When drawing a portrait with a pencil, it is important not only to know the proportions of the face and correctly construct certain elements, but also to take into account some physiological features of the structure of the eyes, nose, mouth and other parts.
In this article you will learn several tips, knowledge of which will help in further mastering the art of portraiture.
Stage one.
- In this part of the eye, the upper eyelid begins to round, and the lower one rounds, bending around the eyeball. This becomes most noticeable in the space between the middle of the eye and its outer corner.
- In this place, the lower eyelid also follows the shape eyeball.
- Sad or crying eyes there is excess fluid. As a result, at the very bottom of the eye, near the edge of the lower eyelid, a small white spot is formed - a highlight.
- When hit bright light on the eye, the pupil reflexively narrows. Therefore, in bright light, the eyelids reflexively close, creating a shadow.
In the dark, we can observe the opposite effect - pupil dilation.
A similar change in the size of the pupil can be seen when the object of observation moves away or approaches. The closer the object to which the gaze is directed, the pupil is smaller; as the object moves away, it expands.
Stage two.
- Starting from inside, eyebrows grow in the direction from the nose. At the top of the arch of the eyebrow, upper part hairs begin to grow downwards, intersecting with the lower ones growing upwards.
- Where the eyelid, bending around the eyeball, becomes convex, a depression is formed - a fold, which should be shaded.
- As the upper eyelid droops, the shadow on the iris changes. The lower the eyelid, the darker the shadow.
- The cornea of the eye is convex and shaped like a mound.
It is better to shade the base of this mound at the border where it joins the eye a little, this will give the eye larger volume. Since the surface of the cornea is always wet, a glare forms at the top of the mound. When there are several light sources, there can be not one highlight, but two, three or more.
- The upper eyelashes are curled upward, and the lower ones - downward. Therefore, they do not catch each other when the eye is closed. At the very base, the upper eyelashes are directed downwards, then they are rounded, forming a comb at the bend. Similarly, the lower lashes are directed upward at the base of the growth, only in this case the bend is much less.
- Eyelashes usually grow two or three together. Therefore, they often touch, forming a bundle.
Stage three.
- By depicting the pupil you can give it more liveliness. To make your eye shine as much as possible, try not to draw shadows from the eyelid and eyelashes on the iris and pupil.
- The highlight at the top of the pupil will enliven the look as much as possible. The highlight here is drawn as a contour highlight, that is, with clear contrasting boundaries.
- In this place we create a wet highlight with blurred edges and a smooth transition.
- Sometimes the glare has the shape of a strip and passes through the iris and pupil.
- From the very edge at the outer corner, eyelashes do not grow. Therefore, they are not drawn around the entire eye.
- Long eyelashes cast a shadow on the skin near the eyes. We depict it with light light strokes.
- When a person smiles, the muscles in the face contract. When you smile, the lower eyelid lifts, covering part of the iris.
- The colored part of the eye is the colorful rays directed from the edge of the iris to the pupil. The iris of the eye, its color, pattern and location, like fingerprints, is individual and is not repeated even among twins. All possible shades and colors are determined by the presence of melanin pigment and the ability to reflect light. Eye color becomes blue when there is little of this pigment, brown when there is a lot of pigment. In the absence of a dye, the iris turns red (albino eyes).
Stage four.
- The eyelid is a leather pouch that stretches when the eyes are closed and closes when the eye is open. Therefore, folds and wrinkles often form on the eyelids. With age they become more noticeable.
- The skin around the eyelids is usually lighter than the eyelids themselves.
- When the eye is open, almost the entire eyelid gathers in this place, forming a deep fold. This place is usually made darker in tone.
- The edge of the lower eyelid is actually thinner than the edge of the upper. But because it is moisturized and shiny, reflecting light, it appears thicker.
If the gaze is directed downwards, the shape of the iris resembles an ellipse.
