INTRODUCTION

Hello everyone! My name is Evelyn, but you guys can call me Eevee, or Eve for short if you'd like. Today I'll be showing you guys a tutorial on how I draw eyes, and some tips that might be useful if you already have a style of your own.

 

Sorry for the long tutorial, but be sure to click on your preferred style in the index if you're interested in one section more than the other!

 

Thank you!~

BRUSHES

Here are some brushes that I believe will help you guys out, and the ones that I used. Sometimes you can use different tools and still get the same result, so I placed out some options for you guys.

 

Here are the brushes/tools I used.

 

Realistic-

Sketching: Pencil > Rough Pencil Base Colors: Pen > G - Pen Painting/ Rendering: Dense Watercolor

Blending: Blend > Soothing Watercolor Blending Final Touches: Blend > Blur Details: Watercolor Brush > Watery

 

Anime Style-

Sketching: Pencil > Rough Pencil Base Colors: Pen > G - Pen Painting/ Rendering: Dense Watercolor

Blending: Blend > Soothing Watercolor Blending Final Touches: Blend > Blur Details: Watercolor Brush > Watery | Watercolor Brush > Smooth Watercolor

BASICS - Structure of the Eye in Reference to the Face

Before we can walk, we have to learn to crawl!

 

If we want to learn how to draw an eye we have to know the areas that make up the eyes. Regardless if you are drawing an Anime style eye or a realistic one, both will have all of these parts.

 

Anime eyes will seem as if they're missing the Caruncle at times, but it is more of a stylistic choice, and depending on the emotion or if there is a close-up, it might show up.

 

In the next picture, I drew a quick sketch of an eye with its​ different parts. Just wrote it down so it can be translated.

 

Structure of the Eye.

 

1. Upper Eyelid

2. Caruncle

3. Lower Eyelid

4. Iris

5. Pupil

6. Sclera

7. Eye Lashes

8. Brow Bone

9. Eyebrow

Now that we know the structure of the eye, we can see where it goes on the head and how it affects​ the face.

 

The first is to sketch the head.

The second step is to fill it in with the features.

 

Starting from top to bottom.

 

Top of Head.

Hairline

Eyebrow Bone

Nose

Chin

 

And then it repeats for the rest of the three figures. It shows that whether you are going for a realistic drawing or an anime-style one, the proportions are still relatively the same.

Now that we know the structure of the eye and how it fits onto the face, we can start customizing the features of the eye if we're not drawing from a reference photo/picture, or from a person in front.

 

Types of Eyes

 

The best way to start drawing the shape of the eye is with a vague shape. Some small lines to indicate where your brush should move towards when filling in the details. Then continue filling in the details until you are satisfied with the results.

 

Having problems coming up with a design? Take inspiration from basic shapes like rectangles, circles, ovals, parallelograms, and trapezoids. Every eye shape​ at their basic design is just a simple shape, the details and slight changes to the form are what give it the characteristics of an eye​ until it becomes one as you progress on with the drawing.

 

 

Drawing a simple eye is great, but people have emotions, and one of the best ways for the eye to express those emotions is through the eyebrow and upper and lower eyelids.

 

Playing around with those three components will give you different results and a variety of expressions.

Types of Eyebrows

 

There are so many types of eyebrows and each one can define a style or a type of person or their character. Here I drew some eyebrows and the steps I took to draw them.

 

Start with a general line, or an empty design, and slowly start to fill it in until you're satisfied with the details.

Next up is working on perspective. While it is nice to draw the eyes in just one direction, it is also important to be able to draw the eyes from different angles as well.

 

First, draw a sphere then the eyelids, and finally the iris and the pupil. Make sure to follow the contour of the sphere and to pay attention to the pupil. Depending on the angle, the pupil will appear flat or more towards the back of the eye, if you place it in the front it will look out of place.

 

Once you have an idea of how to make one eyeball, do a pair, working at them at the same time. One eyeball distant between the two.

I find drawing eyelashes​ quite fun. They will curve upwards and from the center outwards, like a fan.

 

Apply pressure from the base of the eyelash, and then let go once on the tip, that way the ends can be smooth and feathered out.

REALISTIC EYES:

Part 1 - Planning

They say the eyes are the window to the soul, which I think is pretty fair.

