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How To Draw Eyes That Follow You

How to Draw Realistic Optics
A Step by Step Tutorial


Interested in learning how to depict realistic eyes? I don't blame you! The 'windows to the soul' are a captivating subject affair. In this tutorial, I will demonstrate the procedure of drawing a realistic center, and illuminate some of the noesis and skills that one must acquire to draw this compelling subject matter convincingly.

After the lesson, don't miss these middle-related pages ...
6 Nigh Common Eye Drawing Mistakes and how to avoid them

How to Draw Realistic Eyebrows

... and these tutorials on cartoon the other facial features:
How to Draw Realistic Lips
How to Draw an Ear on Toned Paper

I volition be using Staedtler Mars Lumograph graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B) on Strathmore 400 Serial Drawing Paper.




Animated GIF of the tutorial steps




Visible Anatomy of the Eye


To draw this discipline matter assuredly, not just practise y'all need an excellent agreement of the drawing process (which you can learn in my gratis Mini-Class), but boosted layers of knowledge pertaining to the anatomy and structure of the eye also.

Though I volition embrace eye anatomy and construction in detail in a futurity lesson (and an upcoming video class), here are some of the anatomical terms that I will be using throughout this tutorial:

A woman's blue eye with the eye anatomy important for realistic drawing labelled. Text reads: visible anatomy of the eye in this pose


Though this is not a complete listing of the features of the eye, these are the ones that are most visible in this pose.

Earlier we begin, it's advisable to first analyze the structure of the eye in it's electric current pose by drawing a structural diagram. This allows y'all to determine: What features of the eye can you encounter? Which ones are obscured? Where are the of import overlaps? (No idea what overlaps are? Spotter Lesson 4 of my costless Mini-Course!) What areas do yous demand to focus on or emphasize in gild for the centre to read as a convincingly 3-dimensional form?  A structural diagram tin answer all of these questions and more.



How to Draw Realistic Optics
Analyzing the Structure of the Eye

What I look for and notice while observing the centre in this pose:

  • This is not a directly-on view of the face or the eye. The model'south caput is turned virtually 3/four to her right, but she is looking directly at united states, causing an uneven distribution of the white of the eye on both sides of the iris. This allows us to see a larger portion of the inside of the top eyelid than nosotros would see in a straight-on view. I have exaggerated this slightly in my structural sketch, though this is very subtle on the model, and manifests as a deep shadow.
  • The model'southward head is also tilted downward. This allows us to see the unabridged summit airplane of the lower eyelid, and is going to be an of import element to emphasize in my drawing in lodge to create the proper perspective, and the illusion that the heart is looking out from under the brow ridge. (Not indicating that each eyelid has two planes is one of the most common mistakes that backbite from the realism of an heart cartoon!)

Finally, whenever we draw an eye, we need to think that the eyeball is a sphere, so the features of the eye need to be drawn in a style that emphasizes that they are curving effectually a sphere.

As you learn more than virtually this subject affair, you lot volition be able to conduct this assay visually instead of on newspaper. Withal, even when it'south not essential, drawing a structural diagram is an fantabulous exercise that ever helps me detect more than when I conduct my analysis visually.



Download a high-resolution
infographic of this tutorial here!






How to Describe Realistic Optics

Pace 1: Starting the Eye Drawing

Two methods for starting an eye drawing


There are two ways in which I tend to begin eye drawings:


Method 1 for Starting an Eye Drawing: Working from the outside in

When working from the outside in, I start by creating an envelope, or a full general shape around the unabridged heart socket area. I then divide upwardly this general shape into smaller, more specific sections (the countenance, the eye shape, and the shadow shapes). For a more detailed tutorial on using the Envelope method to showtime a drawing, check out Lesson 2 of my free Mini-Course.

Method 2 for Starting an Centre Drawing: Working from the inside out

When working from the inside out, I begin with the innermost shape of the center. This means that I'm indicating the lines that define the part of the eyeball that I can see. Notice that the bottom line that I'k drawing is Line A in the epitome below as opposed to Line B. Line B may be more than evident since it is emphasized by the eyelashes, but inconvenient to start with since I would take to leave the correct amount of room for both the eyeball and the top plane of the lower eyelid.


Looking at my initial pencil marks below, notice that I'thou not drawing a curved almond shape, which is the shape normally considered to exist an 'middle shape'. Instead, I'm looking for angle changes that I tin indicate.

In that location are at to the lowest degree 3 bending changes in both the top line and the bottom line. Indicating these, and keeping them in mind throughout my drawing, will help me represent this particular eye, and add a sense of realism to my drawing. The more specific we tin can go, the more realistic our drawing will seem.

