How to Draw a Cartoon Samurai

We have prepared a simple step-by-step tutorial, in which we will show you how to draw a cartoon samurai for beginners.

Samurai were medieval Japanese warriors who fought for the interests of their masters until the last drop of blood.

Samurai were incredibly brave and prepared to die before every battle. This selfless courage and willingness to die for their ideals struck terror into the hearts of their enemies. At the same time, each warrior was a wise and disciplined man.

This is not the first tutorial on drawing a samurai on our website. We have already shown this medieval warrior in a much more complex tutorial, while this version will be considerably easier.

How to draw a samurai for beginners step by step

Step 1: Sketch the samurai’s pose

A static pose is useful for studying the human figure, so drawing the stick figure will be quite simple. The height of the samurai should be approximately equal to seven head lengths.

A man’s shoulders are much wider than his waist, while these two lines are approximately the same width in a female figure. Draw the head as an oval. Construct the samurai’s body with straight lines and mark the joints with short strokes.

Step 2: Add volume to the samurai’s body

Add volume to the samurai, but first draw the facial guidelines to help place the features. Below the head, draw the neck as a short cylinder. Then sketch the torso as a cylinder that tapers toward the waist. Construct each arm from five parts:

• The shoulder joint;
• The upper arm;
• The elbow;
• The forearm;
• The drawn hand.

The legs and the entire lower part of the samurai’s body should form a shape that widens from top to bottom. Do not forget to outline the feet below the legs. Draw the lines of this stage with very light pencil pressure so they can be erased later.

Step 3: Draw the samurai’s face

Use the guidelines from the previous steps to draw the samurai’s face. Since this tutorial is relatively simple, the facial features will also be easy to depict. First, outline the hairstyle, then add the individual hair lines. Draw the eyes and eyebrows with simple curved lines.

Add several wrinkles below the eyes. Draw the nose and mouth with simple lines, then mark the nasolabial folds and rounded cheek contours.

Step 4: Outline the traditional clothing

Draw the samurai’s traditional haori jacket and the small visible part of the lower garment. The upper part of the jacket should be very wide and cover the tops of the shoulders. The lower part should narrow to form the outline of an inverted isosceles triangle.

Familiar ninjas such as drawing Scorpion, drawing Sub-Zero, and drawing Reptile wear similar clothing. Also outline the belt and the long samurai sword, or katana, inside its sheath.

Step 5: Draw the samurai sleeve and fan

Draw the samurai’s wide, loose sleeve beneath the haori. Erase the extra guidelines marking the structure of the arm, refine its contours, and draw the fan.

Step 6: Detail the cartoon sword and arm

Draw the contours of the samurai’s right sleeve and erase the unnecessary lines. Add the visible inner side of the sleeve and several folds formed by simple straight lines. Draw the pattern on the sword handle and refine the hand gripping the hilt.

Step 7: Detail the hakama and sandals

Complete the samurai drawing by refining the lower part of the body. The legs and lower torso are hidden beneath the broad trousers called hakama.

Outline the contours of the hakama, erase the construction lines, and add vertical folds. Then draw the waraji, traditional Japanese woven footwear shaped like sandals.

This drawing tutorial is now complete. Do not forget to subscribe to our updates on Google+, YouTube, and Facebook.