Draw an original anime-style scene with characters and background using pencils and colors. Practice shapes, expressions, perspective, and storytelling through art.



Step-by-step guide to draw an anime scene
Easy Anime Drawing || How to Draw Anime step-by-step || Easy Drawing for Beginners
Step 1
Gather your materials.
Step 2
Choose one simple moment or short story you want to show in your anime scene.
Step 3
Make three tiny thumbnail sketches to try different layouts and poses.
Step 4
Pick your favorite thumbnail sketch.
Step 5
Draw a horizon line and one vanishing point to set the scene's perspective.
Step 6
Lightly block in big background shapes using simple circles squares and rectangles.
Step 7
Sketch where each character will stand using simple head and body shapes.
Step 8
Refine each character's body shape and posture to match their action.
Step 9
Draw faces and use different eye shapes eyebrows and mouths to show each expression.
Step 10
Add clothing and hair details to make each character unique.
Step 11
Carefully trace your final lines with a black pen or a darker pencil.
Step 12
Wait for any ink to dry if you used a pen.
Step 13
Gently erase pencil guide lines to clean up your drawing.
Step 14
Colour the characters and background with base colours staying inside the outlines.
Step 15
Share your finished creation on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!


Help!?
What can we use instead of a black pen or darker pencil if we don't have them?
If you don't have a black pen use a fine-tip permanent marker, a dark 6B pencil for final lines, or a black gel pen, and if you use marker treat it like ink and wait for it to dry before erasing.
My perspective looks wrong—how can I fix the horizon line and vanishing point?
Lightly redraw the horizon line and single vanishing point with a ruler, extend construction lines from the vanishing point to realign the big background shapes from step 5, and adjust character positions from your thumbnail sketches before you ink.
How can I adapt this activity for different ages?
For younger kids skip the vanishing point and use one big character with simple circles and rectangles (steps 5–8), for elementary have them do three thumbnails and basic expressions (steps 3–4 and 9), and for teens add more detailed clothing, multiple vanishing points, and refined inking (steps 6–12).
How can we enhance or personalize the finished anime scene?
Add speech bubbles, patterned clothing or collage textures, layered highlights and shadows over your base colours, or a unique background twist before sharing the finished creation on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to draw an anime scene
Easy Anime Drawing || How to Draw Anime step-by-step || Easy Drawing for Beginners
Facts about anime-style drawing
🎌 Anime began in Japan in the early 20th century and has grown into thousands of series and films worldwide.
✏️ Manga (Japanese comics) usually reads right-to-left, and its panel flow teaches strong storytelling skills.
👀 Big, expressive anime eyes were popularized by artist Osamu Tezuka, who drew inspiration from Western cartoons.
🎨 Using complementary colors (like blue and orange) makes characters stand out from their backgrounds.
📐 One-point and two-point perspective tricks help artists make backgrounds look deep and three-dimensional.