how to draw anna from frozen 2: simple steps

To draw Anna from Frozen 2, build her pose from simple shapes, then add her face, braids, and recognizable travel outfit. Working from large forms to small details makes the drawing easier to adjust and helps keep her proportions balanced.

This tutorial walks you through a clear front-facing pose, from the first guidelines to the final color. You’ll also find ways to adapt the method for a younger artist, a quick sketch, or a more detailed portrait. A few simple checks can make the difference between a face that feels balanced and one that needs a fresh start.

how to draw anna from frozen 2

Start with a relaxed, upright pose and a light pencil sketch. Keep the head, body, and clothing as simple shapes at first. Anna’s auburn braids, expressive face, and distinctive Frozen 2 travel clothes will make the character recognizable; careful proportions will help those details sit naturally.

This method uses a front-facing pose with a slight turn of the shoulders. It is easier to plan than a full side view, while still giving the drawing some movement. You can change the pose later, but beginning with a clear view of the face and outfit makes the first attempt more manageable.

Gather a few basic supplies

Use a pencil, clean paper, an eraser, and colored pencils or markers if you want to add color. A ruler can help with light guide marks, but you do not need to measure every feature. If you are drawing digitally, use a separate rough-sketch layer so you can lower its opacity or remove it later.

Choose a reference image that shows the version of Anna you want to draw. Frozen 2 features different clothing from the first movie, so a reference helps you keep the cape, dress, and hairstyle consistent with the sequel. Pick one image and follow its design rather than combining details from several outfits.

Choose a drawing approach that fits your goal

You can draw Anna as a simple cartoon, a more detailed portrait, or a small full-body figure. Decide before adding details. Each approach changes how much space you need for the face, hair, and clothes.

If this is your first drawing, choose a portrait or a simple cartoon. A full-body figure has more parts to plan, and small costume details can distract from the pose. You can always draw a larger version once the face and hair feel comfortable.

Plan the head, shoulders, and pose

1. Mark the space. Leave room above the head for Anna’s hair and braids, and leave enough space below for the shoulders or the full figure. A loose vertical line through the page helps you keep the pose centered.
2. Draw a light oval for the head. Make it slightly wider near the forehead and narrower toward the chin. Keep the shape loose; you will refine the jaw after placing the features.
3. Add a face centerline. Draw a faint line from the top of the head toward the chin. For a straight-on face, keep it near the middle. For a turned face, curve or shift the line toward the direction Anna is facing.
4. Place the eye line. Add a light horizontal guideline across the upper half of the face. Add a second guide for the nose and a short mark for the mouth. These are placement aids, not permanent features.
5. Sketch the neck and shoulders. Use two short lines below the jaw and a simple shoulder shape. Angle one shoulder slightly lower than the other if you want the pose to feel less stiff.

Keep these marks pale enough to erase. Heavy outlines at this stage make corrections harder and can leave grooves in the paper. Think of the first sketch as a map: its job is to show where the parts belong, not to look finished.

Check the overall proportions

Before adding the eyes or costume, look at the head in relation to the shoulders. A portrait should give the face enough room for the eyes, nose, and mouth without squeezing the chin. If the head looks too large for the pose, widen the shoulder area or reduce the head slightly.

For a full-body drawing, begin with a simple gesture line that shows the direction of the body. Add a small head shape, a torso block, and simple lines for the arms and legs. The exact proportions can vary with your chosen cartoon style, so focus on a clear pose rather than a rigid measurement system.

Shape Anna’s face and expression

Anna’s face should read as warm and expressive. Keep the cheeks soft and the chin gently rounded rather than sharply pointed. The centerline and eye line will help you place the features evenly, especially if you are drawing from memory.

