Ultimate Guide to Drawing Ears

Master drawing ears to create realistic characters! Eridey explains ear anatomy, drawing ears from different angles, as well as drawing fantasy and animal ears.

Anatomy of the ear:

Ears are unique and, even if they come by pairs, there aren’t two cut from the same mold. Let’s see a bit of their common basic structure before we start with their diversities:

Helix
Antihelix
Lobule or lobe
Concha
Tragus
Antitragus
Ear canal

Diagram of ear. When drawing ears, first use this as reference!

Generally, all ears follow the same basic structure. Learning this magic formula by heart will make drawing ears easy! Use the diagram above as reference and follow these steps to practice drawing an ear:

How to draw ears:

Draw the contour of the ear. It consists of a single stroke created from the helix and the lobe. The helix has the shape of a hook (A) and the lobe is a smaller curve at the end of the ear (B).
Draw a Y-shape inside, representing the antihelix. The antihelix spreads out starting from the lobe and creates two paths that meet the internal edge of the helix.
Add 3 short strokes to create the tragus (a bump which covers the ear canal) and the antitragus (connecting to the antihelix). You can also close the inner part of the helix curve a little more.

Step-by-step guide on how to draw ears

As mentioned, ears can be unique. In the following examples, you can see that some features are more pronounced or more subtle than others, but each part of the ear can still be easily identified. When drawing an ear without a reference, bear in mind that your purpose is to create comprehensible shapes.

Ear reference. Even humans can have differently shaped ears.

Ear shape, placement and angles:

Studying anatomy allows us to use various reference points to determine the position and size of other body parts. In the case of ears, the eyebrows and the tip of the nose act as guidelines to draw them at a suitable height and size. You can also follow the jaw line as a guideline for the correct angle.

Draw ears at the same height as the eyebrows and tip of the nose. From the side, align the ear to the angle of the jawline.

Use the same guide when drawing ears at an angle, like when a character is looking up or down.. Remember that in a three-dimensional approach, the head is a sphere and the location of the ears remains the same.

Remember ear placement reference points to draw ears at any angle with the head.

The only thing that changes is the perspective from which you are looking at the image. Therefore, let us not forget how ears are viewed from other angles.

How to draw the ear from different angles. Whether you are drawing anime ears, animal ears, or elf ears, think about how it looks like from multiple perspectives.

Drawing stylized ears:

We’ve come this far, and we have realized that drawing ears isn’t that impossible. However, for those whose job or hobby tends more toward animation or comics, saving time with the details is crucial. For anime ears or cartoon ears, you can get rid of unnecessary lines:

You can simplify the ear when drawing characters for anime, cartoons, or comics. Come up with your own style!

My advice is to soak in the styles that you like the best and look closely at how your favourite artists draw ears. Some of them even change the pattern of the ear, like an X or a 6!

There are tons of ways to draw an ear. See which works best for your project or personal style.

Drawing fantasy ears:

Is your character… human? Or from another planet?! The classic, and most obvious, way to tell humans apart from magical creatures is to look at their ears. This topic is fun, as we are free to experiment with exaggerated and unique proportions.

How to draw elf ears and fairy ears:

Long, pointy ears have become a symbol of magic, wisdom, and immortality. They are classic characteristics of elves, fairies/faeries, and other fantasical beings. We already know what a human ear looks like, so let us apply the same pattern to other silhouettes. In this case, something like a teardrop.

Elves and fairies usually have long, pointy ears. The basic ear anatomy remains the same.

We can simplify this ear in the same way as before:

Easily draw ears for fantasy races by changing the outline of the ear or exaggerating parts of the ear.

If we place the ears where they should go and keep a regular size (at least at the base), they will look quite credible, no matter how exaggerated they are.

Here's an easy reference to drawing elf ears. Make them droop when they're sad, or add piercings to create a truly unique fantasy character.

How to draw ears for aquatic beings:

When designing a character, I love to take inspiration from different elements of the world that surrounds them. In the case of sea creatures, there is a lot we can referenceꟷfish fins, seashells, aquatic plants, etc. So, imagine what your ears would be like if they were based on these elements. The results can be very interesting!

I followed the same concept of elf ears (long with pointed tips), but added elements of a fish fin…

Depending on the species, fish fins also come in many shapes. A mermaid with spiky fin ears has a different vibe to those with soft fin ears.

… or inspired by seashells! All of these work perfectly underwater!

Using seashells, coral, and other items found in the ocean as reference for your ear drawing. It could improve your world building, as well!

How to draw bunny ears, cat ears, and other animals:

Since each species has unique ears, maybe a little more research and practice is necessary to accomplish this task. How do we get started?

Choose an animal and collect and use good quality reference photos from all possible angles. If you are interested in a specific animal that you cannot see in person, watch documentaries or videos that show the animal in motion. Even screenshots work great as drawing reference.
Study their ear shapes and take note of their characteristics. Are their ears hairy? Are their ears big with pointy tips? Do they move? Simplify and compose the drawing in your own style!
To help us with character design, try to make the ears express emotions. If you have a pet, look at their ears. How does your pet react when they are sad or happy? Draw your animal ears with these emotions in mind.

Cat ears:

Cats have a reputation for being curious and stealthy creatures (more or less). The ears of Siamese cats are very pointy and prominent; they enhance their personality while always being alert. Other cat breeds, such as the Scottish fold, may have smaller, folded ears.

When drawing cat ears, imagine a triangular shape attached to the top of the head.

Dog ears:

Dog ears can be long and floppy, or pointy and short! Try drawing different dog breeds to get a feel of how their ears work. I really wanted to draw a beagle because of its really amusing ears. It was a real challenge, because they are playful doggies and their ears fly everywhere, following their movements.

Drawing reference for dog ears. Floppy dog ears move with the animal.

Rabbit ears or bunny ears:

Rabbits have long ears, but not all of them bend or fall. I was surprised to learn that, compared to other types of rabbits, some white rabbits’ ears are almost always rigid or slightly arched.

You can’t imagine how much you can learn once you start drawing. It is not enough just to see, so there are no excuses to practice!

How to draw bunny ears from different angles. Rabbit ears can move in all sorts of directions.