In this guide, I will take you through my detailed process for drawing a photorealistic eye. We will cover all the essential tools needed for this study, examine the anatomy of the eye, and explore the drawing techniques necessary to capture the realism shown in the drawing below.
Supplies
Bristol Vellum paper
Eye photo reference (You can visit Pixabay & Unsplash for royalty free images)
H, 2B, 4B, 6B, 8B graphite pencils
Charcoal pencil
Blending Stumps
Q-tips
Eyeshadow applicator
Kneaded eraser
Tombow mono zero eraser
Electric eraser (if you don’t have an electric eraser, you will be fine with just the Tombow or kneaded eraser)
These are the supplies I used, feel free to substitute if you do not have access to the full list. All of these products can be found on Amazon or through Dick Blick. For more information on all the drawing tools I use as well as an explanation on value, light, shadow, and drawing techniques, please refer to my previous blog post:
Anatomy of the Eye
Before we begin drawing the eye, it's essential to understand its anatomy, how it appears from various angles, and the different eye shapes and eyelid types. Understanding the anatomy of the eye is important before drawing it because it helps to accurately depict the key features of the eye. This will lay the foundation for your drawing and help you understand where each feature should go and how it contributes to the overall look of the eye.
The Iris & the Pupil
The iris is the colorful area of the eye that surrounds the pupil. It can vary in colors from brown, blue, green, and hazel. The iris controls the diameter and size of the pupil, regulating the amount of light reaching the retina. While sketching the iris, be mindful of the color variations and the pupil's size, as these details can greatly enhance the realism of your artwork.
Sclera
The sclera is the white portion of your eye, serving as a protective layer that envelops most of the eyeball. It stretches from the cornea at the front to the optic nerve at the back. Although commonly referred to as the white of the eye, it isn't actually white.
When drawing the sclera, pay attention to the different values, especially under the upper lid, as it often casts a shadow on the upper part of the eye.
Top & Bottom Eyelids
Eyelids protect our eyes and also add depth and character to the eyes. The upper eyelid usually covers part of the iris and casts a shadow on the eye, while the lower eyelid accentuates the roundness of the eyeball. At the junction of the lower eyelid and the sclera, there is often a highlight due to the eye's moisture. Capturing this subtle detail can add life to your drawing.
Eyelashes
Sketching eyelashes can be challenging and might require some practice on a separate sheet before adding them to your artwork. Eyelashes are thicker at the base and taper to a point at the ends, which is crucial for creating a realistic appearance. To accomplish this, apply more pressure with the pencil at the base of the lash and gradually reduce the pressure as you move towards the tip. Eyelashes extend in various directions and their shape alters from corner to corner based on the perspective that you are viewing it from. For instance, when looking directly at someone's right eye, the lashes at the outer corner will slant to the left, those at the inner corner will slant to the right, and the middle lashes will appear shorter as they point towards you.
Different Eye Shapes
While everyone's eye anatomy is identical, the shape and appearance differ greatly among individuals. Here are some typical eye shapes:
Almond: Oval with pointed corners
Round: Circular with curved edges
Hooded: Extra skin folds over the crease
Monolid: No visible crease above the eye
The Outline
With an understanding of the various parts and shapes of the eye, gather your materials and photo reference, and let's begin drawing! My eye study measures 10x8. You can choose any size you like, but I suggest going for a slightly larger size, as it will be easier to include all the details.
Using an H or 2H graphite pencil, begin sketching the basic outline of the eye. When creating the outline, it is helpful to map out any prominent shadows and highlights that you see in the reference photo. This will help you once you start adding details to your drawing. You can draw the outline freehand, or you can use the grid method. This technique entails placing a grid on a reference image and then drawing a proportionally identical grid, enlarged to fit your paper. Here is a short video explaining the grid method from Adam's Pencil Art:
Blocking in Value & Blending
Starting with a 2B pencil, I begin lightly shading the skin around the eye, paying close attention to the darker areas and creases of the skin. Since I am left-handed, I always start from right to left with my drawings to avoid smudging the graphite.
After covering an area with graphite, I begin blending it with a Q-Tip. You can choose any blending tool that suits you best. I typically use the Q-Tip for most of the blending, the blending stumps for smaller sections, and an eyeshadow applicator for smoother areas.
Creating Highlights
With my kneaded and Tombow erasers, I begin to lift graphite off the lighter areas of the skin, which are usually located just above or below the skin's creases. There are also bright highlights in the medial canthus, or the corner of the eye. try not to get much graphite on the extremely white highlights, or you won't be able to erase enough of it to achieve the necessary brightness.
I've begun shading the sclera, or the white part of the eye. It's important not to make it too dark. Often, I will use the leftover graphite on my Q-tip or eyeshadow applicator to gently shade this area. Throughout the process, it's crucial to consider the direction of the light to accurately portray shadows and highlights. Continuously checking your values is essential, as it significantly impacts the realism of the eye.
Adding Details
I am slowly building up layers of graphite until I achieve the correct value while also using my eraser to pull out details in the skin. I have added small highlights around the upper and lower lids as well as lightly drawing in the veins on the sclera.
The Iris
At this point I have begun shading in the iris while paying special attention to the highlights of the iris and leaving them the lightest value which is the white of the paper. Notice I have made the area directly under the upper eyelid slightly darker to represent the shadow created by the direction of the light.
After adding a light layer of graphite to the iris, I blended the area with my Q-tip.
The patterns within the iris are very intricate. Rather than sketching each individual line, I utilized my Tombow eraser to form the flower design of the iris. If you do not have a Tombow, you can also form your kneaded eraser into a point to create these lines.
Creating the iris involves multiple layers of applying graphite, blending, and erasing. I gradually darken the regions surrounding the iris markings while striving to preserve the pattern I established with my eraser.
Keep darkening the deepest parts of the iris, including the shadow beneath the upper eyelid, while preserving the highlights. I realize I may be repeating myself, but it's crucial to consistently check your values throughout the process. Carefully examining your reference photo is beneficial; it doesn't need to be an exact replica, but observing the details in the photo can enhance your understanding of the landmarks that give the eye a three-dimensional appearance.
At this point, I use my charcoal pencil to fill in the pupil. I used charcoal for this because you can achieve a much darker value without the shine of graphite. I went in with a few layers of charcoal, blending in between each layer. I continue adding in more details to the iris and will occasionally use my electric eraser on the highlights to keep them bright.
I proceed to darken area right beneath the upper eyelid and the limbal ring, or the dark ring around the iris. I keep repeating the process of darkening, blending, erasing, and adding details until I am happy with how the iris looks.
With the iris finished, I move on to the remaining skin and eyelashes. I apply a layer of graphite, blend the skin, and use my electric eraser to add highlights the lower lid. I repeat this method by layering graphite on the darker sections, blending, and erasing graphite from the lighter areas of the skin.
When sketching the eyelashes, aim for a somewhat random arrangement; some lashes will overlap others or veer slightly in different directions. It's crucial to alter the direction of the lashes as you progress across the eyelid. After completing the skin and eyelashes, I included the small section of the eyebrow at the top along with some final highlights, and it's finished!
Thank you for joining this tutorial! If you decide to try it, I'd be happy to answer any questions you have and would love to see what you create!
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