People who learn to draw are often interested in the question: how to draw eyes so that the drawing seems to be alive? Indeed, the eyes are always playing main role in a portrait. Therefore, when learning to draw a person, of course, you need to pay enough attention to drawing the eyes. In this lesson I will tell you and clearly demonstrate, using my own drawing as an example, how to draw eyes. If you don't get distracted by the details, there are a few key ideas you need to grasp.
1. So, first. The eye is spherical in shape. Therefore it is not flat, but volumetric form with the name "eyeball".
2. Second. The eyeball is protected from above by the eyelids, which form the usual contours of the eyes.
3. Third. The eye is located in a “recess” in our skull called the orbital socket. Therefore, drawing an eye does not mean drawing the contours of the eyelid, but “sculpting” the volumes of the eyeball and what surrounds it.
4. Each eyelid is thick and rises above the surface of the eyeball. In addition, the eyelids form characteristic folds of skin.
5. To learn how to draw eyes, you need to understand the shape of the eye socket, eyelids, and eyeball. To do this, I draw a conditional line in my drawing that repeats the “relief”. With this line, the shape of the eyes and all the curves are clearly visible. In the final version of the drawing, this line, of course, should not be drawn. I added it only for educational purposes.
6. For even greater clarity, I apply conventional shading according to the shape of the surface. The lines of this hatching show all the bends. Our drawing seems to consist of planes or edges with the help of which the form is “molded”. Such a “faceted” drawing helps to understand the essence of the form, without being distracted by unimportant details. This greatly simplifies the drawing process for beginning artists.
In conclusion of this stage of the drawing, I will also add that each person, of course, has his own unique shape of the eyelids, eyebrows, bridge of the nose... But we are all united by a number of features inherent in all people. Therefore, my drawing is conditional in nature, conveying these key features.
7. Next, I begin to convey volume using shading (read about how to shading). As you know, volume is conveyed according to the well-known law of chiaroscuro: the brightest place is the highlight, followed by light, after light - penumbra, then shadow, and finally - reflex. The result is a tonal stretch - from light to dark. Depending on the direction of the light, a person's face can be illuminated from above, below or from the side. Therefore, the transition from light to shadow can be not only from left to right, but also from top to bottom. Therefore, I shade the eyeball, eyelids, bridge of the nose, and eyebrow area, taking this moment into account. For example, the area between the eyebrow and the eye will be the lightest on the left and top, and the darkest part will be on the right and bottom. The same applies to the upper eyelid - it will be the lightest on the left, and the darkest on the right. This results in a tonal stretch from left to right. But the direction of light may be different. For example, a person’s head is illuminated not by the sun from above, but by a lamp from below. Then everything will be different. But the principle I'm talking about will remain. Therefore, you need to understand how light is distributed according to shape, on which side the light source is located, etc.
8. Now I am enhancing the shadows that were only outlined at the beginning of the drawing.
9. I continue to work, working on the tear duct and lower eyelid.
10. I draw the iris and pupil of the eye. This stage always interests people the most. How to draw eyes so that they look “life-like.” To do this, you need to understand a simple principle, which I have clearly outlined in the diagram below. If opaque spherical objects are light on the light side and dark on the shadow side, then transparent spherical objects can look exactly the opposite. Depending on what surrounds such a transparent object, it may look different. For example, often on the side of the illuminated part it is dark, and on the side of the shadow, on the contrary, it is light. It turns out that the usual chiaroscuro (flare, light, penumbra, shadow, reflex) will be absent here, since the object is transparent and shiny. Therefore, here you need to convey glare and reflexes (reflections) on the surface of the eyes. The iris and pupil are located under the transparent lens-shaped cornea of the eye. The shiny surface of the eye (cornea) reflects light in the form of glare. In addition, everything that surrounds the eye is reflected on the surface of the eye. These reflections (reflexes) will not be as noticeable as glare. The artist does not have to list all these reflections. You should choose the most interesting ones and focus on them. An excess of such details will not only complicate the work, but also spoil the drawing. Having completed this stage of the drawing, the eyes will turn out “alive”, with a “sparkle”.