Finally, discover the axis line that I drew to help me establish the correct tilt of the centre.

How to Draw Realistic Optics: Stride 1




How to Draw Realistic Eyes
Step 2: Completing the Block-In


Whichever mode I begin my drawing, the goal is to get to this point.

In this epitome I have completed my cake-in (also known every bit a line drawing or blueprint). This phase is all about proportions, and I'one thousand looking at the heights and widths of absolutely everything!

My lines are less angular and more curved here: this happens naturally every bit I add more lines and specify the form, which is why information technology's so of import to beginning out with distinct angles.

A few important notes at this stage:

  • Look at the shape of the iris: Is it a perfect circle? Not at all! The iris is rarely a perfect circumvolve. Notice (A) the angle change at the top left, (B) the flatter area at the bottom, and (C) that the visible portion of the iris is wider than it is tall. If you want realism and naturalism, these specifics are necessary.

  • Pay close attention to how much of the iris is covered past the tiptop eyelid. Showing more or less of the iris can greatly change the expression of the center.



How to Draw Realistic Eyes

Step 3: Filling in the Shadow Shapes


Next, I lightly fill up in the areas of the center that are in shadow. Reflecting on this phase, I could have also filled in the left-paw side of the sclera (the white of the eye).

Though what I am technically doing hither is shading, the purpose of this step has more than to do with checking my proportions than kickoff the shading process.

Filling in the shadow shapes with a flat, relatively fifty-fifty value helps me to see where I have drawn incorrect proportions, and, afterwards, to correct them.


A notation about proportions:

Looking at the following infographic (which you can download a full-size version of below), you lot can see that I continue adjusting my proportions until the very end of my cartoon!

An infographic showing the steps to drawing a realistic eye.

Get the full-size infographic by clicking here!

This is why it is so important to encompass the Proportion Phase of the cartoon process – because while we tend to give it our utmost attention at the kickoff, nosotros need to 'keep an eye' (*wink!*) on proportions throughout the residue of our drawing besides.

Stay tuned for an upcoming course on developing your middle, mitt, and the skills needed to draw accurately (and with little to no feet!)


How to Depict Realistic Eyes
Step 4: Analyzing & Establishing the Value Construction

After I accept lightly filled in my shadow shapes and adjusted my proportions, I turn my attention to shading, or rendering. My first priority is to institute my value structure: to determine where my calorie-free, half-tone and dark values are.


Determining the Value Extremes


Where are the darkest values in the scene?

The pupil and the upper eyelid area. Notice that where the pupil meets the upper eyelid, we tin't distinctly run into where i begins and the other ends. If I tin't come across a separation, I'm non going to create information technology in my drawing. In fact, separating them would only backbite from the realism in this scenario.


Where are the lightest values in the scene?

The lightest values are the highlights that are institute on the border between the pupil and the iris, in the lacrimal caruncle (corner of the eye closest to the nose), and in the far corner of the heart.

Find that even the lightest role of the white of the eye is darker than these highlights!!

Though the sclera is referred to every bit the 'white of the eye', because it's a sphere it is rarely completely white. It usually has a gradation and a range of values – hither peculiarly, since half of it is in shadow.


Once I take determined the lightest and darkest values in the middle, I begin establishing them in my drawing, knowing that the rest of the values are going to exist somewhere between these two extremes.

Another of import aspect of this step is placing the pupil of the center.

When doing so, I look closely at how much of the iris I can meet on all sides of the student, and specifically where and how much of the pupil is covered by the upper eyelid. Changing this would, over again, affect the expression of the eye.


How to Depict Realistic Eyes
Pace five: Building up the Shadows


I am starting to build up the shadows in my drawing.

Notice my arroyo to drawing the countenance: I am non drawing individual hairs, or even thinking about cartoon hair! Instead, I am drawing the general values of the expanse. The best way to approach drawing the eyebrows is to squint at them, notice how much detail is lost, and to mass in the values that you come across when you squint.

At the very end of the drawing, you lot can indicate a few devious hairs, and that will be plenty to create a naturalistic illusion of pilus. Call up to piece of work from general to specific, and resist the urge to depict private hairs this early on in the process!



How to Draw Realistic Eyes
Footstep 6: Edges


As I continue to build upwardly the shadows, I start to pay close attention to the edge qualities throughout the middle. Unfamiliar with the concept of Edges? Watch Lesson 6 of my gratis Mini-Course for a detailed video on this essential concept!

