Portrait Drawing Week 2: Eyes

This week we are looking at the eyes, their structure, how they lie shadowed in their sockets and how they appear when the head is seen from varying angles. Look back especially at the drawings of Watteau, Sometimes the eyes are just marks suggesting the eyes and at other times in more refined drawings much of the structure can be seen. Also look at other portrait heads and note the difference in appearance of eyes of children and older people.

From the front you are not so aware that the eye is ball shaped and lying in a socket. However the eyelid, especially when the eye is closed does look curved to fit the eye. This is seen even more clearly when the eye is seen in profile view as below, as can the spherical form of the eyeball.

Practical:

1.Firstly draw an eye and its surrounding socket when you are looking at the face almost straight on. Then try the same when the head is in profile view. Try both when the head is looking up and down.

2.Draw both eyes when the head is looking up, and down. Notice that there is approximately one eye width between the eyes when the face is viewed directly from the front. For your model, best would be to draw from life. If not work from photos of the same or different people. If you have time draw both eyes and how they track what they are looking at when the head is relatively still. How do the eyes appear when looking from side to side and up and down?

You may use any drawing medium and the aim will be to fill a sheet of A3 size with eye sketches.

3.After this warm up you may like to paint or draw a portrait, using your knowledge to place the eyes well, and give particular care to the fact that as the eyes are sunk into the eye sockets they are often shaded relative to the rest of the face. Some of your sketches may be quite detailed. This does not mean they need to be detailed in your portrait choose to work them in the same style as the rest of the drawing or painting.

Your Drawings: