How to Draw Different Eye Types Step by Step

by easydrawingtips

This tutorial shows how to draw 3 common variations of eyes with step-by-step pencil drawing examples and instructions for each type.

Eyes different types drawing step by step

The three variations of eyes in this tutorial include:

Inner-Angled Eyes
Non-Angled Eyes
Outer-Angled Eyes

The instructions and examples consist of two main parts: the line drawing and the shading.

In this case, the line drawings are used as more of a “construction frame” for the shading instead of a stand-alone artwork. For this reason, please be sure to make very light lines that will blend into the shading once you are finished. The lines in some of the examples have been made darker simply so that they are easier for you to see.

Very importantly, please note that because the drawing process for each set of eyes is very similar, the first example tends to provide the most detailed instructions. It’s recommended that you read over these regardless of which pair of eyes you want to draw. The rest of the examples have fewer instructions to avoid repetition.

Supplies Needed for Drawing These Eyes

Regular Pencils: An HB pencil for the initial line drawing and 2B to 6B (softer) pencils for the shading.
White Paper: Drawing or standard printer paper.
Eraser: A kneaded eraser can be great for precision corrections to the shading, though a regular vinyl or rubber eraser is also fine.

Drawing Inner-Angled Eyes

The eyes in this example are drawn angled downward towards the nose.

Step 1 – Draw the Outlines of the Eyes and Eyebrows

Eye Shapes: Begin by making a pair of lines that slope downward toward their inner ends. The purpose of these is to act as guides for drawing the outline of each eye. Be sure to make both lines at the same angle; otherwise, the rest of your drawing might be off.

Draw the outlines of the whites of the eyes so that the lines end up running through their corners. Also, define them in a way where the inner corners are turned slightly downward.

Eye Spacing: Generally, when spacing eyes, you want a distance of roughly one eye between them. In art, the width of an eye is usually measured from the outer corner of the edges of the eyelids to the inner corner of the tear duct; however, at this stage of the drawing, the eyelid edges are not yet shown. Additionally, eyes of this type tend to naturally have a little more spacing between them than the “non-angled” and “outer-angled” examples shown later in this guide. Consequently, to accommodate this, space the outlines far enough apart that you have slightly more than the width of one outline between them.

Eyebrow Shapes: A short distance above the eye outlines, define the basic shapes of the eyebrows. At this stage, you can do so with just a pair of lines for each of them. Draw these sloping downward, similar to the eyes.

Step 2 – Add the Eyelids

Around the outlines of the eyes, draw the outlines of the eyelids. Next, add the bridge of the nose coming down from the inner ends of the eyebrows.

Then, draw a pair of curves between the outer parts of the eyebrows and the outer ends of the eyelids. These will help define the areas around the eyes.

Step 3 – Draw the Irises, Pupils, Eyelid Edges, and Eyebrow Ends

Erase the guide lines from Step 1 and draw the iris and pupil inside each eye. To show a normal expression, position them so that their top portions are covered by the eyelids. Also, add a pair of lines below the lower outlines of the whites of the eyes. These will show the edges of the eyelids and define their thickness.

Finally, add the outer edges of the eyebrows curving downward along the contours that define the outer areas of the eyes (from the previous step).

Step 4 – Define the Tear Ducts and Highlights

At the inner ends of the eyes, define the tear duct areas. Then, outline a small highlight inside each pupil.

Highlights are the light reflected from the smooth surface of the eyes, and their shapes are generally determined by the shape of the light source.

Step 5 – Begin Shading

Lighting Source: Before you begin shading, it’s a good idea to be aware of the lighting setup you wish to portray. In this example, it’s fairly generic, as though the subject is outside during the day or in a well-lit room with the main light source above them. This means that the shadows are cast downward.

Value Mapping: When you begin shading, make the initial layer of strokes fairly light. The goal is to first create a “shading map” that sets the light and dark areas of the drawing. Shading in this way can also help you avoid accidentally going too dark on the midtones or lighter areas, ensuring your pencil still has enough value left to create the correct contrast.

Directional Shading: For the eyebrows, apply the shading in the direction of the hair growth and keep your strokes visible by leaving some distance between them. Doing so will help create the effect of an overall hair texture.

Blended Shading: When shading the pupils and the edges of the irises, do the opposite and completely blend the strokes to help show that those areas are smooth and reflective. You can use a soft pencil, such as a 4B or 6B, to do this.

Cast Shadows: As the light is coming from above, add dark strips below the upper eyelids to show the shadows that they and the eyelashes (added in the final step) cast downward onto the eyes.

Other Areas: The tear ducts in this example are very small, so the strokes on them will be barely visible regardless of how they are applied. For this reason, you do not need to worry too much about their direction.

When shading the skin, apply strokes in such a way as to reinforce the shape of the particular area, as demonstrated in the next step.

For an explanation of different stroke types, see:

Shading Techniques and Stroke Types Drawing Tutorial

For more good drawing practices, also see:

Beginner Guide to Learning to Draw

Step 6 – Continue Shading

Contour Shading: Shade the whites of the eyes with crosshatch strokes that flow around their shapes, creating a sense of curvature. Also, use crosshatch strokes on the areas around the eyes to help show the skin’s texture.

Radial Shading: Shade the areas inside the dark outer edges of the irises using one-directional strokes that radiate outward from the pupils like rays from the sun.

Step 7 – Darken the Shading

Darken the shading by applying more layers of strokes, bringing it close to the light and dark values you want to have in the finished drawing.

Step 8 – Refine the Shading and Add the Eyelashes

Refining the Shading: Further darken and smooth out the shading. Blend the strokes in areas where they are too visible and add filler strokes to any gaps.

Troubleshooting Tip: If you happen to make the shading too dark in certain areas, use a kneaded eraser to tap and lift up some of the graphite. Alternatively, you can carefully lighten the area with the corner of a regular eraser. You can also cut it to create sharp corners when it gets worn.

Add the Details: Add the eyelashes once the drawing is fully shaded. To create these, make quick curved strokes drawing outward from the edges of the eyelids. First, apply a good amount of pressure to the pencil, and then quickly pull it away from the paper. You can also combine several of these strokes to create thicker lashes. Add long eyelashes along the upper eyelids and shorter eyelashes along the lower eyelids.

Use a similar method for the eyebrows. Make some very dark strokes over the previous layers of shading to show individual hairs.

For a tutorial on drawing different types of eyebrows, see:

How to Draw Eyebrows Step by Step

Drawing Non-Angled Eyes

The eyes in this example have a well-balanced overall appearance that makes them look “straight”.

Step 1 – Draw the Outlines of the Eyes and Eyebrows

Eye Shapes: Start by drawing a pair of lines that slope downward toward their inner ends to act as guides. Make these slightly less angled than those in the first example.

Reasoning: In case you are wondering why the outlines of the “straight” eyes are still drawn on an angle, it’s because, as mentioned, the title refers to the overall balance of the finished drawing and not this particular stage of it.

Eye Spacing: Based on the sloped lines, draw the outlines of the whites of the eyes. Position them so that the lines run through their corners, and space them slightly farther apart than the width of one outline.

Eyebrow Shapes: After outlining the eyes, define the base shape of each eyebrow with a pair of lines. Draw them sloping downward toward their inner ends and curving outward toward their outer ends.