Have you ever wondered how great artists used to paint their eyes in such a … realistic way? Here is a guide that will show you the basic steps to paint eyes in a realistic way.
Steps
Step 1. Paint some pink or “flesh” color on a sheet
This will be used later as a base on which to paint the eyes.
Step 2. Paint two light-colored ovals; for instance:
light gray, light blue or light pink. The "white" of the eyes is never perfectly white.
Step 3. Paint the iris in the color of your choice; blue is used in the example shown
Add some shadow lines or darker shades of blue to make the eye color more vivid.
- Shade "the gaze" at the point where the light source comes from.
- Paint a thin line around the outline of the iris (internally) and then use a dry brush to make the "rays" towards the center of the eye. Think of a CD, how the colors are "angled" towards the hole in the middle.
- Don't worry if you painted the iris slightly outside the white area, as you will need to add the eyelids later to position the eyes within the face.
- Paint the pupil jet black. Take a look at some photos for more reference.
- Add some "sparkle"; this is the point, where the light reflects on the surface of the eye.
- Add pink shades to the corner of the eyes, in the fleshy parts, and also add a little white; while doing this, also paint some nerves that cross the ovals of your eye; make sure you use a little paint, and that its color blends well with the rest of the oval.
Step 4. Paint the eyelids
Add depth by shading and using different shades. To make the lashes easy, you could paint dark brown around the oval, but be sure to blend well with the skin color. If you intend to paint lashes in a really realistic way, you will need a fine brush, and paint them one by one.
Advice
- Use photographs as a reference.
- With practice, your technique will also improve: you can't make perfect eyes the first time!
- Try not to use too much absolute black, as it could mix with other colors and ruin your work. It also has the bad habit of remaining "glued" to the brush, so you will have to use different brushes: one for colors, one for whites and one for dark colors, so as not to "pollute" your masterpiece.
