When you start drawing a realistic human eye, it’s essential to keep in mind that the eyes are one of the most important features when drawing a face. This is a fundamental characteristic for human recognition, and it is often the biggest challenge for most artists, as each person has unique details that make them identifiable.
Loose Hand Drawing
Many people find it challenging to draw eyes, partly because they lack drawing techniques and simply draw with a loose hand. The loose hand method can be useful, but only once you have sufficient practice. It is through this experience that you gain the ability to use a loose hand effectively. However, before attempting this, you should first learn the grid technique.
Grid Technique in Drawing
The grid technique in drawing is a method used to help the artist accurately transfer images or compositions onto paper. It involves dividing both the original image and the drawing surface into a grid of evenly spaced lines. This helps to reproduce the proportions of the elements more easily.
Process for Drawing a Realistic Human Eye
To begin drawing a realistic human eye, first draw a rectangle on the paper. Then, divide it with a cross shape: a horizontal line through the middle and a vertical line intersecting at the center of the rectangle (see images for reference).
Marking the Eye with Straight Lines
Next, draw a vertical line on the side of the tear duct of the eye and connect it with straight lines to the four points formed by the cross inside the rectangle (again, refer to the images).
Defining the Drawing: Process for Drawing a Realistic Human Eye
You should now draw two vertical lines down the middle of each side of the cross in the rectangle, intersecting with a straight line connecting the two bottom points. Note: This technique only uses linear strokes, marking the proportions of the eye. After this, you will shape the eye using curves.
With the lines drawn inside the rectangle, a horizontal oval will be formed. Inside this oval, draw a circle at the center to shape the iris of the eye. At the tear duct, replace the line with the tear duct shape. For the top of the eye, draw a line that follows the same contour as the eye to form the eyelid.
Within the iris, draw the pupil at the center. Also, at the boundary between the eyelid and the upper edge of the eye, draw the eyelashes.
How to Shade the Drawing
To shade the drawing, mark the light reflection on the iris and pupils to leave these areas white. The rest of the eye should be shaded with diagonal pencil strokes using an HB pencil. Gradually increase the shading in different areas of the eye, from lighter to darker tones. This process must be followed precisely, as the shading should always go from the lightest to the darkest color.