“Portraits” Part 1- Eyes

In this next series of classes we will begin drawing “Portraits.” I will break down the features of the face beginning with the Eyes.

This is a breakdown of the steps when drawing the Eye. * Keep in mind this is only a guide when you approach a Portrait, as every person has unique features and some of the steps will have to be altered. In addition, this is an example of and eye on a face looking directly straight ahead.

Step 1- Draw a contour sketch of the eye including the tear duct. *Notice the shape is not a circle.

Step 2- Draw the Iris. It is important you make sure you don’t draw a complete circle inside the eye to represent the Iris. The upper and lower eye lid will always cut off the edges of the Iris, unless the eye is open really wide when the eye looks surprised.

Step 3- Draw the pupil and the light source that will be reflected off of the eye. The size of the pupil will vary so make sure you really look at the pupil you are drawing and represent the Iris correctly.

Step 4- Color in the pupil using a 4B or 5B pencil. *Make sure you don’t color over the reflection.

 

Step 5- Begin a Star Burst Pattern coming out from the Pupil in a circular direction using a 4B pencil. Make sure you don’t cover the reflection. Create a ring around the Iris and repeat the Start Burst Pattern from the edge of the Iris in a circular direction. *Make sure your patterns are clearly established. Blend carefully with a stump to darken and clearly define the star burst pattern.

Step 6- Using an HB pencil begin drawing in the lines between the pupil and ring around the edge of the Iris. You will get the best results if you turn your paper in a circular direction while draw in the lines in between the pupil and the outside ring.

Step 7- Using a very sharp 4B pencil begin to clearly define and establish the dark rings and the star burst pattern. Break up the reflection with a couple of strokes with your pencil.

Step 8- Draw in the eyeball on the right and left side making sure the lines are curved, not straight. Shade in lightly using an HB pencil creating a value study, starting from the edges in curved strokes going lighter as you work your way toward the Iris.

Step 9- Create the shadow that is cast off the eyelid. Use a 4B to draw the line of the eyelid and shade lightly down from the shadow using curved lines, not straight, to create the illusion of form. Darken the outer edge of the eye.

Step 10- Draw in the Tear Duct making sure you leave an area White, creating the illusion of tears / moisture in the Tear Duct.

Step 11- Sketch in the Eyelid. Shade the area above the Tear Duct and continue lightly above the line you established as the crease for the Eyelid. Lightly draw a thin line below the line on the bottom of the eye creating the Waterline and lightly sketch in the lower lid.

Step 12- Fine tune the Values. I decided to make the Pupil bigger and the ring around it thicker. Use a Kneaded Eraser to pop out any highlights.

Step 13- The last step is to add the Eyelashes and Eyebrow. The Eyelashes are drawn making strokes like a check mark going towards the left, on the left side, vertical in the middle, and towards the right on the right side getting a little longer and thicker as you go down the left side or outer side of the eye. The lashes on the bottom need to come from the Waterline in short curved strokes. The lashes on the inside should be curved towards the center, vertical in the middle, and curved again towards the center as you make your way to the outer part of the eye. Draw the Eyebrow starting straight up from the Tear Duct making vertical strokes and slowly curving and going diagonally up the eye as you make your way to the edge of the Iris your eyebrow will curve down to frame your eye.

Next post: Class 10-“Portraits” Part 2- Nose