How to Draw the Human Eye (Side View)

Learn how to draw the eye, in detail, with pencil and eraser.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• drawing paper
• drawing pencil
• small, square eraser

1. 
    
   draw the basic shape of the eye

   Lightly draw one horizontal line about 1 1/2 inches long in the middle of the paper. Draw another line, the same length, above this at a slight upwards angle, attached to one side of the horizontal line, for the corner of the eye. The third line attaches the two lines vertically.

2. 
    
   draw the outline of the eye

   Draw the curve of the upper eyelid: A high curve for the left corner of the eye, then gracefully descending to the outside corner. Curve the sides of the lower lid to match the curve of the eyeball. Keep in mind the shape of the eyeball beneath the folds of the eyelid and shape the lid over that.

3. 
    
   draw the eyeball

   Round the right side of the eyeball and draw the inner corner of the eye, a small and rounded, sideways V. Draw another line for the upper fold of the eyelid, inside the outline of the eyelid, as in the image.

4. 
    
   the pupil and iris

   Draw two circles for the iris and pupil. Because this is the side view, and the eye is facing straight forward, the eye is to be drawn at the far right side. Where you draw the eye all depends on the direction and perspective of their gaze. Notice in the title photo the highlights where the light bounces off the eye. Mark with light pencil strokes the shape and size of these highlights in the eye.

5. 
    
   shade the eye

   Shade the pupil darkly with the pencil. Notice in the title photo how the iris edges are darker, like the pupil. Adding these varying shades adds depth to the eye. Shade the iris lightly, blending it into the dark edges and use varying dark pencil strokes, from pupil edge to iris edge for the texture of the iris. Use a corner of the eraser to brighten and blend the highlights into the eye.

6. 
    

   Finally, add another line to the lower lid, where the lower lashes are drawn, slightly curved downward. Add longer, thicker lashes to the top eyelid, curving upward. Erase the lines drawn in step 1. Add shadow to the eyelids and inner corner of the eye. Add soft pencil strokes in the faint curve of the eyeball beneath the lower eyelid, as seen in this step's image.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice makes perfect!
• Look at photos of eyes, study the different shapes and perspectives. The more you learn, the better.
• Do not press too hard with your pencil when sketching. If you need to erase, these lines will still be visible.