One of the most important features of our painting is the expression in the eyes! And the way you paint eyes distinguishes your work - we each have our own special touch!
Our Art Doctors often give tips on how to bring in the light, and more expression, especially as we're competing a painting. You'll want to develop how you'll teach this in your own classes.
One of the teaching tools I created early on was painting a background, then a bunch of different eye shapes and angles on a small canvas board - maybe 10×16." Some are looking down, some forward, the pupils may gaze to the right or left; eyes may be more open, or mostly closed ...
I also demonstrate eye shapes on a big paper or whiteboard, inviting questions, and have them practice sketching eyes and other features on paper or in their journals, and develop ones they particularly like. Here is a lovely little video tutorial our IC sistar Emily Grieves created on bringing light to the eyes! Her example is on a larger surface, and would make a great teaching tool!
This can be a big help for beloveds as they try to figure out how to paint eyes, and helps them avoid the "marble eye" look! I also have that full round pupil as an example- crossed out, and show them how the eye lid covers part of that round! At some point, I demo how simple it is to correct the shape and expression anywhere in the process!
The bottom right images were done with oil pastels in my art journal, using some crazy colors - what a fun way to play!
The eyes
Hold so much
Depth and Expression
Portals of wonder
Windows to the soul
With open eyes, be sure the pupils are aligned, and both point the same direction! You can use the tip of your finger to measure that they are close to the same size, and the distance from the corner. Shiloh often suggests leaving the outer corner own, rather than letting the lines meet.
Practice eyes and other features on your compost canvas or in your journal, and notice expressions and shapes you like! These eyes were done from another Video Tutorial, using oil pastels in my Juju journal. Keep a damp cloth handy, when you're ready to work on your canvas, and don't be afraid to make changes.
To add a little more depth, using Payne's grey, or a mix of a couple of darks (brown and ultramarine blue are some of my favorites) and a very fine brush, bring in a soft line under the top lid for shadow - I water it down a bit, and use my finger to smudge. Paint across the top of the iris and pupil, as well as over the white.
Then bring a bit of this same warered down dark into both corners of each eye - this rounds the eyeball, and gives more depth! You can add a bit of pink to the year duct, near the nose.
The last step is adding white lights to each pupil - practice so you can match the lights on each eye, on the left or right! These strokes can also be demonstrated on the paper or board, two comma like strokes on one side, a dot on the other; a star; a round ....
This can be a good time to add a bit more light (not pure white!) above the pupils on the eyelids, and other raised areas - light touch, and might much paint! Sometimes I add a thin line of white below the eye.
I like downswept lashes, when my ladies want them ... Sometimes Shiloh demonstrates this - then decides to wipe it off! I learned to do these in an early class, and about half my ladies have lashes.
Did you have any special tips or techniques? Let us know in the comments!
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