M. Schlein J-11
The Step by Step Tutorial:
Painting Eyes
Assignment: Paint a pair of eyes
-
You can decide which eyes you want to paint.
-
They don't have to be the eyes shown in these tutorials.
-
At least three levels of value on the iris (the colored part).
-
Must have reflections on the eyes.
-
At least three levels of value on the skin.
-
Must have eyelashes.
-
Must have eyebrows.
Here is an overview of the eye painting process
Follow the tips below to learn how to paint this eye using acrylic paint.
​
The information provided below is from the Craftsy webpage article, Paint Realistic-Looking Eyes Using Acrylic Paint by Sara Barnes.
Let’s start by going over some common terminology. The eye socket refers to the hole in the skull where the eyeball sits. The top edge of this hole has a ridge that’s called the brow ridge. The eyeball is covered by a top and bottom lid. At the inner side of the lids, there is a tear duct. The white portion of the eyeball is called the sclera. And the window to our soul is made up of the iris (which is the colored portion), the pupil (thats the black dot) and the cornea, which is a transparent cover shaped like a contact lense.
The anatomy of the eye
Here is the drawing of the eye that will be painted.
Using a pencil, the artist drew the outline of their eyeball, the pupil and iris, plus their eyebrow and lines under and above their eyes. Don’t forget to include those details — they’re defining features!
2. Paint around the eye
Before you begin painting inside of the eye, paint around it. Mix the appropriate skin tone (keep it a medium shade — not too light or dark), and brush it across your surface. Then, mix a shade and apply it to the crease in above the eye. Afterwards, add highlights to the lid below the crease and blend it with the shadow.
3. The gray of the eye
You might have the inclination that the eyeball is white, but it actually appears gray to us. It’s in a shadow thanks to the lid, our forehead and eye cavity. So, it only makes sense that we paint the eyeballs a light gray! The centers will be the lightest (think of a sphere shape) while the tops and bottoms will be slightly in shadows.
4. Paint the iris and pupil
This is the part that most people think of “the eye.” The iris can be a visually striking color, and depending on lighting, pupils can be big or small.
​
Block in the color of the iris and pupil with a flat, medium-toned color.
Now, darken the edges of the iris and right around the pupil. Notice how it already feels more realistic?
If you look closely at your eye, I bet you’ll find a lot of beautiful details and multifaceted color. You might see tiny, radiating lines around your iris, and that’s what we’re going to mimic here. Barnes used a darker blue pigment and made squiggle marks all around. Afterward, Barnes added lighter-colored squiggle marks. Remember, when you paint these, don’t make straight lines. Since we’re trying to express a spherical shape, it makes sense to have lines that follow the form.
Here’s where you’ll really want to look to your reference so to accurately capture the light. Depending on your surroundings, your eyes might have different flecks of color reflected into them. And, like in Barnes' painting, you can see that edges of the pupil and iris were distorted thanks to highlights. Add the highlights and marks wherever you see them. This is what will help make your painting look the most realistic. Don’t be afraid to add hints of yellow and red!
5. Creating graceful eyelashes
Everyone has different lengths and amount of eyelashes. Some people (like Barnes) might be wearing eyeliner and mascara. Either way, you’ll want to use a liner brush (if you have one) to paint the eyelashes. Look closely at how the top lashes arc. Starting with the edge of the eye, mimic swoop and length of the lash in one fluid motion. Move from the outside and towards the inside of the eye when they look shorter and less pronounced.
​
The bottom eyelashes will be shorter and thinner. Remember, there’s a small area of skin between the eyeball and those lashes, so there will be space between the bottom of the eye and its lashes.
Add highlights (thin, light-colored) lines in-between the lashes so that they don’t look like one uncomfortable mass.
6. Finishing touches
Art of the eye infographics
