Welcome to another step by step tutorial. Here, you will learn how to draw Naruto, a character from the popular anime series, Naruto. This easy to follow, step by step tutorial will guide you through the whole process of creating an impressive and believable rendition of the anime character. Naruto has different versions of the character depending on the moment of the series. In this tutorial, the version we are going to draw is the Naruto Shippuden version. We will start by drawing a dummy that will serve as a base over which we will draw our final sketch.
So, how to draw Naruto?
If you want to draw Naruto, you should follow these simple 7 step by step process;
- Step 1: Drawing the torso and the hips
- Step 2: Drawing the legs
- Step 3: Drawing the arms
- Step 4: Drawing the head
- Step 5: Drawing the final line art on top
- Step 6: Painting the colors
- Step 7: Painting the shadows
STEP 1: DRAWING THE TORSO AND THE HIPS
I will start with drawing the torso of our character. I will first draw the rib cage area. In this drawing, there will be no line separation between the torso and the hips as both parts will be joined together. We will also draw a vertical line along the torso to divide the ribcage. We aredrawing Naruto in a 3/4 view and this line will set the view for the drawing. I will also draw short horizontal lines across the torso to define the abdominal area. Next, we will draw the hips and the crotch to look like Naruto is wearing some sort of underwear. I always recommend drawing the hips this way as it simplifies the drawing.Do not forget to draw an ellipse on top of the torso, another on the character’s upper right hand side of the torso and another below the right hip of the character. These ellipses indicate where the head the arm and leg will be placed respectively.
STEP 2: DRAWING THE LEGS
We will draw Naruto in a relaxed pose. Because of how our character is posed, the legs are separated from each other in such a way that the left leg is extended forward and slightly bent at the knees. We will draw each leg in a different perspective. While the right leg will be drawn in a 3/4 view, only the side view of the left leg in the viewer’s perspective will be drawn.
- The thighs
The thighs will be drawn as massive tubes which gradually become narrower as they approach the knees.
- The knees
There will be no ellipses drawn over the knees to indicate the joint. Our character will be casually dressed so there is no need for a demarcation at the knees.
- The calves and the skins
Because of the 3/4 view, both calves and shins are visible on both legs. The calves will be drawn as a curve from the knee followed by a descending line which connects to the ankles. The shins will be drawn as a straight line, it will start on the knee and end on the feet.
- The feet
The feet of our character will be drawn as simple geometric shapes. Because of Naruto’s pose, the left foot will be drawn at a 3/4 view. It is also raised in such a way that the soles are off the ground as if the character was about to take a step forward. Meanwhile, the right foot will be drawn fully frontal. Our character is going to use sandals as footwear meaning his toes will be fully visible. We are going to use small rectangles and lines to draw out the toes on the feet of both legs.
STEP 3: DRAWING THE ARMS
The next step on our journey will be to draw the arms of our character. Both arms are casually placed on the side of body, slightly bent at an angle. Because of the pose of the character, the left arm is just barely visible although the right arm is in full view. Naruto will be casually dressed so there will be no need to define the shoulders. As such, we will not be drawing the shoulders.
- The biceps and triceps
Because of the 3/4 view, both arms will be drawn from different perspectives. On the right arm, the biceps and triceps will be drawn as a long tube, similar to what we drew on the thighs. Meanwhile on the left arm, the biceps will be drawn as a long curve line, connecting the deltoid with the forearm. Notice how the triceps on this arm appear almost totally concealed from the viewers because of the 3/4 angle of the body.
- The forearms
As you can see, there is no line demarcation for the elbows, however the “bend” will be placed at the same height as the floating ribs on the sides of the torso. The forearms of both arms will be drawn as tubes which become narrower at bottom towards the point of connection the wrist. More or less, the wrists on both arms will be aligned with the crotch on the hips.
- The hands
The right hand will be placed in a pocket so we will not have to draw an outline. Meanwhile, the left hand is clearly visible. The visible hand will be drawn in a schematic way so you can better understand how it is placed. The fingers will be drawn with a combination of straight lines and curved lines while the fingernails will be represented as small rectangles at the tips of the fingers. The knuckles are barely visible from that angle.
