How to Draw Goku

Co-authored by Renée Plevy and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: March 16, 2023

If you're looking for one of the most fun Dragon Ball characters to draw, try sketching Goku! Enjoy drawing his expressive eyes, iconic hair, and small facial features. To add more detail, include Goku's muscular upper body wrapped in his famous deep red clothes.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Drawing the Facial Features

1
Sketch a frown wrinkle where the center of the eyes will be. Take a pencil or pen and draw a tiny horizontal line, which will be the frown wrinkle in between Goku's eyes. Then, make 2 angled lines that extend up from each side and point towards each other.^{[1]
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2
Draw angled eyebrows that extend up from each side of the frown wrinkle. Put the tip of your pen or pencil at 1 end of the horizontal line of the frown wrinkle and draw a curved line up and away from the wrinkle. Make the curved line about 4 times the length of the wrinkle line. To draw the top of the eyebrow, sketch another curved line that's parallel to the line you just drew, but make it wider at the end and draw a vertical line to connect them.^{[2]
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- You can shade in the eyebrow with a pen or colored pencil.
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3
Make a circular pupil below the eyebrow. Draw a half-circle that extends from the bottom of the eyebrow. Position it close to where the eyebrow meets the wrinkle mark and fill in the pupil so it's completely dark.^{[3]
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4
Draw the bottom and side of the eye. Make a tiny vertical line in between the pupil and wrinkle line. Sketch another vertical line at the opposite edge of the line from the eyebrow down so it's even with the short line you just made. Then, draw a horizontal line that comes off of the outer line towards the middle of the eye. Repeat these steps to make the opposite eye.^{[4]
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- Make the bottom horizontal line about halfway across the bottom of the eye.
5
Create a small nose below the frown wrinkle. Leave space the same size as the frown wrinkle directly below the horizontal wrinkle line and make a vertical line that's as long as you want the nose to be. Then, draw a horizontal line that curves to the left of this vertical line so the nose now looks like a backward "L."^{[5]
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Tip: To add more detail to the nose, draw a v-shape below the horizontal line and make an angled line from the top of the nose down to the right point of the "V."
6
Sketch a crooked smile for the mouth directly below the nose. Since most of the emphasis is on Goku's eyes, the mouth is much simpler to draw. Make a line that curves up at an angle to the right. Then, make a small vertical line at each end to make the mouth look like Goku is smiling or smirking.^{[6]
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- You could make Goku's mouth in any shape you like. Draw a simple curved line to make an easy smile, for instance.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Outlining the Head and Hair

1
Add lines to indicate the cheekbones and indent of his chin. Make 2 horizontal small lines directly below the mouth that are 1/2 the size of the mouth. These will make the indent of the chin. To make the cheekbones, draw 2 slightly curved lines right below 1 eye. Then, draw 1 line below the other eye.^{[7]
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- The cheekbone lines will also help to define the eyes themselves.
2
Draw the outline of the head from the temples down to the pointed chin. Make a small point next to each of Goku's temples to create 2 tiny marks. Draw down from each point in towards his jaw. Make the jaw come to a curved point.^{[8]
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- You'll now have the outline of Goku's face from his temples to his chin.
3
Sketch a large ear on each side of Goku's head. Put your pen or pencil at one of the temple mark you made earlier. Draw an ear that curves up and to the right before going down and around the side of his face. To add details to the ear, make a line that curves to the right and goes down at the top of the ear and in the middle of the ear. Then, make a curve that goes from the bottom up to the right near the ear lobe.^{[9]
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- Repeat this going in the opposite direction to make the other ear.
- Make the ears extend until they're level with the bottom of Goku's nose.
4
Create large triangular-shaped hair across his head. Place your pen or pencil on the center of Goku's forehead and bring it down towards 1 of the eyes. Move the pen or pencil back up to create a large triangle shape. Repeat this across the forehead before you make large triangles that extend from the sides and top of Goku's head.^{[10]
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Tip: Goku usually has black hair unless he's in Super Saiyan form. His hair might change to blue, gold, or deep red, for instance, depending on which form he changes into.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Drawing Goku's Upper Body

1
Outline the neck and shoulders. Draw a vertical line from the corner of the jaw straight down until it's level with the bottom of the chin. Repeat this on the other side of the jaw. Then, put your pencil near the top of the line you just drew and draw a straight line that angles away from the neck at 210 degrees to the left. Make another 1 off to the right at a 330-degree angle.^{[11]
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- These angled lines will form the rest of the neck where it meets the shoulders.
2
Draw the large muscles in the center of the chest. Sketch a small vertical line in the center of the chest. To make the muscles, draw 2 lines that curve up and away from the top of the line in an "m" shape. Extend them until they line up with the shoulder line you drew in the last step.^{[12]
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- To add detail to the hollow of the neck, draw a "V" in the top of these chest muscles.
3
Make the vest over the shoulders. Draw a thick strap over each shoulder and make the lines curve in toward the center of the chest. Let the lines taper off.^{[13]
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- The vest covers almost all of Goku's shoulders so draw the vest almost to the end of where the shoulders will be.
Tip: If you're going to color in the drawing, make the vest a deep red or yellow-orange color.
4
Curve the ends of the shoulder line and sketch the top of Goku's shirt. Look at the shoulder line that you drew earlier and imagine it going through the vest. Continue this line past the vest and make the line slope down to the left. Repeat this for the right shoulder but make the line curve down to the right. Then, draw a horizontal line below the chest muscles to make the top of the shirt.^{[14]
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- Make the ends of the shirt line touch the edges of the vest.
- To improve your artistic skills learn to observe things from a teacher.^{[15]
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- Practice sketching.^{[16]
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- Read more about art.

Community Q&A

Question

How do people draw this hard stuff?

Community Answer

It may be hard for you, but maybe not for others. We're all at different levels of drawing. My advice: practice, practice practice! If you're persistent, you'll become a great artist!
Question

How do I draw Goku ss5?

Community Answer

Copy the instructions in this article, but draw longer hair. You can also keep tracing it from somewhere until you can draw it by yourself.
Question

How do I draw the line for the hair?

Community Answer

Look at a reference and try to find places where those lines start, then draw curved spikes. Keep practicing and eventually you'll get it.