 

If you're designing a character, think about the race of your character, where they are from and what their lives could be like. If you're drawing from life, draw what is actually there, and not what you think is there. If you look at someone's eye for three seconds, draw for three seconds, and so on. It will help get a more accurate picture.

 

Because there are multiple types of eye shapes and sizes, they will look different depending on the angle. So sketch out a few depending on what you'd like to draw.

Now that I have drawn a few different positions I can choose which one I like best.

 

Please note that if you are having a problem drawing the eyes from a certain perspective, take a picture of your face, or look at yourself in the mirror. There is no better reference than the world around you.

Part 2 - Sketching

Finally deciding on the pose and perspective I'll make a sketch, working on both eyes at the same time. Whatever I do to one eye, I'll repeat on the other as necessary from now on. I have noticed that is a good way to keep the drawing consistent and never getting to a point where you end up saying, "wait, how did I do that again?"

 

In the steps below I'll be working on 5 layers. Each layer is one step, this way if you mess something up it'll be easier to correct.

 

New Layer Folder > Rename Sketch > Open 5 Layers

So let's go over what I just drew.

 

Step 1: Draw three circles the same size, side by side, with the edges touching each other.

 

Step 2: Draw the Iris and the Pupil in the direction you want your eyes to be looking at.

 

Step 3: Add upper eyelids, define the eye, and add the eyebrows.

 

Step 4: Add the lower eyelids, add some hairs to the eyebrow and some markings to signify where the nose will be. Erase the circles from Step 1.

 

Step 5: Finish with eyelashes​ and a cleaner sketch where you can see the tear duct line. Erase the eyebrow shape from Step 3.

 

Congratulations! Now you've finished the sketch!

 

Hide White/Paper background > Select Drawing Layer > Right Click > Merge Visible to New Layer > Show White/Paper Background > Hide Previous Sketch Folder.

 

And the ending result should be similar to the one down below.

Part 3 - Color Palette

Color palettes are extremely important! They help you set a mood and stick to a somewhat controlled color spectrum. Since we are leaning more towards realism in this section, it would be best to use at least 4 different colors throughout your drawing. The more colors you use the better.

 

Eyes aren't just a base color, they have depth and dimension to them. They reflect light from the world around them.

Here is a color palette I came up with, I frequently use these colors for more realistic/semi-realistic pieces. The two separate color swatches on the right are the same colors as the flat tones from the left. The main difference is the upper-left colors are a lighter version of it, and the lower-left colors are a darker version.

 

The bottom row of palettes are the same colors are the larger circular main ones, they are just there to demonstrate that colors can seem different, even if they are not due to the color of the background, or the surrounding colors.

 

The 8 darkest colors on the bottom right are not black, as 'technically' black doesn't exist, it's the absence of color from light. If you're aiming for a realistic piece usually you mix your colors to get black, like complementary​ colors of blue and orange, or even mixing red, blue and yellow, will give you a more realistic black too.

 

Keep in mind most of these colors are warm and should be changed to cool depending on the lighting, time of day, or if there is a direct light hitting it.

Part 4 - Base Colors And Shading

Alright! I really like how it turned out, I think I'll go for a pretty standard look. A bright, daytime feel most likely using a mix of the upper-right colors. I really like a seamless smooth look, so I think I'll go with that.

 

As of now, you should have 2 layers in this folder. One for the background color (I picked a light gray), and one for the sketch. Clicking on the bottom layer (the background), you'll click on the option for "New Layer" and an empty layer should appear between the two.

 

Layers are really good for beginners, this way if you mess up, it is easier to spot your mistakes and not have to start from the beginning.

 

Step 1.

Pick out your favorite skin tone and a dense brush (typically set at 100% Opacity) I just used the standard "G - Pen", and color in the area you'd like to paint.

 

Step 2.

 

Right- Click on the layer, and duplicate the layer. (We're going to be doing this with every step from now on.)

 

Add shadows and highlights using the " Soft Airbrush" tool. I moved the color wheel slightly and picked out some colors and played around with it until I felt comfortable enough with the results.

 

Try to keep it subtle at first, if you want to darken or brighten any areas, you can later on. Let's just focus on giving the face some structure.

Step 3.

 

Right- Click on the layer, and duplicate the layer.

