18 Creative Ideas for How to Draw Eyes

If you are learning how to draw eyes, I have some excellent references and tutorials to share.

If you know anything about drawing people, I’m sure you can attest to the fact that the eyes are one of the most complex parts of the human body to draw.

Wait, let me rephrase that. Drawing realistic eyes can be pretty darn difficult. Even though I’ve spent countless hours practicing drawing the human eye, my drawings are nowhere near where I want them to be.

realistic woman eye
Image credit: esras.arts

I’ve learned that there are nine steps involved in drawing eyes.

1. Outline the shape of the eye
2. Draw and shade the pupil
3. Draw and shade the iris
4. Draw the “spokes”
5. Add some depth
6. Blend where necessary
7. Draw in the eyebrows and eyelashes
8. More blending and shading
9. Complete any touch-ups

By keeping these nine steps in your mind, you’ll find it easier to draw eyes. I’ll be sharing over 28 inspiring ideas for drawing human and animated eyes.

1. Male and Female Eye Expressions

Male and Female Eye Expressions
Credit: robertmarzullo

In the time-lapse YouTube video, drawing eyes various expressions, artist Robert Marzullo shows us how to draw this set of male and female eye expressions.

2. Girl Anime Eyes

anime style eyes
Credit: Pinterest

This simple tutorial shows us how to draw cute anime eyes in four steps. If you want to practice drawing eyes for your character, this photo makes a great reference.

3. Quick Eye Sketch

eye sketch tutorial
Credit: Pinterest

The best way to get better at drawing eyes is by practicing. Spend a little time each day sketching eyes, and you’ll be better in no time.

4. Realistic Eyes with Colored Pencil

very realistic eye with color
Credit: fuyuch7

This artist used colored pencils to draw an incredibly realistic eye. This isn’t a beginner’s reference, but if you want to draw detailed eyes, this is helpful.

5. Detailed Eye Drawing

six step eye drawing tutorial
Credit: buzz16

The more experienced you get at drawing eyes, the more realistic your drawings will become. Use this tutorial to help you draw realistic eyes.

6. Graphite, Liner, and Glitter

three sets of eyes using different pencils
Credit: knechart

Here’s a drawing showing a set of eyes using only graphite pencils, liners, charcoal, and glitter.

7. Colors on Black Paper

colored eyes on black paper
Credit: art_karoline

You don’t often see artists using black paper for their drawings. I love how the paper allows the colors to stand out so well.

8. Emotional Eye

the process of drawing an eye
Credit: miss_1_wasabi

Is it just me, or does this eye have an emotional look and feel? I love the colors that were used for this drawing too.

9. Watercolor Facial Features

watercolor face with eyes nose and mouth
Credit: x.iaoart

If you enjoy watercolor paint, you’ll be happy to discover this cool watercolor eye painting. Play around with different colors for your painting.

10. Fantasy Eyes

ghost snake and flower eyes
Credit: a_portrait_

These eyes all feature something you might find in a fantasy movie. There are snake eyes, flower eyes, and even ghost eyes.

11. Shading and Smudging

eye study
Credit: buzz16

This simple graphic gives you detail on shading and smudging. The artist used HB, 2B, and 3B pencils to achieve these effects.

12. Draw Eyes in 80 Minutes

realistic eyes
Credit: knechart

It may take you more than 80 minutes to draw these eyes but don’t let that stop you. Take your time and enjoy your drawing experience.

13. Simple Eye Sketch

single eye drawing
Credit: johnny_sk3tch

Daily sketching is a great way to improve your drawing skills. If you want to improve your eye drawing skills, take at least 10 minutes daily for a week to sketch eyes.

14. How to Draw Cute Eyes

If you enjoy doing illustrated art, I think you’ll like this tutorial. To learn how to draw these eyes, check out the full tutorial using the link below the image.

how to draw eyes illustrated
See the full tutorial.

15. Eyes, Nose, and Lips

eyes nose and lips tutorial
Credit: tajijoseph

If your goal is to draw a realistic face, this reference shows us how to draw realistic eyes, a nose, and a mouth in four steps.

16. Add Eyeshadow

eyes with colored lids
Credit: michaelaaart

Once you get the hang of drawing eyes, you should consider adding makeup such as eyeshadow or eyeliner.

17. Ghost Eyes

ghost ghoul dragon and elf eyes
Credit: lihnida.san

This reference is perfect for anyone who wants to draw spooky eyes such as ghost eyes, ghoul eyes, and more.

I hope these eye-drawing references have inspired you. If you want to improve your skills, remember to take time daily to sketch.

Your sketches don’t have to be perfect. The more you sketch, you’ll find that over time, the better you’ll get.

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