Pose & style reference
What a look is called, how it varies, how to draw it and how to pose for it: hairstyles, hair colours, expressions, hand gestures, outfits, traditional clothing, poses and camera angles, most with reference photos.
Hairstyles 7 entries
- Twin tailsTwo ponytails, high or low, tied on each side of the head
- Hime cutLong straight hair, blunt bangs and cheek-length sidelocks
- BraidsWoven strands, from single plaits to twin and crown braids
- Blunt bangsBangs cut in one straight line across the forehead
- M-shaped bangsBangs that split into peaks, with a strand dipping between the eyes
- AhogeA single strand sticking up from the top of the head
- Hair bowA ribbon tied into a bow and worn in the hair, small or oversized
Hair colours 9 entries
- Black hairThe most common real hair colour, and a classic of anime design
- Brown hairFrom chestnut to light caramel, the everyday hair colour
- Blonde hairGolden to platinum light hair, from sunny heroes to elegant heiresses
- Pink hairPastel to hot pink, the sweetest and boldest anime hair colour
- Blue hairPale ice to deep navy, the colour of calm and cool characters
- Purple hairLavender to deep violet, a colour of mystery and elegance
- Green hairMint, teal and emerald hair for gentle or unusual characters
- White hairSnow white to silver, for otherworldly, wise or striking characters
- Gray hairAsh, charcoal and steel grey, for mature, calm or stylish looks
Expressions 6 entries
- WinkOne eye closed, one open: a playful signal of a joke, a secret or flirty confidence
- PoutPushed-out lips and puffed cheeks: the sulky, mock-annoyed face of cute characters
- Tongue outA peeking tongue tip for an oops, a tease or pure silliness, from tehepero to akanbe
- CrybabyTeary eyes and quick tears: the soft-hearted character who cries over everything
- Tennen (airhead)Naturally spacey and guileless: dazed eyes, head tilts and sincere non sequiturs
- Dojikko (clumsy girl)The lovable klutz who trips on flat ground, drops trays and bounces back smiling
Hand gestures 7 entries
- Peace sign (V sign)Index and middle finger raised in a V: the default photo pose across East Asia
- Heart handsFinger hearts, two-hand hearts and arm hearts: every way to make a heart with your hands
- I love you hand signThumb, index and pinky up: the ASL I love you sign, not the rock horns
- Chin pose (八 hand sign)Thumb and index finger in an L under the chin: the cool, framing selfie pose
- Cat paw poseCurled fingers held like paws near the face: the nyan pose for playful cat energy
- Cheek pokeA fingertip pressed into the cheek: a soft, cute pose with a hint of thinking or teasing
- ShushIndex finger to the lips: the quiet-please gesture that can be secretive, coy or stern
Outfits and accessories 14 entries
- Maid outfitDark dress, white frilled apron and headpiece: classic, café and Victorian maid looks
- Sailor uniformSquare sailor collar, neckerchief and pleated skirt: the Japanese seifuku look
- School uniformBlazer, shirt, tie or ribbon and pleated skirt or trousers: the anime school look
- UniformMilitary, police, idol stage and service uniforms: shared design rules and details
- DressOne-piece dress silhouettes from A-line to empire waist, and how dress fabric folds
- Puffy skirtPetticoat, tutu and tiered skirts that stand out from the body in a bell or dome
- GownBall, evening, mermaid and wedding gowns: floor-length silhouettes and how to draw them
- Victorian dressHigh collars, bustles, crinolines and leg-of-mutton sleeves in costume and cosplay
- Lolita fashionJapanese street fashion with bell-shaped skirts: sweet, classic and gothic styles
- PajamasButton-up sets, nightgowns and animal onesies: cosy sleepwear and loose-fabric drawing
- Nurse outfitClassic white dress and cap or modern scrubs: nurse costume parts and history
- Christmas outfitSanta suits, fur-trimmed dresses, elf and reindeer looks for holiday costumes
- Cat earsNekomimi: cat ear headbands, hoods and characters with real cat ears
- Bunny earsLong rabbit ears on headbands and hoods: upright, floppy and lop-eared styles
Traditional clothing 4 entries
- HanfuTraditional Han Chinese clothing: ruqun, aoqun, beizi, mamianqun and the cross collar
- QipaoFitted Chinese dress with a mandarin collar, frog buttons and side slits; the cheongsam
- KimonoT-shaped Japanese robe wrapped left over right and tied with an obi; kimono vs yukata
- GuzhuangChinese costume-drama, wuxia and xianxia costume: flowing, fantasy-led ancient style
Poses 9 entries
- Standing poseWeight on one leg, hips and shoulders tilted: the base of every full-body pose
- Sitting poseOn a chair, the floor or a step: how the hips, spine and legs fold when seated
- Kneeling poseSeiza, one knee down or upright on both knees: three very different moods
- Squatting poseLow crouch with knees bent: casual, streetwear-cool or curious, depending on the feet
- Leaning poseAgainst a wall, a railing or forward over a table: a pose that borrows support
- Hugging poseArms around a plush, a pillow, a pet or another person: soft, warm and cosy
- Jumping poseMid-air, feet off the ground: the most energetic pose for drawings and photos
- Lying down poseOn the back or side, on grass, a bed or the floor: calm, dreamy, resting
- Lying on stomach poseProne with chin on hands and feet kicked up: relaxed, chatty and playful
Camera angles and views 6 entries
- Front viewFacing the viewer straight on: symmetrical, direct and the base of every turnaround
- Three-quarter viewTurned about 45 degrees: the most popular angle for faces, portraits and character art
- Side viewThe whole body seen from the side: posture, silhouette and spine curve at a glance
- Back viewSeen from behind: hair, the back of the outfit and a sense of mystery or distance
- Side profileThe face seen exactly from the side: brow, nose, lips and chin in one clean line
- Looking back poseA glance over the shoulder: body turned away, face back toward the viewer
Each entry answers what the look is first, then lists its variations, gives construction tips for illustrators and posing or styling tips for cosplayers and photographers.
Reference photos come from the cosplay and portrait archive at mfan8.com and are shown from there with credit; select one to see the full photo set. Prompt keywords at the end of each entry help when you search for more references or describe the look to an image tool.
FAQ
Can I use these photos as drawing reference?
Yes, for study and practice. The photos belong to their photographers and models, so do not trace or republish them; follow the link to see the original set and its credits.
Where do the photos come from?
From mfan8.com, a cosplay and portrait photography archive. They are displayed from that site, not copied to cv.cm, and each one links back to its source page.
What are the prompt keywords for?
They are the common English tags for each look, useful in image search, on reference boards and in AI image tools.