 

Now that we've given the face some structure, we can fill in the Sclera, the white of the eyes. Now we're just not going to pick a full "white." Choose a light gray, I prefer mine to be in the Red/Orange part of the color wheel, quite disaturated.

 

I filled it in using the "G - Pen".

Step 4.

 

Right- Click on the layer, and duplicate the layer.

 

Next up is filling in Iris and Pupil. You can choose whichever colors you'd like, the process will be the same. Just make sure you don't pick a full black for the pupil. I went with a saturated dark blue, all the way on the lower right of the color box.

 

I filled it in using the "G - Pen".

Step 5.

 

Right- Click on the layer, and duplicate the layer.

 

Ah, see what I mean. I thought that the image looked a bit flat so I made sure to brighten the areas on the upper-eyelid.

 

I filled it in using the "G - Pen".

Part 5 - Rendering and Blending

Step 1.

 

Alright, here comes the hard part, let's get to work!

 

Right- Click on the layer, and duplicate the layer.

 

With the "Dense Watercolor" brush, I picked up a light brown color and started to paint the face, switched colors every so often, and with the color dropper tool, picked up colors from other parts of the face. If I felt certain areas were still too light, I would darken then up, and others I would lighten.

 

The "Dense Watercolor" brush is good to use because it also blends in some of the colors from the front and back of the stroke. If you have a different color in the color box than the one your brush starts on, it'll come out with a blend of the two colors.

IMPORTANT!

 

When painting realistic pieces like this, make sure you follow the dips, and curves of the face, eyes,​ and eyebrows. Don't paint in one direction, it will make the painting seem flat, keep your brush strokes wide and try not to apply too much pressure.

Do not be afraid of the color wheel and picking colors. If you mess up, you can undo it. Even if you think certain colors might seem too dark for an area, apply them anyways and work around it. If it doesn't work, change the colors and see if it makes a difference.

 

If you're having trouble with saturated colors, try keeping your colors relatively around the boxed areas.

 

Step 2.

 

Right- Click on the layer, and duplicate the layer.

 

We're going to continue on with the same technique, except we will shrink the size of the "Dense Watercolor" brush and work more on the form. I'm still not satisfied with the highlight so I added a bit more and made the brush strokes more precise and shorter.

Step 3.

 

Right- Click on the layer, and duplicate the layer.

 

By now I've fully painted the area and I've decided I don't need the sketch layer on top. Hide the Sketch layer, and continue working until you're satisfied with the result.

 

I added a bit of a lighter brown to the left iris and molded both pupils better. Not having the sketch layer on, I can see the image clearer and don't have to rely on it for guidance anymore.

On the bottom, you'll see an example of all the colors I've picked up with the color dropper or while playing with the color wheel. By no means does yours have to look the same, but it is a good example to show the variety in shades.

Step 4.

 

Right- Click on the layer, and duplicate the layer.

 

Now we're going to start on the blending process, but we'll be taking our time on this. It is extremely easy to over blend on digital drawings, so we'll take this in two steps.

 

((If using the "Soft Watercolor" brush be careful as it becomes easy to over blend with it, making the features flat..))

 

Blend Tool Box > Soothing Watercolor Brush

 

The "Soothing Watercolor" Brush/Tool is pretty amazing! It gives the painting a brush-like feel to it and it stops you from over blending so fast. It might take a bit of time to get used to, but once you do, it will help the painting come together real quick.

 

Be sure to keep following the contours of the face and the brush strokes.

 

I noticed those highlights I kept adding on seemed pretty strong, so using the "Soothing Watercolor" brush, it really blended those colors in pretty well, not making the lighter colors so harsh.

Step 5.

 

Right- Click on the layer, and duplicate the layer.

 

We're almost there!

 

This one really depends on you, and your taste. I personally prefer a smoother skin texture, but I know some artists will skip this step.

 

There are parts that I find that the "Soothing Watercolor" brush just can't blend in properly so I'm going to blend those parts a little more.

 

Blend Tool Box > Blur

 

With the "Blur" tool I go over small areas like the shadows on the sides of the nose, on the corners of the eyes, lightly across the upper eyelids and in some other areas too.

 

Make sure to not forget to blur the outer circle of the Iris.

 

Step 6.

 

This is the final step! We've made it!

 

Time to add the final details and watch the eye area come completely together.

