the ways the bangs are drawn too !

 

（Text・Illustration／梅沢かな）