11. Now about the eyelashes. Most often, you should not draw them in detail in a drawing. It is enough to simply outline a dark line on the upper eyelid. This line will look like a row of eyelashes. However, in this tutorial I am doing a detailed drawing. That's why I draw eyelashes in more detail than usual. But even in this case, they should not be drawn in the same degree of detail. For example, on one edge I make the eyelash row darker, and on the other, lighter. Those. I emphasize the center of the picture. Also, the clarity of drawing the eyelashes will be different: in some places they are more blurry, and in others they are clearer.
In this lesson we will show you how to draw with a pencil realistic eye and give the skin texture.
So let's start:
Using a soft pencil, draw the contours of the eye.
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Dip a soft brush into graphite powder and cover the design with it in 2-3 layers, thereby creating a tone. You can take a brush of any size, the main thing is that it is soft and well fills the grain of the paper. Based on the intensity of the tone, we focus on the iris of the eye - if the tone turns out to be very dark, lighten it with a soft eraser.
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Take a smaller brush and apply color to the eyes, working on the shadow areas in detail.
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Use a soft eraser to wipe off the glare area.
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Using a soft pencil (2B) we draw the darkest areas - the shadow in the crease of the upper eyelid and in the upper part of the iris.
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Using a very hard pencil (5H) draw the iris. A hard pencil is necessary so that in the further process of drawing the lines do not become smeared or rubbed out.
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Again, take a soft pencil (2B) and draw the dark areas of the iris with it.
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Now we will need a soft brush again - we use it to work on the shape of the eye: we intensify and deepen the colors, and detail the shape. The white of the eye also needs to be darkened, giving it a shape - to do this, take a hard pencil (5H) and strengthen the lines of transition from the eyelid to the white.
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It's time to work on the texture of the skin. Take a pencil of medium hardness (HB), add tones to the upper eyelid and the skin around it with light circular movements - you should start with the darker areas, i.e. from the crease of the eyelid. To smooth out roughness, use shading and a hard brush.
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We carry out similar actions with the lower eyelid.
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Additionally, we enhance the shadows on the entire surface of the eye - for this we take a medium-hard HB pencil. To work out the thickness of the lower eyelid, we need a 5H pencil and finally, using 2B, we will work out the shadows on the same lower eyelid.
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To convey realism to the skin, we’ll add a network of small wrinkles. To do this, use an HB pencil to draw small light lines, then carefully use an eraser to slightly lighten a small area next to each wrinkle. To make everything look natural and to hide the artifacts of eraser marks, use a brush and shading. Let’s use the same technique for detailing the protein eyes and tear duct. Using the same pencil (HB) we draw eyebrows - we draw each eyebrow hair, reducing the pressure on the pencil towards the tip of the hair.
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The last step will be drawing the eyebrows. Once the skin is finished, you can start! The upper eyelashes are always darker than the lower ones, and also darker than the eyebrows. We use a 2B pencil (a little softer is possible), draw eyelashes following the growth of the hair, reducing the pressure on the pencil at the end of each hair. Don't forget to draw the reflection of the eyelashes on the iris.
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Draw the lower eyelashes with a 2B pencil.
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Final touches - if necessary, lighten the lower eyelid slightly with an elastic band.
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If you get lost at a certain point or something doesn’t work out the first time, don’t despair, but rather try again.
We hope this lesson on drawing an eye with a pencil was useful to you!
Hello, dear friends!
Today we have a very interesting and important topic, we will learn how to draw a human eye. The eyes, as we know, are the mirror of the soul, the most eloquent and attractive part of a person’s face.
Structure
First, let's define the terminology, and to do this, let's look at the general simplified structure of the eye:
This diagram is not for studying anatomy, but for understanding the drawing technique; all the most important parts are indicated here.
How to draw an eye
Stages of creating a pencil sketch
At the beginning of the lesson, let's just try to make an easy sketch, step by step. We use a pencil. 