On the left hand, with the handle worn as a ring over the fourth finger, Naruto is holding a Kunai. The kunai is a type of weapon composed of a balanced blade with a thin handle. Naruto often throws it at enemies in hand to hand combat. We will draw the weapon using geometric shapes like a trapezoid and rectangle.
STEP 4: DRAWING THE HEAD
To draw the head, we will first of all draw a sphere, slightly flattened on both sides and pointed at the bottom. Next, we will draw one vertical across the face. The head will be drawn at a 3/4 angle so it is important to note that the line will not cross the centre of the shape. The part closer to the viewer’s perspective will be slightly bigger than the other part.
Next, we will draw three horizontal curve lines across our character’s face. As shown in the picture above, these curve lines will help you define where the eyes, ears and mouth will be situated. Remember the ellipse we drew on top of the torso? Now we will draw a neck on the ellipse to connect the head to the rest of the body.
Drawing the Final Lineart on Top
Get ready to have some fun, this is where we will fully dress up our character to look like the Naruto version of Naruto Shippuden. We are going to draw on top of the dummy which we have created from step one to four. However, before we begin to draw on the dummy, you will need to make the base structure less visible so that the lines do not interfere with your final drawing. If you are working with a pencil and paper, I recommend using a kneaded eraser to partially erase traces of the dummy without completely removing your sketch. Feel free to check out my Recommended Art Supplies section to know the kneaded eraser I use in my drawings.
- The body
Naruto will be drawn in his signature costume for the Naruto Shippuden version; a zip up jacket with pants. Strapped around the right thigh is a small purse, which our character is often seen with. We will also draw markings and shapes on the jacket as shown in the picture above.
- The feet
Naruto wears sandals on his feet which are open at the front to the expose the toes.
- The head
To draw our character’s head, the first thing we have to consider are the unique facial features that will make our teenage ninja character stand out in a world of other ninjas. Below are some of Naruto’s easily recognizable features;
- Naruto has a head full of short spiky hair
- Our character wears a forehead protector, a protective headband made from cloth and a metal plate. The headband can also be worn as a symbol of pride and honour.
- Our character has facial markings, three whisker-like scars on each side of his face.
- Naruto has big blue eyes which give his teenage face a boy like innocence.
Painting the Colors
Painting the colours is a very easy step in the drawing. Simply pick out the colors you see as shown in the image above and paint over each area with solid colors.
Painting The Shadows
Now that we have added colours to our drawing, it is time to paint some shadows on our ninja. Shadows help to create a sensation of depth and volume and bring a three dimensionality to the drawing. When it comes to painting shadows on a fully colored drawing, I recommend keeping it as simple as possible. I always advise beginner artists to create shadows using a darker version of the local color, that is, the base color of the area you want to create shadows on.
As seen in the image above, I painted shadows around the crotch and on the jacket using a darker tone of the local colour. This keeps the shading simple and will help you avoid complications in the process. If you wish, you can add warmer tones to the drawing depending on the type of illumination you are after. Our character is against a white background so there are no external color to affect our drawing. I advise that you keep the coloring quite simple if you want to achieve a similar result to mine. If you use markers for your coloring, feel free to check out the Brushmarkers and Promarkers from the brand Windsor&Newton. I use these markers myself and they are pretty cool.
Conclusion
That brings us to the end of our step by step tutorial on how to draw Naruto. You can now try it out on your own, I will advise you to follow the seven steps closely if you want to achieve similar results as shown above. You can try to draw your own ninja in as many poses, costumes and attitudes as you like.
If you are interested in more free step by step drawing tutorials similar to this one, feel free to visit the Drawing Tutorials section. I hope you find this tutorial very helpful. If you have any doubt or question please leave it on the comment section, this will encourage me to keep working in new tutorials and articles.
Author: Eseandre
Drawings and coloring: Ari Bakkas Pratama
