How to draw eyes || watercolour painting tutorial, by Withluvraie on YouTube. 7 min 43 s.
- Video length
- 7 min 43 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Sketch a light almond shape with a 2H pencil, then draw a circle inside it for the iris. Keep the lines faint so they hide under the paint.
Leave a small dry patch for the highlight, then wet the iris with clean water. Drop in a base colour such as burnt sienna or ultramarine and let it spread.
While the wash is still damp, add a darker ring around the iris edge and a soft shadow under the top eyelid. Let it dry fully.
Paint the pupil with a dark mix of ultramarine and burnt sienna, leaving the highlight untouched. Soften the pupil edge with a clean damp brush.
Use the size 0 brush to pull thin iris strands from the pupil out to the ring. Vary the pressure so the lines taper and look natural.
Paint the lash line and eyelid crease with diluted grey-brown, then add the lower lid shadow. Keep the edges soft where the skin folds.
Draw single lashes with quick, curved strokes starting at the lash line. Make the outer lashes thicker and the inner ones finer.
Wash diluted skin tones around the eye and blend them into the lid. Once dry, dot white gouache on the highlight for a wet shine.
Tips and common mistakes
Test every colour mix on a scrap of the same paper before touching the eye.
Let each layer dry completely, or the washes turn muddy and lift the paper.
Keep the highlight patch dry from the first wash so the shine stays clean.
Blot your brush on a tissue so you never paint with a dripping wet tip.
Questions
What paper should I use for a watercolor eye?
Cold press watercolor paper of 140 gsm or more holds the washes without buckling. Cotton paper gives the smoothest gradients and takes fine detail well.
Why does my painted iris look flat?
Flat irises usually lack a dark ring at the edge and a shadow under the top lid. Add those two layers once the base wash is dry, and keep the highlight bright.
How long does one eye take to paint?
Around 45 minutes at an easy pace, most of it waiting for layers to dry. You can speed this up with a hairdryer on a cool setting.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
