Building Up from Simple Contours to Detailed Eye Portraits

This article explains the eye’s diamond shape, eyelid structure, and ethnic differences in eyelid appearance.

Documenting this week's plaster eye still life sketch theme, guiding students on how to depict volume and arrange light and dark intensity. Along with the first image, which introduces some key points and structure of drawing eyes, interested artists, please read on 🙋

●Basic Eye Shape Understanding:

The outer contour of the eye is similar to a diamond shape, with the inner corner being sharper and slightly drooping, and the outer corner relatively round. Refer to the simple diagram on the right.

●Eyelid Structure:

The upper and lower eyelids cover parts of the eyeball. Different ethnicities have different amounts of fat near the eyelids. Eastern Asians often have single eyelids or inner double eyelids with more fat, making the eyes appear rounder. Westerners mostly have double eyelids, with less fat near the eyelids, making their eyes appear deeper.

East Asians tend to have more eyelid fat, and many have monolids or inner double eyelids.

●How to Draw Eyes:

1. Observe Reference Images and Start Drawing: Carefully observe the shape and proportions of the eye. Use light lines to outline the simple geometric shapes of the eye, referencing the simple diagram on the right.



2. Simplify the Eye Area's Curves: Simplify the eye area's curves into different sizes of planes. Understanding these as similar geometric shapes helps in mastering shape changes. Refer to the top and middle images in the reference picture.



3. Gradually Add Details: Gradually add details like the eyelids and pupils, paying attention to the variations in line weight and thickness.

Want to learn how to draw human body parts and understand the key points? Check out the following further reading:

How to Accurately Master Hand Proportions and Joint Structure

Mastering Nose skech Structure and Perspective Techniques

Understanding the Three Key Elements of Head Structure

Mastering the basic proportions and structure of portrait drawing

I hope this structural introduction helps you understand how to draw eyes. If there are any topics or drawing techniques you'd like to see, feel free to leave a comment or message me. Happy drawing!




Han
Han
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