Sight of Interest
Continuing on from my last post on drawing facial parts I decided this time to start working on drawing the eyes of a person. The author of the book I'm using to help me with my drawings (Lee Hammond) makes it clear that the eyes are not only her favorite thing to draw, but also an important part of a picture, so much so that even an entire drawing could be based around just the eye. In my last post I mentioned the book saying it's best to think of a drawing as pieces of a puzzle, which is especially true for the eyes. Lee Hammond's Big Book of Drawing states ". . .the eye is just shapes. An eye looks more like puzzle pieces than any other feature." (Hammond 26).
To expand on this theory of viewing the eye as a puzzle I took a snapshot of the different parts of the eye that make up the whole thing. This was a really useful way for me to understand where to place and draw all the various parts of an eye. To layout what each part of the eye is as seen in the picture towards the right: 1 is the iris, 2 the pupil, 3 the flash or catch light, 4 and 5 are the white of the eyes, 6 the upper lash line, 7 the lower lid thickness, 8 the upper eyelid, 9 and 10 the corner eye membrane, and 11 the eyebrow. All eyes have most of these components, yet they still have their own differences that make them unique from each other. It's explained in my book that eyes can tell a story from how they're drawn, not to mention that they can also tell you a lot about the person to which they belong. That is why I feel that when you draw eyes, every detail counts and adds to the overall final product.
Shedding Some Light
The pictures on the right show my first attempts at drawing eyes. I decided to have both be drawn in the same view, instead of a side or slanted view to keep it consistent since I was trying it out for the first time. Both pictures contain the same physical components that an eye usually has and needs, but at the same time they have their own distinct look and characteristics. For example, both eyes also have eyebrows, but one has a much more distinctive arch and defined line, while the other has much straighter and bushier brow. While on the topic of the brow, it's important to note that I didn't just simply color them in. I had to first draw small hairs all pointed in the same direction, not with hard drawn lines, but soft ones. After those are established it helps to fill in the rest of the brow by blending it all out. What stands out to me in both eyes is their catch light (white circles) that give them more of a life like appearance with the help of some shading. Views For Thought
My first try at drawing eyes was very intriguing to say the least because it did help me look at yet another part of a person in a different and unique way than I had never noticed or seen before. The steps I take to complete each drawing help me better understand the inner workings of what I draw and the various ways I can represent it through artwork. I still strive to try and make my drawings life like, but I would like to know if you have ever seen piece of artwork, whether it be cartoon, abstract, or still life, that has made you see things that you notice in your everyday life differently? Thank you so much for reading, and feel free to leave a comment below about anything I've shared.
