Male · Slicked Back · Back Left 3/4
Hair design reference showing a male anime character with a slicked back hairstyle from a back left 3/4 angle.
Practice Advice
Study the alignment of features and angle of construction lines. Use our interactive practice tools to draw timed sketches of this pose.
How to Draw Slicked Back Hair (Back Left 3/4)
This reference shows Slicked Back hair on a male character from a back left 3/4 view. Use it as a structure study for silhouette, chunking, and flow.
About This Reference
Hair design reference showing a male anime character with a slicked back hairstyle from a back left 3/4 angle.
1. Structure of Slicked Back Hair
Slicked-back hair is scraped flat against the skull from the hairline to the crown. Show the direction of the comb with short, parallel strokes that follow the head curve, and keep the shine subtle. The forehead is fully exposed, so the face carries the design.
- Direction: short parallel strokes following the head curve.
- Shine: keep it subtle, just a hint along the crown.
- Forehead: fully exposed; let the face carry the design.
2. Drawing It at the Back Left 3/4 Angle
From a back-left three-quarter angle the hair mass dominates the frame and the face peeks out on the right. Sketch the full silhouette of the hair first, then place the visible slice of the face against its edge.
- The hair mass dominates; sketch its silhouette first.
- The face appears as a narrow slice on the right edge.
- Define the flow lines running down the back.
3. Gender Styling Notes
Male anime faces read through structure. The jaw is broader and more angular, the chin stronger, and the brow ridge more defined. The eyes are narrower and sit slightly higher on the head construction, the nose is sharper with a defined bridge, and the neck is thicker. Use firmer, straighter lines for the jaw and neck to sell the masculine silhouette.
4. What to Watch for in This Reference
Slicked-back hair is defined by its flatness and the direction of the strokes. Study how the hair follows the curve of the skull with no volume or bounce. The strokes should all run in the same direction, following the head's curvature from forehead to crown.
From behind, the hair silhouette is everything. Study how the hair falls down the back, where the part sits, and how the hairline frames the visible side of the face. The face is a small element in a large hair shape.
5. Common Mistakes with This Style
Adding volume or bounce to slicked-back hair. This style is deliberately flat against the skull. If your hair is standing up or falling forward, it is not slicked back.
Drawing the face too large when it is mostly hidden by hair. From a back angle, the face should be a small slice on the edge of the hair mass.
Quick practice plan
- Block in the hair silhouette first, ignoring interior strands entirely.
- Add the chunk structure, following the flow lines from the crown.
- Refine edges and add 3-4 accent strands where the mass meets the face.
- Check your work against the common mistakes list above and fix any issues.
- Redraw the same hairstyle from a different angle using this reference as the base.
