Introduction
This step-by-step tutorial will provide you with detailed instructions on how to draw female anime and manga style eyes. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, this guide will help you master the intricacies of drawing these captivating eyes. Follow each step carefully and refer to the corresponding drawing examples for a better understanding.
Eye Drawing Essentials
Before diving into the tutorial, it’s important to understand some essential characteristics of female anime eyes. These traits will help you create eyes that are both visually appealing and true to the anime style.
Bigger and Wider Eyes
Anime eyes are typically larger and wider than real eyes. This is especially true for female characters, who often have eyes that are even more pronounced compared to their male counterparts.
Prominent Eyelashes
One distinct feature of female anime eyes is the presence of more prominent eyelashes. These lashes are longer, thicker, and often more numerous. While not always the case, this characteristic is common across various anime styles.
Step 1 – Drawing the Outer Shape of the Eye
To begin, sketch the outer shape of the eye, focusing on the eyelids and eyelashes. Keep the lines light during this stage as you may need to do some erasing later on. Once you’re satisfied with the shape, go over it with a more solid line.
Step 2 – Drawing the Iris
Next, draw the iris vertically stretched compared to a real eye. It should appear as an oval, with the top and bottom portions hidden behind the eyelids.
Step 3 – Drawing the Pupil
Within the iris, draw a smaller pupil that follows the shape of the iris. Make sure it’s proportionate and properly aligned.
Step 4 – Indicating the Dark Area at the Top of the Iris
Add a line towards the upper half of the eye to represent the darker area created by the shadow and the reflection of the eyelashes. This helps add depth and realism to the eye drawing. You can erase the overlapping line in the next step.
Step 5 – Drawing the Primary Reflection
Draw the primary reflection area, which is influenced by the main light source. It could be an indoor light bulb, fire, or even the sun. Erase any portion of the pupil or shadow that overlaps with this reflection. In anime, you can simplify the shape of the reflection to a generalized circle or oval.
Step 6 – Drawing the Secondary Reflection
The secondary reflection is a smaller reflection caused by light bouncing off a surface. It should be positioned within the eye, and you can erase any overlapping parts with the pupil.
Step 7 – Shading Different Areas of the Eye
You can now shade the different areas of the eye drawing. Leave the reflections white if drawing on paper. Shade the eyelids, which are technically part of the eyelashes, in black. Also, shade the pupil in black. Finally, shade the iris in the desired color or grayscale, depending on the eye color you wish to achieve.
Step 8 – Adding the Outer Top Eyelid Eyelashes
For a more feminine touch, add eyelashes to the outer corners of the eye. Anime eyelashes often fan out around the eyelids, resembling real eyelashes. Additionally, include smaller eyelashes near the inner corner of the eye. As you draw the eyelashes, feel free to shade them, as they are relatively small. You can omit adding eyelashes in the middle, as they tend to merge visually into one shape.
Step 9 – Adding the Bottom Eyelashes
Finally, complete the drawing of the female anime eye by adding tiny eyelashes to the outer and inner bottom corners. These subtle details enhance the overall appearance of the eye.
Color and Gradient
To add more vibrancy to your drawing, consider adding color to the eye instead of using grayscale shading alone. You can also experiment with gradients by shading the iris darker towards the outer edges and lighter towards the middle.
Drawing Both Eyes
If you’re drawing both eyes simultaneously, follow each step for each eye before moving on to the next step. This ensures consistency and symmetry between the two eyes. Remember that the light reflections should appear in the same positions in both eyes and should not be mirrored.
Placing Anime Eyes on the Head Vertically
For proper placement of anime eyes on the head, divide the head into two and position the eyes below the middle halfway point. While real eyes are typically on this line, anime eyes are often drawn slightly lower, especially for younger female characters.
Spacing Anime Eyes
Maintain a distance of one eye width between the eyes to achieve proper spacing. This helps ensure balance and proportion in your drawings.
Conclusion
Drawing female anime eyes may seem complex at first, but with practice and patience, you can master the various styles, emotions, and personalities they convey. For more tutorials on drawing closed, closing, and squinted anime eyes, as well as eye expressions, mood, and personality, refer to the following resources:
- How to Draw Closed, Closing & Squinted Anime Eyes
- How to Draw Anime Eyes and Eye Expressions
- How to Draw Anime and Manga Eyes to Show Mood & Personality
Remember to keep refining your skills, experimenting with different styles, and most importantly, enjoying the process of bringing captivating anime characters to life through their eyes.
Remember, the key factors of creating this article are based on E-E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, Credibility, Experience) and YMYL (Your experience with the product you write).
