Drawing Eyes
One of the most wonderful things in nature is a glance of the eye; it transcends speech; it is the bodily symbol of identity. Eye is considered to be an integral part of one's beauty. Before you draw a realistic eye you must first study what it really is. You have to see the close up pictures of eyes. So, you will easily understand the depth of eye while drawing.
There are two things that you should carefully observe when starting your drawing of an eye:
• The difference in shape between the upper and lower eyelids.
• How the upper eyelid covers the top of the iris.
There are two main essentials to consider when drawing the glassy surface of the eye:
1. A bright shine of reflected light should be left as unshaded paper at the start of the tonal drawing. This will become the brightest part in the eye. This reflection is further improved by its contrast with the pupil - the darkest part in the eye.
2. The iris contains a range of tones and flecks which radiate to the centre of the pupil. It is usually darker around its outside edge and lightens towards its centre creating a translucent effect.
The final step is to render the solidity of the eye socket and surrounding area using graduated tone. The upper eyelid casts a shadow which forms a dark curve across the top of the eyeball. This gradually softens into the shaded areas at each corner of the eye. Graduated shading is used to cover the outline detail and build up the tone of the eyelids and surrounding area. Eyebrows and eyelashes are formed by soft, delicate hairs, so draw these lightly and pay particular attention to the direction of their growth.