1. Draw the eyes first. Place two large, gently curved eye shapes along the guide. Leave similar space between them and the sides of the face. Add pupils looking in the direction of the pose, then leave small uncolored areas for highlights.
2. Add the eyebrows. Sketch slim, curved brows above the eyes. Their angle affects the expression: raised brows can look curious, while relaxed brows create a calmer expression.
3. Make a small nose. Use a short curve or a few light marks instead of a dark, detailed outline. A simple nose keeps the face readable without competing with the eyes.
4. Place the mouth. Draw a small curved line below the nose. For a cheerful expression, lift the corners slightly. Keep the mouth near the centerline, adjusting its shape to match the angle of the face.
5. Refine the jaw and cheeks. Connect the cheek shapes to a soft chin. Add a few light freckles across the nose and upper cheeks if you want this familiar detail.

Do not outline every feature with the same heavy line. A dark outer eye line and a lighter nose and mouth usually give the face a softer look. If the expression feels off, check the spacing and angle of the eyes before adding more marks.

Keep the features aligned on a turned face

For a three-quarter view, the far side of the face appears narrower. Shift the centerline toward the far side and make the far eye slightly smaller or less visible. The nose should follow the direction of the face rather than sitting at the center of the paper.

A useful check is to look at the drawing from a little farther away or briefly turn the paper upside down. This makes uneven spacing easier to spot because you stop reading the face as a familiar character and start noticing its shapes. Correct the large placements before polishing eyelashes or freckles.

Draw the braids and loose hair

Anna’s hair frames the face and carries much of the character’s silhouette. Instead of drawing every strand, sketch the outer mass first. Place the hairline around the forehead, then show the hair flowing back from the temples into the braids.

1. Outline the hair cap. Add a curved shape above the forehead and around the sides of the head. Leave room for the part and any loose strands shown in your reference.
2. Mark the braid paths. Lightly draw two long curved guides from the sides of the head. For a portrait, the braids may fall over the shoulders. For a full-body pose, let them follow the direction of the body.
3. Build each braid with linked sections. Draw alternating rounded or tapered loops around the guide. Vary their width slightly so the braid feels woven, not like a straight tube.
4. Add loose strands sparingly. Use a few curved lines near the forehead or braid ends. Too many separate lines can make the hair look tangled.

Keep some gaps between the braids and the body or cape. Those small open spaces make the shapes easier to read. If a braid crosses a shoulder, draw the braid outline clearly first, then add the shoulder line behind it.

Color the hair with a warm auburn base. Add a darker reddish-brown along the underside of each braid and near the roots, then leave a few lighter sections as highlights. Do not shade every braid loop equally; alternating light and dark areas create depth without needing many tiny details.

Add the Frozen 2 outfit in clear layers

Anna’s sequel outfit is easier to draw when you treat it as separate layers: the dress, the cape, and the visible trim or fastenings. Use your reference image to confirm specific details, since pose and scene can change what is visible. The cape’s broad shape and the dress’s dark base color usually matter more to the silhouette than tiny embroidery marks.

1. Block in the dress. From the shoulders, draw a simple torso shape that narrows slightly toward the waist. Extend the skirt downward as a broad, gently flaring shape if the full figure is visible.
2. Place the cape over the shoulders. Sketch its collar and outer edges on top of the dress. Let the cape fall behind the arms and torso, using long lines that follow gravity and the pose.
3. Show the waist and closures. Add the belt or fastening details visible in your reference. Keep them centered on the body and small enough that they do not overpower the face.
4. Add the hem and sleeves. Give the dress and sleeves simple, clean edges. A few seam lines can suggest structure without covering the outfit in decoration.
5. Suggest embroidered details last. Use small, repeated shapes near the collar, bodice, or cape only where they appear in your reference. Leave open areas around them so the costume still reads clearly.

Use a dark base for the dress and a contrasting magenta or deep rose tone for the cape when following Anna’s familiar Frozen 2 travel look. Add darker shading where fabric folds under an arm or near the waist. Reserve the brightest color for small accents, rather than filling every surface with equal intensity.

