A high bun, layered robes, and earrings mark the palace look that sets Mulan apart from her earlier warrior appearance, and this tutorial on how to draw Mulan in the make-up captures that version in clean line art. The guide is part of the Mulan (1998) tutorial collection on the site.
What the Tutorial Covers and How It Works
This is a bust portrait at a slight three-quarter angle, which means facial proportions and the tilt of the head take center stage. The walkthrough runs 17 steps from rough structure to finished line art, with the detailed linework on the face and collar coming in the later stages. No color is used in the final result, so the focus stays entirely on shape accuracy and clean lines.
Key Visual Features of This Version
- Hair styled in high bun with band
- Almond-shaped eyes with defined brows
- Subtle smile with small lips
- Drop and stud earrings on both ears
- Traditional robe with layered collar
If you want more practice with the character before or after this one, the standard Mulan sketch covers her full-body design, and Halloween Mulan offers a different take on the same face structure. For more cartoon portrait practice from other shows, the Momo from Avatar guide is a good palette cleanser with a very different shape language.
Reading the Step Colors
Each step image uses a three-color system to show exactly what is new and what came before:
- Red Color: lines added in the current step.
- Black Color: lines completed earlier.
- Gray Color: base sketch for structure.
How to Draw Mulan in the Make-Up: Step-by-Step Tutorial
Share Your Finished Sketch
Once the drawing is done, drop it in the comments below. It is always good to see how different people handle the same pose, especially the collar layering and the brow line, which tend to vary quite a bit. New tutorials go up on Facebook and Telegram as soon as they are published, a new YouTube video based on existing guides goes live every day, and Pinterest gets updated regularly too. For more cartoon character portraits, Jinx from Teen Titans and Arnold from Hey Arnold are solid next steps with contrasting styles. If you want to support the project, the Patreon page has hand-drawn coloring pages available that you will not find anywhere else on the site.