An eye is not a flat almond with a circle inside. It is a ball sitting in a socket, and the lids wrap around it like a shell. Thinking of it as a ball, the way you shaded the sphere in Highlight, Core Shadow and Reflected Light, makes eyes look real.
- The upper lid covers the top of the iris (the colored part) when a person looks calm.
- The upper lid casts a small shadow on the eyeball just under it.
- The white of the eye is a ball, so it is shaded too: it is rarely as white as the paper.
- The upper lid has the thicker, darker line; the lower lid is lighter.
Key idea
An eye is a ball in a socket: the lids wrap around it, the upper lid covers part of the iris, and the upper lid casts a shadow on the eyeball.
Why it works
The lids are thick skin that rests on a round ball, so their edges follow the curve of the ball. The upper lid sticks out a little and casts a shadow. A whole iris showing, with white all around it, happens only when the eyes are opened very wide, which is why it reads as startled or scared.
Worked example: Drawing one eye
What order works well for drawing an eye?
- Draw the upper and lower lid lines lightly, curving around the ball.
- Draw the iris as a circle, partly hidden by the upper lid.
- Add the pupil and a small highlight, the same on both eyes.
- Shade the top of the eyeball under the lid, and the corners.
- Darken the upper lid line most.
Answer: Lids, iris under the lid, pupil and highlight, shading, then darker lines.
Common mistake
A common mistake is drawing the whole iris as a circle floating in the white. It makes the face look startled. Let the upper lid cover the top of the iris.
Eyelashes grow in clumps and point outward and down along the curve of the lid. Suggest them with the darker lid line and a few flicks at the outer corner rather than drawing every lash.