Make fabric look like fabric

Clothing folds usually form where fabric bends, gathers, or hangs from a point. Add a few curved lines near the elbows, waist, and cape fastening. Keep the lines close to the bend and let them fade as they move away; long, evenly spaced stripes can make the cloth look stiff.

For a moving pose, let the lower cape or skirt curve slightly in the direction of motion. The outline should stay simple. One clear flowing edge often suggests movement better than many wavy lines.

Refine the outline, clean up, and add color

Once the major shapes are in place, compare the drawing with your reference. Check the head angle, braid placement, shoulder width, and cape outline before darkening anything. If a shape is misplaced, erase and adjust it now. Small corrections at this point are easier than trying to hide them with color.

1. Choose the strongest contour lines. Darken the face, hair silhouette, braid edges, and outer clothing outline. Keep interior details lighter so the figure does not become a collection of equally heavy marks.
2. Erase extra guidelines gently. Wait until the main pencil lines are clear, then erase only the construction marks you no longer need. Pressing too hard can damage the paper or smudge graphite.
3. Lay down light color first. Add a light base for skin, hair, dress, and cape. Build darker areas in thin layers so you can control the result.
4. Add shadows where forms overlap. Darken the underside of braids, the area beneath the chin, and places where the cape sits over the dress. These shadows help separate one shape from another.
5. Preserve highlights. Leave small areas lighter on the hair, eyes, and fabric. If you color digitally, use a lighter shade rather than a pure white mark for every highlight.
6. Finish with selective details. Add freckles, a few braid marks, costume trim, and eye accents. Stop when each detail supports the character rather than competing with the main shapes.

If you use markers, test them on a spare piece of paper first. Some markers bleed through thin paper, so place a scrap sheet underneath. Colored pencils are easier to layer gradually, while markers create flatter, bolder areas of color.

Fix common drawing problems

The face looks lopsided

Check the centerline and eye guide. A tilted head should have tilted guides too; horizontal features on a tilted face can make the head appear twisted. If the face is turned, remember that the far side is narrower, rather than forcing both eyes to be identical in size.

The braids look like ropes

Make the braid sections overlap in alternating directions. Add slight variation in their size and leave a visible path between the loops. A single dark outline around a straight cylinder will look more like a rope than a braid.

The outfit looks cluttered

Reduce the number of decorative marks. Keep the silhouette, cape, and dress clear first, then choose only a few trim details. A small drawing cannot show every pattern cleanly, so simplify repeated decoration instead of shrinking it into tiny, crowded shapes.

The figure feels stiff

Look at the line from the head through the torso and hips. If every part sits directly on one vertical line, shift the shoulders or tilt the head slightly. A gentle curve through the pose adds movement without requiring an elaborate action scene.

The drawing does not look like the Frozen 2 version

Check the reference before adding familiar details from the first film. Outfit colors and clothing elements can differ between the movies. Match the reference’s cape and dress first; small changes to the hair or pose matter less than getting the main costume shapes right.

Make a small sketch read clearly

If you are drawing on a small page, simplify before shrinking every detail. Enlarge the face and braid shapes slightly, use fewer costume decorations, and make the main outline easy to see. Tiny freckles or embroidery can disappear at a small scale, so save them for a larger drawing.

For a beginner-friendly version, use circles and curved lines rather than trying to copy every edge exactly. For a more polished portrait, spend extra time checking the face angle and the way hair overlaps the shoulders. In both cases, the same order works: plan the silhouette, place the features, draw the outfit, then add details.

One practical habit helps across every style: take a short break after the rough sketch, then look at the page again before inking or coloring. A fresh look makes proportion problems easier to see. You can also take a photo and flip it horizontally; the changed view often reveals a leaning head or uneven eyes that are hard to notice while drawing.

Start with the pose and big shapes, then refine Anna’s face, braids, and Frozen 2 outfit in that order. Keeping the first sketch light gives you room to fix proportions before small details take over.

Choose one clear reference and make a rough outline today. Check the face and costume silhouette before adding color, then finish with only the details that help your drawing read clearly.