Now we will not delve into the nuances and features of the structure of the eyes.
How to draw eyes with a pencil:
- We indicate the shape of the eye by enclosing it within the frame of an angular figure. We will also show the folds above the upper and lower eyelids.
- We will refine the shape, make the lines smoother, and smooth out the corners. We outline the eyebrow, pupil and iris. Let us lightly indicate the thickness of the eyelid and the tear duct.
- We clarify the thickness of the eyelids, indicate the highlight on the iris, shade the dark pupil, easily show the shadow under upper eyelid on the sclera. Let's clarify the eyebrow a little.
- We add color and pattern to the iris, opposite the glare, a reflex light spot is formed on the iris. Add shadows to the round shape of the eyeball. Using strokes we shade the upper eyelid, highlight and clarify the fold above it.
- We detail it, clarify shadows and light, add eyelashes.
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Form
The eyeball is shaped like a ball, which is attached inside the eye socket. We see only part of this ball, covered by eyelids. When drawing an eye using any technique, you need to remember and understand that we show light and shadow in a spherical shape. 
The eyes covered by the eyelids are almond-shaped; this nut is most suitable for comparison. Essentially, the eye is an oval with a pointed outer corner and a rounded inner corner. This oval, like an almond nut, is not symmetrical, this is their main similarity. Look, if you divide the eye with a horizontal line and find the widest place in the upper and lower parts, then we will see that these points are in different parts oval 
At the top, the most high point will be closer to the lacrimal gland, and in the lower one - to the outer corner.
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Eyelids
The eyelids are not flat, they have a quite noticeable thickness, enveloping the rounded shape of the eyeball. If you look at the face in profile, the thickness of the eyelids is clearly visible. The lower eyelid is set deeper than the upper.
thickness is indicated in orange
The upper eyelid and eyelashes cast a shadow on the eyeball.
Eyeball without eye shadow and with shadow
The thickness of the lower eyelid is lighter than the upper one, since this part receives more light.
Fold
There is always a fold of skin above the upper eyelid that covers part of it. U different people this fold is formed in different ways, sometimes hanging over the inner or outer part of the eye, and in Asians it completely covers the tear duct and the entire upper eyelid. 
The direction and shape of this fold will help you draw the eyes more correctly and accurately. 
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In the inner corner of the eye there is a lacrimal caruncle - an elongated convex semi-oval. There is no special attention or any nuances in the image of this part of the eye, but without a teardrop, your drawing will look implausible. You can indicate it with a slight hint, or you can draw it down to details and veins, depending on the task at hand, but in no case do not forget about this important part of the eyes.
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Pupil and iris
The direction of gaze can be determined by the position of the pupil, and with it the iris. The pupil is a perfect dark circle; it is always located in the center of the iris circle.
In a calm position, the eyelids cover about 30 percent of the iris, and sometimes part of the pupil.
- To show widely open eyes, open most of the iris (more than 30%) or draw it completely.
- Closed, squinted eyelids reveal only a small part of the iris and pupil.
If we take a closer look at the eye in profile, we will see that:
The iris has a convex shape, similar to a bowl. The pupil is a completely flat black spot inside, it has no volume.
The illustration shows what the eye looks like in profile, the shape of the iris and the pupil. If you wear contact lenses, then you understand perfectly well what we are talking about. Don't draw the pupil at the edge of the iris.
Drawing a person's face in profile
Glare and reflex
The glare will fall in a rounded shape, opposite the glare a reflex will form - a spot of scattered light. The glare is formed on the side where the light falls, and the reflex is on the opposite side.
Green indicates glare, and orange indicates reflex.
Eyelashes
A beautiful, expressive eye can be depicted without eyelashes, although it will be a little unnatural. Eyelashes are a detail that needs to be added at the very end of the work, when everything is ready and looks quite decent without them.
Let's see how it is and how not to outline eyelashes. 
