Drawing The Eye: Side View

Step1: the eye is actually a small sphere that rests in the circular cup of the eye socket. It’s a good idea to begin by drawing the complete sphere. Around the sphere, wraps the eyelids, like two curving bands, and places the iris on the front of the sphere. The eyebrow curves around the edge of the sphere. If you visualize the eye in this way, it looks rounder and more three dimensional. Later on, you can erase the lines of the sphere, of course.

Step 2: working with the pencil point, carefully sharpens the lines of the lids, draw the iris more precisely, and add the pupil. A second line is added to indicate the top of the lower lid. Now you have an even stronger feeling that the eyelids are bands of skin that wrap around the sphere of the eye—although you can erase most of the lines of the sphere that appear in Step 1. Begin strengthens the lines of the eyebrow, which has a distinct S-Curve. Compare the upper and lower lids: the upper lid has steeper slant that the lower lid, and just farther forward.

Step 3: Moving the side of the pencil lightly over the paper with parallel strokes, begins to block in the tones. Darken the eyebrow and indicate the shadow beneath the brow, just above the bridge of the nose. Add shadows to the edges of the curving eyelids and place a deep shadow in the eye socket, just above the upper lid. The upper lid casts a distinct strip of shadow over the iris and the white of the eye. You should darken the iris and the pupil.

Step 4: Still working with the side of the pencil, darken the shadows with clusters of broad, parallel strokes. Try accentuate(highlight) the shadows around the eye, making the eye sockets seem deeper. Also darken the shadowy edges of the eyelids and add a few dark touches to suggest eyelashes. The iris becomes a darker tone and the pupil becomes darker still—highlighted with a white dot made by the tip of the kneaded rubber eraser. Just above the lower lid, a hint of tone kames the white of the eye look rounder. Rhythmic, curving strokes complete the eyebrow.