Free Kawaii-Style Drawing Guide with Examples

Download this PDF packed with tips for drawing people, animals, and objects in this cute illustrative style from Japan

Kawaii is both an aesthetic and a cultural movement in Japan, and you’ll find it everywhere in design and illustration. From brand mascots to the protagonists of huge media franchises, each character is packed with personality.

Illustrator Ilaria Ranauro (@ilariapops) sells kawaii stickers, prints, washi tape, and more, while creating children’s illustrations for clients including Penguin Random House Mexico, demonstrating the global appeal of this style.

Here, she shares a PDF guide to body proportions, facial expressions, and other features, to create adorable characters (human, animal, or inanimate!).

What is kawaii?

Kawaii broadly translates as “cute”, but came from the phrase kao hayushi, which refers to a blushing or glowing face. The related word kawaisō means “pitiable” or “sorry”, and kawaii has historically had negative connotations, but nowadays it is associated with all things adorable.

In the 1970s, various movements took place that rebelled against previous traditional expectations. This included handwriting so decorative it was banned in schools, and explosions of fashion subcultures featuring bright or pastel colors and tons of accessories.

Over the decades this culture has gone global, with many recognizable characters and brands exemplifying kawaii to the world, like Hello Kitty and Pokemon.

What does kawaii illustration look like?

Kawaii illustration generally features characters with compressed, childlike body proportions: large heads and eyes, and small bodies—whether the character is actually a child or an adult.

Faces are simplified, often using just eyes and a mouth, perhaps with blushing cheeks. Ideas of innocence, shyness, and youthful energy are commonly expressed in these playful characters.

Drawing within the confines of a square is a useful tip for this style, as it forces proportions to be exaggerated. And as Ilaria highlights, the style is not confined to people. Animals are often drawn this way, as are inanimate objects. “You can take a boring piece of furniture,” she explains, “a mug or a milk carton, put some eyes on them and they will look cute and kawaii.”

How to use this guide to kawaii drawing

This guide is divided into six files. Each PDF outlines a different area of your character design: body proportions, arms and legs, hair, outfits, animals, and objects.

You’ll start by drawing a square. There are a couple of options for the exact scale you use. First, you’ll see the 50/50 split, where the head and the body are the same height as each other. The other is the 60/40 split, where the head is even larger and the body is tiny. Ilaria notes this second style is popular in animal illustrations.

When it comes to drawing faces, you'll use two dots for the eyes and a semicircle for the mouth, all of which lie roughly at the same level on the face.

One of the most exciting parts of drawing kawaii characters is the personalization, which you can also get started with here. Because the head is so large you can experiment with eyes and hairstyles to make characters that stand out. Ilaria recommends creating Pinterest boards to inspire your character’s outfits.

Download the free PDF guide

After clicking on the button below, you'll find a .zip file in the Downloads folder on your computer called Free Kawaii Illustration Guide, by Ilaria Ranauro containing the PDF files.

Sign up for Ilaria’s course, Kawaii Illustration: Create Charming Characters. You'll design joyful illustrations and turn them into stickers by combining digital and analog techniques.

Explore more Japanese art forms with these resources

1. From manga illustration to amigurumi (crocheted toys), we offer a range of courses exploring the crafts of Japan.

2. Follow these four kawaii artists and illustrators to stay inspired!

3. Learn more about the history of manga and explore the work of thirteen influential manga artists.