CHAPTER 1 | EYES
There are many ways to draw eyes. In this chapter I will show you some of them.
THE SHAPE OF AN EYE
The basic shape of our eyes looks a bit like an almond (left). The lacrimal gland is located on the inside. So here’s a left eye drawn.
The eye is protected by the eyelids above and below. The iris with its wonderful colors is usually partly hidden. Check on someone while just looking at each other. Of course, the eye with the eyelids looks slightly different for everyone.
Exercise 1: Draw these right and left eyes.
I show you three different ways of looking: when you see the iris in full, the eye looks surprised, surprised, fearful or startled (left). When the iris and pupil are half hidden, the eye looks dreamy, sad or tired (center). A squinted eye seems to be having a bit of fun or staring (right).
Exercise 2: draw these three different ways of looking.
SLANTED EYES
Eyes can be slanted. I ‘glued’ two faces with slanted eyes together. This way you can see the effect of an exaggerated slant of the eyes.
Exercise 3: draw a row of these faces next to each other. You can (perhaps together with others) make a long strip with different eyes, noses and mouths.
EYES FROM THE SIDE
A simplified way is to draw the eye as a triangle. The upper eyelid is a kind of shelter/roof for the eye. The iris becomes a line instead of a circle. Note: the eye is in the eye socket and you do not draw against the profile line of the head.
Exercise 4: Draw these simplified eyes from the side, including the eyebrows and nose.
Right
Wrong
If you want to make it more realistic, the eye with the eyelids becomes a more convex. The iris and pupil are no longer circles, but ovals.
Exercise 5: In the next two drawings you can see how the eye lies in the eye socket from the side. Copy the examples, nose to nose.
Exercise 6: When you draw eyes in a portrait, you should also learn to focus on shadow. This allows you to suggest the hollow of the eye socket and the slight curvature of the eye and eyelids. In my example of a left eye the shadow falls under the eyebrow and under the lower eyelid. There is also some shadow under the ‘shelter/roof ‘ of the upper eyelid. It’s best to try this almost soft focus type of drawing with a soft pencil without a sharp point.
It can also be done with more visible hatching, here on a right eye.
EYES IN COMICS AND ANIMATION
Of course, there are many more ways to draw eyes. Artists of comics and animation use eyes that match their figures. Sometimes a dot and a few lines are enough! I’ll show you a bunch of examples.
EXTRA 1: You might like to copy one or more of the following examples or use their eyes for a character of your own.
Eyes in Japanese Manga comics or cartoons are large and colored with often large white glints in them.
The following Manga eyes from Japan are drawn with a black fineliner. Of course, it can also be done with a fine brush and ink. Note the different ways of drawing eyelashes.
The eyes of the witch from Snow White are very expressive: the old witch’s bulging eyes and the witch disguised as a queen’s her ‘cat eyes’. In both drawings the whole face plays along with the facial expression, especially the mouth and eyebrows. Who do you think looks meaner, the witch disguised as an evil queen or the old witch without a disguise?
The Old Witch from Snow White The Witch disguised as the jealous Queen
EYES OF THE WORLD
In general eyes of people of East Asian descent are different from the eyes of people of African or Western descent. It remains amazing and beautiful how many differences there are between people, wherever we come from.
EXTRA 2: Try to draw one eye of someone close to you. Take a special look at the colors of the irises and try to imitate that with colored pencil or transparant watercolor.
Drawing of a student in high school
Suggestion for teachers: you can have this exercise done in alternating pairs. One draws, the other is a model and after some time you turn the tables.