How to Make Vector Eyes in Illustrator

Build a basic vector eye in Adobe Illustrator.

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned professional in the world of art, you will benefit from learning how to illustrate using vectors, mainly in Adobe Illustrator. This article will teach the basics of creating one of the first things we all learn to draw: the human eyeball.

Vectors are broken down into shapes. This article will show you step by step, shape by shape, how to create an vector illustration of the human eyeball that you can practice with and manipulate to your own needs.

Instructions

Create the Eyelid

1. 

   Create a shape for the eyelid. The shape shown is for a woman, but you can create a male eyelid by making it thinner and without the eyelash at the end. This is a shape, so use the vector pen tool. Start with the inner corner of the lid (which would be closest to the bridge of the nose) and go out to the other side of the eyelid; hold down "Alt" and drag out your mouse to create the first arch. Add the other side of the eyelid in the same way. This shape can be black (as shown), or a skin tone.

2. 

   Again using your pen, create one line on the bottom. If you want a more dramatic line, thicken your stroke on the strokes palette. For a male eye, thin this line or create it in a different color, like a brown or gray.

3. 

   Create the eyeball. Select the color you'd like to make it and grab the circle tool. Click on a point and drag the circle out to the size and shape you need it. Don't worry if it is not exactly where you want it; you can always click on the circle and move it wherever you need it to go. You can also re-size it by dragging the points out from the square that should surround the circle when you are using the black arrow.

4. 

   Create the pupil. Repeat the last step, but in black or a dark gray for the pupil. Making the pupil smaller will indicate fear or surprise, while a larger one, as shown, indicates happiness, peace or love.

5. 

   Put in your highlights! This will entail a repetition of the circle technique, but this time with white as your color. You can put highlights in many places, but if this is your first time creating a vector eye, the foolproof places to put it are at the right top corner of the pupil and (for a smaller one) the bottom left corner. This imparts that wet, glossy look eyes have.

6. If you want to create two eyes that are the same, select all of the pieces of this first eye, group them (go to "Object, Group"), copy it ("Command" + "C") and paste it ("Command" + "V"). Move your cloned eye to the other side; you now have a vector pair of eyes!

Tips & Warnings

• Play around with the pen tool to become comfortable with it if you have not used it very often.

• Play around with different color combinations for the eyelids and the iris.

• You can create an eyeshadowed lid using the same techniques.

• Play around with the placement of highlights. Look at pictures of people and where the highlights are in their eyes.

• If you have never before used Illustrator, research and practice Bezier curves; otherwise, this project may be quite frustrating.