Shapes of eyes

Drawing the eye needn't be as difficult as some newcomers to art try to make it seem. The area we want to sketch is usually covered by the upper and lower lids, and also fringed with eye lashes. It's the surrounding parts which confuse and tend to put beginners off.

The answer to the problem is to study and learn to draw each section of the eye, one at a time. As with all facial features, with eyes too there is a great variety. The examples in Figure 1 cover both gender and a range of ages.

The actual shape of most eyes is rather like a tear drop, laid on one side. The one common factor we see is the duct at the inner corner of each eye. Notice the difference.They can be thick,thin, heavy,bulging or hardly visible.

The lower lid usually shows a rim from which fine lashes sprout. Women have prettier eyes than men as a rule, and they can enhance their long lashes with make-up. This helps to make the drawing of their eyes a little easier. The size of the pupil (the dark circle in the middle) varies according to the light, and the vision of the person concerned. When drawing eyes, remember to leave a white spot on the pupil. This is reflected light which gives life to an eye. The area immediately surrounding the pupil (the iris), is drawn by fine lines which radiate out. Dark eyes are recorded by dense shading or are blocked in. Practice sketching the shapes of eyes from Fig. 1 until you can draw accurately.

Then add lids and lashes. Study the illustrations on Figure 2 and copy them; it all helps to fix in your mind the way each features is. The eye in Figure 3 is that of a young man. See in the top view how the hair of the eye-brow has been drawn; fine lines running the way it actually grows. The middle picture, in Figure 3, will give you more clues on how to draw eyelashes. The bottom sketch of the closed eye shows the fringe of lashes, and how the shut lid is drawn with just thin lines.

- More on eyes later