Anime hairstyles for men: how does the hair we choose affect our character’s image?

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The other day we talked all about different hair style for women, and how they change a character’s image. Today let’s finish off the lesson by looking at men’s hair styles!

It can be more difficult to bring out individuality in male characters, so we want to use hair to our advantage, so that each character is recognisable to our audience.

Extra short (fringe slicked back)

Short-haired characters with their fringe slicked back have their whole face visible so it gives them a strong, straightforward appearance. This hair style is often used for serious, hardworking characters. It can also lend a strong, wild atmosphere to a character, depending on the way you draw their face and expression.

Extra short (fringe down)

A short spiky cut with the fringe down is one of the most common styles for men in anime. Short hair like this gives a fresh, sporty image, and the more spiky the hair, the more masculine the character will look.

Short

This length of hair is more casual than the very short hair. Spread all the tufts of hair all about the head, and soften out the spikes for a laid-back “big brother” style demeanour.

Medium length (spiky)

Medium length wavy, spiky hair, with the hair spiking out around the head and neck gives the character a stylish, refined image. Making the hair a little heavier around the nape of the neck will make the character look more grown-up.

Medium length

Straight, medium length hair just skimming the shoulders gives the impression that the character takes care of their appearance, and it often used on “prince” style characters. Whether it’s for the rich boy in a school anime, or a aristocrat or prince in a fantasy anime, this hair style is a good one to choose!

Long

Long straight hair hides some of the angles of the face, and can be used to make a character look more androgynous. Depending on the way you draw their face, long haired male characters can either look refined and mysterious, or untidy and unkempt.

Different fringes for different characters

Like we discussed in the women’s hair article, just changing the fringe can make a huge difference! A fringe over one eye can give a mysterious or sleepy look to a character, slicked back makes them look confident, and a centre parted fringe can give an air of intelligence.

There we have it! A whole bunch of new hairstyles for you to add to your repertoire! Make sure you think carefully about what kind of personality or “aura” you want your character to have when choosing their hair.

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