 

Brush Tab > Watercolor Brush > Watery

 

I select a dark red/orange color and go to work on the eyebrows and the eyelashes.

 

Please remember, eyelashes will fan out, from the center outwards and tend to curly upwards. There are typically thinner and fewer eyelashes on the lower eyelid than on the top one.

 

Eyebrows are tricky, sometimes the hair there can have a mind of its own. The best way to draw eyebrows is to follow the curve of the brow.

 

I start from the inner part of the eyes, (middle of the forehead in between the eyebrows) all the way out. In most cases, the eyebrow hairs are sparse in the beginning​ and the become thicker and fuller towards the tips.

We did you guys! We finished the realistic part of the tutorial! Thank you so much for making this far, I really appreciate it. I hope this was helpful to all of you reading.

 

Here on the bottom is my layout set up in case you need a visual guide.

ANIME EYES:

Part 1 - Planning

Anime eyes are really fun to draw because you get to exaggerate the features. If the character is young and impressionable they'll be large and wide. The older they get, the thinner and smaller they'll appear.

 

For masculine characters, they tend to be more narrow and wider, if they have evil intentions small pupils or none at all to show how detached they are from the world around them. Some masculine characters can also have wide big eyes, but it's mostly geared towards the ones who are bubbly, kind, and most likely loud. Sometimes all three. They're usually young, impressionable​ and with the whole world ahead of them.

 

If we're drawing older characters, their eyes will typically be smaller, more narrow, and depending on the eye shape, facing downwards.

Part 2 - Sketching

Since these are faster to draw than a realistic one, I'll be showing you three different ways to draw these eyes. The same steps apply for all three of the designs.

 

I used the "Rough Pencil" brush for my sketches.

 

For each step, we will be drawing on separate layers. Right- Click on the layer, and duplicate the layer. Then continue drawing on that layer.

 

1. Draw a circle

2. Set your angles, where you'd like the head to face. Rounder features are more feminine, angular ones are more masculine.

3. Draw the nose and the distance between the eyes. The circles should overlap as it is a slight profile view on design 1 and 3.

4. New Layer, lower the opacity on the previous layers, draw head and nose outline. Finish off by adding the details and hiding the previous layers.

 

Sketch 1.

Female - Young Adult

Sketch 2.

Female - Teenager

Sketch 3.

Male - Teenager | Young Adult

 

Part 3 - Lineart

Here have the lineart.

 

Lower Opacity of Sketch Layer> New Layer > Draw Lineart

 

I used the "G - Pen" Brush.

 

We'll color in the lineart, but later on in the editing phase.

Part 3.5 - Shading (MANGA STYLE)

I know most of you into manga, so I decided to add a small quick section to the tutorial. Shading it manga style if you're not into colors.

 

I just used the "G - Pen" brush, the "Blur" tool, and the "Soft Airbrush" tool for all of these steps.

 

Picture A - Skin

Step 1. Color in the area you're going to work on.

Step 2. New Layer > Clip to the previous layer > Set the layer to Multiply > Add Shadows.

 

Step 2.5. Add Shadows with "G - Pen" then blur edges a bit, if you want to add a blush use the "Soft Airbrush" tool.

 

Step 3. New Layer > Clip to the previous layer > Set the layer to Screen > Add Highlights.

 

Step 3.5 Blur the edges if they're too harsh.

I just used the "G - Pen" brush, the "Blur" tool, and the "Soft Airbrush" tool for all of these steps.

 

Picture B - Sclera

Step 1. Color in the area you're going to work on.

Step 2. New Layer > Clip to the previous layer > Set the layer to Multiply > Add Shadows.

Step 3. Use the "Blur" tool to blur the edges of the shadow.

I just used the "G - Pen" brush, the "Blur" tool, and the "Soft Airbrush" tool for all of these steps.

 

Picture C - Iris

Step 1. Color in the area you're going to work on.

Step 2. New Layer > Clip to the previous layer > Set the layer to Multiply > Add Shadows.

 

Step 2.5. Add Shadows ontop with "Soft Airbrush" tool, then to add the pupil use the "G - Pen". Blur the top of the pupil if too harsh.

 

Step 3. New Layer > Clip to the previous layer > Set the layer to Add Glow > Add Highlights.

 

Step 3.5 Blur the edges if they're too harsh.