I determine where the sharpest and softest edges are in the scene, and make sure to indicate them in my drawing. I then have two extremes to compare the rest of my edges to.

How to Describe Realistic Optics
Stride 7: Focusing on Nuances and Details


I've connected building up my values, and my drawing is starting to look quite realistic! As I proceeds confidence in my overall value relationships, I get-go focusing on smaller nuances in value and edge quality. More than specifically, I am considering how to utilise subtle values and edges …

  • to reinforce the construction of the eye that I illustrated at the beginning of this tutorial, and
  • to continuously amend, or make more specific, the proportions in my drawing



Nuances that I'm paying attending to at this point:

1) The gradation beneath the eyelashes on the lower eyelid.

Notice the subtle gradation present in the forepart aeroplane of the lesser eyelid (the airplane that is facing us - see the prototype below). It was essential that I drew in this gradation before cartoon the eyelashes over peak! The grade underneath is much more important to create a sense of depth, dimension, and realism.

Would this expanse look realistic with the gradation just no eyelashes? Absolutely. How about with the eyelashes only no gradation? Nope. The eyelashes are the 'icing on the cake', and are one of the terminal elements to consider when drawing an eye. This is a trap that many students autumn into! Resist the urge to brainstorm drawing in eyelashes and eyebrow hairs until the end of your drawing, when the heart every bit a whole is already looking realistic and dimensional.

ii) The counterchange, or reversal of values, in the sclera.

Looking at the acme plane of the bottom eyelid: notice that towards the left, the peak plane appears lighter than the sclera, and towards the correct, the peak plane appears darker than the sclera. (See image beneath.) This reversal of values is called 'counterchange', and is a beautiful moment that I absolutely want to emphasize in my drawing.

three) Implied, gestural lines connecting shadows.

Await how the line of the shadow below the tear duct/lacrimal caruncle area is picked up by the shadow indicating the lesser of the front plane of the lower eyelid. (See image below).



How to Draw Realistic Eyes
Pace 8: Refining and Finishing

How to Draw Realistic Optics: The Finished Eye Drawing


Comparing the previous stage of my drawing to this one, the outset thing that you'll probably discover is how much I darkened my shadows. Only afterwards several 'passes' of incrementally darkening my values did I feel confident enough to create a pitch black value where the 'darkest dark' values of my epitome are, and to acuminate certain edges.

You may too notice that I adjusted a few proportions! Mainly, I noticed that I had left a little scrap as well much room between the iris of the eye and the top of the lower eyelid. And yes, even though my drawing was well on its way to being finished, I took the time to adjust that proportion.

Furthermore, I slightly defined the inner corner of the eye. Though the lacrimal caruncle and tearduct are in shadow and are not particularly clear, I created the slightest flake more than definition to add some actress depth and create the illusion that the eyeball protrudes further out than the corner of the eye.


A Few Terminal Notes on How to Describe Realistic Eyes


Let'due south talk about the iii areas of particular that many beginners get hung upward on when learning how to describe realistic eyes: eyelashes, eyebrows, and the fibres that radiate out from the pupil to the edges of the iris. (So, most of the minute details!)

The biggest mistake concerning these areas of particular is that students often address them too early. To create a realistic cartoon, we demand to address the whole before nosotros accost the individual parts.

It may also be liberating to know that we don't really need to create cool degrees of detail in these areas to create a realistic drawing!

On the reference of the center that I'm cartoon, are any eyelashes even visible on the acme eyelid? Barely! They are nearly completely in shadow. If I zoom in closely, I can meet only barely make out a few fractional ones. That's it!

How about the fibres in the iris? Again, if I zoom in I can come across them. However, if you are drawing a model from life, are you going to run into the fibres from where yous are sitting? Probably not.

My point is: endeavour non to get hung upwards on these details. Instead, focus on the larger value relationships and gradations that you lot can see. Then, if you have time in front of the model, if your drawing is large plenty, if yous tin can see that level of detail, and if your goal is hyperrealism, you tin work on calculation some of the finer details to your prototype.

This concludes the tutorial, but don't miss the bonuses below!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to draw realistic eyes!

What next?

The best way to amend your eye drawings is, unsurprisingly, to practice!

Why non download a reference photograph of the heart from this tutorial, the infographic to remind you lot of the steps, and first learning how to depict realistic eyes today.




Downloadable Resources





Happy Drawing!



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The windows to the soul are a captivating subject matter! Learn how to draw realistic eyes in this step by step tutorial from The Drawing Source.






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Related Pages

6 Nearly Common Center Drawing Mistakes (and how to avoid them!)

How to Draw Eyebrows

How to Draw an Ear



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