In this blog post I’ll guide you through a step by step guide on how to draw eyes for beginners, covering various angles and essential techniques.
Stick around until the end of the article as I’ll share crucial tips that you need to incorporate to dramatically improve your eye drawings.
If you would rather watch instead of read, take a look at the video all on this subject below:
But lets start by breaking the eye down.
The Eye
The eye includes these essential elements: the iris, pupil, eyebrow, and upper and lower lids. Remember, the eye isn’t flat but curved like a sphere, which is a common mistake a lot of beginners commit.
I recommend practicing drawing these eye diagrams to understand its curved nature.
The eye has wide pupils in low light, far away objects, and happy emotions. Whilst small pupils are shown in bright light, close objects, and shocked or angry emotions. Eyes sit one eye width apart.
How To Draw Eyes For Beginners – Step by Step
Step 1 – Begin by drawing a simple circle to represent the eyeball. This will serve as the foundation for your eye drawing.
Step 2 – Within the circle, draw the iris and pupil. The iris is the coloured part of the eye, and the pupil is the dark centre.
Step 3 – Draw the upper and lower eyelids around the iris and pupil. Make sure they follow the eye’s shape for a lifelike look.
Check that your eyelids match the circle’s length you drew at the start. Normally, the upper eyelid covers some of the iris, and the peaks of the eyelids don’t line up perfectly.
The highest point of the upper eyelid should be nearer to the inner eye, while the highest point of the lower eyelid should be closer to the outer corner.
Additionally, the lower eyelid tends to be more horizontal, while the upper eyelid has a curved shape. Think of three lines for the upper, and two lines for the lower.
Step 4 – Add the corners of the eyes, known as the inner and outer corners. These help define the shape and expression of the eye. This is usually drawn as a C shape for the inner part, and a V shape for the outer.
Step 5 – Erase the initial circle and refine the shape of the eyelids. Add creases to the eyelids for a natural, lifelike appearance.
Step 6 – Fill in the pupil with a dark shade, leaving small areas for reflections or highlights. These reflections add depth and realism to the eye.
Step 7 – Shade inside the eye to make it look more real. Think about light and dark to give it a 3D feel. Draw shadow around the eyelids, under the eye, and around the corners.
Use shading to make some parts darker and some lighter, which makes it look deeper and more like real life. This is because it imitates how light shines on the face.
Step 8 – Make sure your eyelashes look different and varied. Start them thin near the inner corner of the eye, then make them thicker as they go towards the outer corner.
Also, make sure they spread out naturally, not just sticking straight out from the eye.
And there you have it! A finished eye drawing!
Drawing Eyes from Different Angles
Now that you’ve mastered drawing eyes straight on, let’s look at drawing eyes from different angles.
Drawing An Eye Looking Down
When drawing an eye looking down, start with the same basic steps, but adjust the position of the iris and pupil lower on the eyeball. Link back to the diagrams at the start of this video to help with this.
Pay attention to the curve of the eyelids and the angle of the eyebrows. Top tip – increase your line thickness of the eye lids for extra 3D feel!
When the eye looks sideways, down, or up, the pupil appears taller. This is because the curved shape of the eye changes how we see the pupil.
Even though the pupil stays the same shape, the curved surface makes it look longer when we look from different angles.
Drawing An Eye Looking Up
For an eye looking up, follow similar steps, but position the iris and pupil higher on the eyeball.
The lower eyelid may be less visible, and there may be more space between the eye and the upper eyelid.
Drawing An Eye Looking To The Side
When drawing an eye looking to the side, adjust the placement of the iris and pupil accordingly.
Pay close attention to the angle of the eye and the direction of the gaze.
Top Tips To Help Your Eye Drawings To Keep In Mind
- Draw around the shape: Eyes aren’t flat, so follow the curve of the eyeball to make it look real.
- Add variety: When drawing both eyes, avoid making both eyes exactly the same. Make small changes in size and shape to make them more interesting.
- Study the eye’s parts: Learn about the different parts of the eye and how light and shadow affect them. This will make your drawings more realistic.
- Capture emotions: Eyes are expressive, so think about the emotion you want to convey in your drawing. Adjust the shape, size, and position of the eyes to match the mood of your subject.
- Experiment with shading: Make your eye drawings look more real. You can try cross-hatching, stippling, or pressing your pencil with different pressures. These techniques can make cool effects and textures in your drawings.
With practice you’ll be able to create lifelike and expressive eye drawings. I hope you liked this guide to how to draw an eyes beginners. Comment below as I’ll love to know how you got on with your own eye drawings below, happy drawing!
If you liked this blog post, do check out my other articles on my blog – including this article to help you draw your own master studies (which can drastically improve your drawing skill). Or learn how to draw your own self portrait with this step by step tutorial.
Many thanks for listening and visiting this blog post all about how to draw eyes for beginners. You can follow what I’m up to on my Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram pages, I’ll really appreciate it if you do, and don’t be afraid to say hi to me! Many thanks again, and have a great day!
25th May 2024
