Before you Begin:
- Be sure to let each layer dry before moving on to the next step.
If the paint your using is too thick, these techniques wont work properly, so you may have to thin it down a bit.
- Take your time and don’t rush it. Rushing leads to sloppy work. Patience is the Key to making realistic eyes….not skill (although skill always helps…heh)
- For convenience purposes, I've painted on illustration board as opposed to a plastic head.
Step 1
Fig. 1 - Mix up some paint that is slightly darker then the flesh tone of your subject. Add in a few drops of pink and/or Burnt Sienna to simulate the inner eyelids. The exact color and shade will depend on the flesh tone of the face. You can also substitute black for the above colors to create an eyeliner effect.
Step 2
Fig. 2 - Using Tapioca or Off white (never bright white), paint the eyeball portion of the eye. Go as close to the edge as you can while making sure to leave a thin layer of the paint from step 1 visible around the entire edge.
Step 3
Fig 3 - Mix up another small portion of paint similar to the mix in step 1, only this time with much more of a pink tone to it. Place a very tiny droplet of in each the two corners of the eye.
Step 4
Fig. 4 - In the center of the white section, slightly toward the top, paint the colored eye portion. Start off with just a "dot". Hold the head back and confirm that it is indeed in the center (unless your going for the Barney Googley eyes look here). Then proceed to slowly build the circle up around the dot until you’ve reached the desired size. Try to position it so that you have a layer of white left under the eye and that the top of the eye circle is slightly cut off, so it appears to be under the lid.
Step 5
Fig 5 - Paint a black circle representing the pupil in the center of the colored eye portion. The exact size depends on how dilated you want the pupil to appear.
Step 6
Fig 6 - Using either Off White or bright white, place a tiny dot in the center of the black pupil. You can even place it slightly off center. Experiment and decide for yourself which you prefer.
That’s it...you're done.