If by the end you still feel like it's too flat, the best thing to do is change around your tools and see which one might resemble an​ ink pen the best, or add gradients. Clip Paint Studio has hundreds you can browse and download from their materials section.

Part 4 - Color Palette

Here are two color palettes I frequently use when drawing in an anime style. I like to stick to jewel tones, so the colors are more saturated compared to the realism counterparts.

 

The bottom picture is the same color palette as on top, but with pastel colors.

Part 5 - Skin

The skin is pretty simple. Color it in using your preferred skin tone, and brush, make sure it is at 100% opacity, I chose "G - Pen".

 

You will open 4 layers for the skin, layers 2 - 4 will be clipped on to the 1st layer.​

 

1. Base tone.

2. Shadows.

3. Blush/ Ambient Shadow

4. Highlight.

With the "G - Pen" I outline basic shadows, to identify the light source. With the "Blur" tool, I blurred out some edges, but not by much.

 

Layer: Multiply - 100%

Color: Same as base color.

 

With the "Soft Airbrush" tool I placed some darker shadows around the face​ and added blush to the upper faces.

 

Layer: Multiply - 100%

Shadow Color: Same as the base color.

Blush Color: Depends on Preference.

 

With the "G - Pen" brush I added some small highlights on the cheek, the tip of the nose, and upper eyelids.

 

Layer: Screen - 100%

Highlight color: Same as the base color.

 

Part 6 - Sclera

This is pretty simple and straight forward. Pick out an almost white for the sclera. With the "G - Pen" brush I filled in the area and blurred the ends.

With the "Soft Airbrush" tool, in one wide stroke, go from one side of the eye​ to the other and you'll have a shadow.

 

Layer: Multiply - 100%

Shadow Color: Same as Sclera color.

 

Part 7 - Iris

You will open 4 layers for the Iris, layers 2 - 4 will be clipped on to the 1st layer.

 

1. Base tone.

2. Shadows.

3. Soft Light

4. Highlight.

 

Here is the part that makes up the whole face, the Iris. Because anime eyes are quite variant​ you'll be able to pick any color in the spectrum and it'll be okay, I just stuck with the basic ones.

 

I used the "G - Pen" to fill it in.

For the top shadows use the "Soft Airbrush" tool. Then with the "G - Pen" add the pupil, but pick a darker color than your base color. Once the pupil is drawn, blur out the top part.

 

Layer: Multiply - 100%

Shadow Color: Same as the base color.

Pupil Color: Darker shade than the ​base.

Now lets add a subtle light. Click on the base color, move the color wheel to the right to the next color over and use it.

 

With the "Soft Airbrush" tool apply it to the bottom part of the eye.

 

Layer: Screen - 100%

Screen Color - Analogous color (to the right)

And now my favorite part! The highlights!

 

With the "G - Pen" brush add the large highlight on the upper left-hand part of the eye, and then a small one the bottom right. For the Iris highlight, draw in a few lines in the center, and only blur out the top parts.

 

Layer: Add glow - 100%

Highlight: White

Iris Highlight: Same as the base color (Changing it to a different color also works, it adds depth)

We're DONE! We've finishes yay! If you want you can finish here, the rest is just tips if you want to continue with different techniques.

Part 8 - Editing

The first type of edit is the painterly one.

 

In this edit, I tried to get rid of the lineart and start to develop the features more. I made the lashes more feathery with the "Watery" brush and blurred out the inner edges of the eye and the iris with the "Smooth Watercolor" brush.

 

All in one layer.

The second edit is more straight forward. It is meant to give it a soft blur effect, but for the entire piece.

 

Select Layer > Duplicate Layer > Select New Layer

Filter > Blur > Gaussion Blur > Set to 50 > Switch Layer setting to 20% opacity > Overlay.

This one is the most subtle of the three edits because it is meant to give the semblance of texture, but very little.

 

Create Layer > Filter > Draw > Perlin Noise > Change Scale to 6.11 > Change Amplitude to 0.17 > Click Okay.

 

Create new Layer > Clip over Perlin Layer > Change the color a skin tone > Set Layer to Multiply > Merge Layers.

 

Clip new Perlin Layer to drawing Layer > Lower Opacity to less than 20%.

Filter > Draw > Perlin Noise

 

These are the settings I used.

Thank You!

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