Our last section is kind of a bonus. Nowadays, unless you are into calligraphy, the only time you would have to draw Kanji by hand is when you are writing on official documents. However if you are curious let’s talk about the proper way to draw Kanji (according to Japanese rules; China sometimes has different rules).
Top to Bottom / Left to Right
In general, you draw Kanji from the top to the bottom (for example 三) or from left to right (as in 川).
Horizontal Before Vertical
For Kanji with both horizontal and vertical strokes, usually the horizontal ones come first (as in 十).
Go-Throughs Are Last
If there is a stroke that goes through several other strokes, it is usually drawn last. 中 and 用 have vertical go-through strokes that are drawn last. 母 and have horizontal go-through strokes that are drawn last.
Diagonals
Keeping with the idea that strokes go from top to bottom, if there are diagonals, can you guess which directions go first?
If you said top right to bottom left diagonals first, then you win!
Long Center Verticals Go First
The character 水 has a long center vertical stroke. You would draw these kind of strokes first.
Left Verticals Go First
If you have a character with a left vertical stroke, then you would draw that first. Examples are 口 and 門.
Bottomless Enclosures
Kanji like 回 and 病 are either completely closed off, or closed off on two out of four sides. For characters like 病, you draw the enclosure first. For characters like 回, draw all sides of the enclosure, then draw the inside part and FINALLY draw the bottom part of the closure.
Side Enclosures
近 健 have side enclosures that you draw last.
Dashes Come Last
Finally, dashes are drawn last as in the character 求.
Exceptions
There are many exceptions.
田
右 or 左
九 or 力
私
重
Conclusion
