Hello artists! I hope you’re doing great and enjoying the process of learning new things each day.
Here I am with a new tutorial on how to draw the anatomy of an eye.
I highly recommend checking out my previous tutorial, which is specifically designed for complete beginners and focuses on drawing eyes.
As always, I promise to make this one extremely beginner-friendly, so you can follow along easily — even if you’ve never studied anatomy before.
Why Understanding the Anatomy of an Eye Is Important:
While anatomy might sound boring at first, it’s actually the secret sauce that can take your drawing skills to a whole new level!
Learning the anatomy of an eye helps you draw not just from reference but also from imagination.
When you study the anatomy closely, you’ll notice that the eye isn’t flat — it’s a sphere sitting inside the eye socket, partially covered by layers of skin. This eyeball changes its form slightly depending on where it’s looking or how it moves.
Understanding this concept trains your eye to observe the world differently — to notice big shapes first and then break them down into smaller, manageable chunks. Over time, your brain starts connecting each small form with the overall structure, helping you see depth, dimension, and relationships between shapes.
And the best part? You’ll apply this skill to everything you draw — from still life to portraits and beyond.
Drawing Tools You’ll Need:
Here’s what you’ll need to follow this tutorial:
- H pencil – for guiding lines
- 2B pencil – for details
- 4B pencil – for dark shading
- 6B pencil (optional) – for deeper shadows
- Paper – any type works for practice
- Reference printouts (optional)
- Sharpener
- Eraser
- Ruler (optional)
Anatomy of an Eye (Step-by-Step):
As mentioned earlier, an eye is a sphere, so we have to treat it like one while drawing. Let’s break it down step by step.
Step 1: Observe the Big Shape First:
Take a look at your reference image. The entire eye socket can be simplified into a square with its arms stretched wide — almost like it’s ready for a hug!
When I say simplified, it means you don’t have to copy everything exactly as it is. Instead, observe and match the structure of your reference with simple geometric shapes.
This method helps you break the eye down into parts that are easier to understand and draw — and soon, you’ll start seeing forms in a whole new way.
Now, once you’ve simplified the eye socket into a square, it’s time to divide it further to find the correct positions for the eyelids, iris, folds, and eyebrows.
- Draw horizontal and vertical lines bisecting the square at the center.
- Then, divide both the upper and lower halves with two more horizontal lines. Take these measurements from the inner “arm” of the square (near the tear duct).
- Draw a slightly curved vertical line along the outer edge of the square.
You’ll now have a guide to help you place each part of the eye in proportion.
Let’s name these lines 1, 2, 3 (bottom to top) and the vertical lines a and b.
These will help you accurately position the eyelids, iris, eyelid folds, and eyebrows.
Remember — every eye shape is unique! Some people have wider gaps between the eyes and eyebrows, some have hooded lids, and others have monolids. We’ll cover these variations in future tutorials where you’ll tweak these lines to draw eyes of different shapes and angles.
Step 2: Draw the Eyelids:
When drawing the eyelids, we can simplify them into planes to make the form easier to understand:
- The upper eyelid can be divided into three planes.
- The lower eyelid can be divided into two planes.
Here’s how to position them using your guide lines:
- Line 3: marks the upper eyelid fold, ending where it touches line b.
- Line 2: is the lash line or the edge of the eyelid.
- Line 1: divides the eye from the middle. Remember, the tear duct hangs slightly lower than this line, while the outer corner of the eye sits slightly higher.
Draw both the upper and lower eyelids in two layers to show thickness and depth.
Step 3: Draw the Iris and Pupil:
Now comes the most fascinating part — the window to the soul!
The iris sits partially covered by the eyelids.
Keep this in mind:
- The iris is a full circle only when viewed from the front.
- It becomes an oval when the eye looks to the side, and it sticks out more in a profile view.
There’s no fixed ratio between the iris and the sclera (the white of the eye) — it changes depending on gaze, direction, and even genetics.
In our reference, the iris appears smaller, so draw it accordingly.
And remember — the pupil always stays in the center of the iris, no matter the direction or angle.
Step 4: Draw the Eyelashes:
Here’s my favorite part — drawing the lashes!
They not only make the eye look beautiful but also serve a purpose: protecting it from dust, dirt, and insects.
Lashes come in all shapes and lengths. Some people have thin, straight lashes; others have thick, curled ones.
If you look closely, lashes grow in different directions:
- Near the tear duct, they’re shorter and thinner, curving toward the inner corner.
- Moving outward, they grow longer, thicker, and curve upward and outward.
Pro tip: Don’t draw lashes one by one! Instead, draw them in small grouped strokes — this gives them a natural and realistic flow. You don’t need to emphasize each lash; subtlety works best.
Step 5: Draw the Eyebrows:
Touch your eyebrows and feel the bone underneath — that’s where they grow from and follow the shape of the eye socket.
Eyebrows vary a lot — from straight to arched, thin to thick. Men often have thicker, straighter brows, while women’s tend to be more arched (though this can differ for everyone).
Like lashes, eyebrow hairs grow in different directions, so don’t draw them too neatly. Make them a little messy and organic to capture that natural look.
Final Thoughts:
And that’s it! You’ve just learned how to draw the anatomy of an eye step by step. I know I skipped the shading part. I’m saving it for another tutorial.Meanwhile,you just need to understand the structure of the eye.
I hope this tutorial helped you understand not just how to draw, but also how to see like an artist — by observing shapes, planes, and structure.
If you enjoyed this tutorial, share it with your friends who love to draw, and don’t forget to subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss future lessons.
See you soon, and keep drawing!
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