Eyelashes are thick; at the base of the eyelid it is more noticeable than at the tips. Eyelashes have different lengths, and short ones are located next to the long eyelash. Naturally, for different people they come in different lengths and thicknesses, curled up or directed straight. If you want to highlight the eyelashes, don't draw them the same length and thickness.
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Directions and landmarks
The brow ridges and eyebrows protect our organ of vision from various external irritants, so they always rise above the eye, which is located in the depths. 
The eyebrow is always located above the eye, moving forward. The lower eyelid is slightly deeper than the upper. These directions must be followed, they are shown in red lines in the picture.
Proportions relative to the head
It is important not only to show the eyes beautifully, but also to place them correctly, observing the basic proportions of the person’s head.
We have already studied many rules in the previous lesson: how to draw a face. For example, how to find the eye line and determine their size.
How to draw human eyes:
The line of the eyes is in the middle of the head, the wings of the nose are on the same vertical axis with the teardrops
- To correctly place the eyes, draw a horizontal axis in the center of the head.
- The inner corners of the eyes are always on the same vertical line with the wings of the nose, neither closer nor further (second part of the illustration).
In this tutorial we will look at natural eye drawing basics in profile, sideways and closed. Then we'll learn draw anime eyes characters in different angles, and also consider the examples given different styles eye.
Eyes are the mirror of the soul...
After all, they are the ones who make all people unique, showing our inner world. And in order to draw them correctly, we will look at the basics.
Consider a photograph of an eye (front view).
This is the real eye of a middle-aged man.
The eye has an almond shape, along the edge of which there are eyelashes of varying lengths, and folds and wrinkles around the eyes emphasize the contours of the eyeball.
In the drawing I indicated in which direction, from the edge of the eye, the eyelashes go. Please note that the eyelashes are curved and of different lengths. I also indicated which long eyelashes located around the eye (B-large eyelashes, M-small). Eyelashes are usually taller in the center of the eye and smaller towards the ends of the eye, but long eyelashes can also be drawn at one end (which is further from the nose).
Let's look at a photograph of an eye (side view).
Now the basic shape of the eye is triangular rather than almond shaped.
Eyelashes are curved and of different lengths. In the side view, the location of the lengths of the eyelashes around the eye is more clearly visible (B-large eyelashes, M-small eyelashes).
Half of the lower part of the almond shape is clearly visible near the eye, along the edge of which there are eyelashes of different lengths. Wrinkles at the top of the eye emphasize the contours of the eyeball.
Eyelashes are longer in the center and smaller towards the ends of the eye (B-large eyelashes, M-small).
Anime characters eyes
Let's take a look at the basic eye shapes.
The shape of the eyes expresses the character's personality. And also keep in mind that large eyes with large pupils are mainly suitable for girls and children, narrow eyes with small pupils for guys, men and women, and single-line eyes for older people.
When drawing anime eyes, always start with the shape of the eyelashes. Having decided on the shape, draw two straight lines that intersect at one point and touch the edges of the upper eyelash shape. This way we will define the contours of the eyeball. Then we complicate the eyelashes and draw the pupil.
If you want to draw a rounded eye shape, consider the following example.
At the base of these eyes, I always draw a circle first. Then I decide on the shape of the eyelashes and complicate them. After that, I make sure to erase the auxiliary circle. Now I’m finishing the pupil.
Examples of eyes (front view) with in different forms for reference.
Examples of eyes (side view) with different shapes for your reference.
There are mainly two types of closed eyelashes: up-curling and down-curling eyelashes.
When the eyelashes bend upward, the emotion of happiness, joy and laughter is conveyed.
Eyelashes with a downward curve are drawn when they kiss, sleep, think, or are in a calm state.
Examples of closed eyes (front view) with different shapes for reference.
Examples of closed eyes (side view) with different shapes for your reference.
You can also see how the eyes change when drawing emotions by going to the lesson How to draw emotions.
This concludes the lesson! I hope it helps you in your creativity!