How to Draw a Ninja

Last Updated: September 6, 2022

Ninjas form the class of 14th century Japanese trained in Martial Arts and were hired for espionage and assassination. Their special skill is called ninjutsu. They are unique in their manner of dressing. Let's begin!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Cartoon Ninja

1
Sample cartoon ninja.
2
Draw a circle for the ninja’s head.

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3
Draw a square for the ninja’s body, directly under the base of the circle. Connect the square with the circle by overlapping a small portion.
4
Draw pellet-like shapes for the ninja’s limbs (hands and legs). You may draw the limbs any way or any direction you like.
5
Draw a small, horizontally-elongated oval inside the circle and within the oval draw the ninja’s eyes.
6
Draw a slender rectangle representing a stick at the left-side connected to the ninja’s hands.
7
Erase the overlapping parts that are unnecessary.
8
Refine the lines and edges and add the details.
9
Color to your heart’s content or add more ninjas!

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Traditional Ninja

1
Sample traditional ninja.
2
Using pencil, roughly sketch the guidelines for drawing a ninja. Begin with a small circle with a cross-section for the ninja’s head.
3
Draw an oval a little under the circle and draw a line from the circle through the oval and further; this will be for the backbone of a ninja’s body (for sketch purposes)
4
Draw two small circles at the upper left and upper right side of the oval. Draw an oval at the end of the line made in step 2. Draw 2 lines connecting the ovals a little before the side’s end.
5
Draw two small vertically-elongated ovals from the 2 small circles at the upper oval for the ninja’s arms. Draw 2 vertically-elongated ovals from the oval at the bottom end for the ninja’s legs.
6
Extend the limbs by alternating small circles and vertically-elongated ovals. Make a distinction for the feet using smooth triangular shapes. You now have sketch for the body ready for adding some details for the eyes, ears, nose and mouth, body, clothes, and sword.
7
Carefully trace with a pen the outline of your sketch. The sketch will guide you to produce a smooth and neat outline.
- Trace the smaller details of the ninja to produce drawing effects for the clothes.
8
Erase the sketch.
9
Color the drawing as you like!

Community Q&A

Question

Could I do a female ninja?

Community Answer

Sure. Add female eyes and a ponytail in the back.
Question

Could I add long hair instead of a ponytail for a female ninja?

Community Answer

Of course, it's up to you! Usually the eyes and lips are what define the character's gender, so as long you can tell the gender clearly by the eyes, any hair is fine. Consider drawing long eyelashes to make it more obvious.
Question

How do I draw a robot ninja?

Community Answer

The easiest way, would be to draw the robot first. Then you could draw the ninja clothes. If the robot is gray, white would be a good clothing color, as it doesn't contrast too much with the robot color, but it doesn't blend in too much either. For instance, you would start out with a curved rectangle for the robot's head, and then add in a face. After, just choose a good pose, and draw the clothes. The easiest way is to draw it similar to a robe, with slightly too big sleeves.