Why you need to know How to Draw Eyelashes…
Welcome to my tutorial on how to draw eyelashes!
There are a lot of tutorials that teach how to draw eyes, but something you may not have really learned anywhere before is probably how to draw eyelashes.
Drawing eyelashes on your characters can mean the difference between eyes that look beautiful and dynamic, and eyes that look… well, just kind of creepy.
In this tutorial I am going to show you how to draw eyelashes, give you some great tips that will help improve your drawings when it comes to eyes, and a couple of pointers for animated eyes and eyelashes.
[convertkit form=2630429]Drawing Eyelashes Step By Step
Start by drawing the eye.
(If you need a tutorial for drawing eyes, you can find a tutorial here coming soon.)
Notice how the eye looks before adding the lashes. The eye looks naked and very round.
Our goal when drawing the lashes is to give the eye more personality and make it look more realistic and balanced.
Step 1: Start with a few small lines
Let’s start with just a few small upward angled lines.
I usually work from the outer corner of the eye, back toward the tear duct when drawing the lashes.
Make the length of the bottom lashes slightly shorter than the ones on top.
Step 2: Thicken the lashes
Next, let’s thicken the lashes.
This is probably the most important step when it comes to making the lashes look realistic, but it also applies when drawing animated characters as well.
Next to the lines we drew in the previous step, we are going to draw a “partner” line. This is a second eyelash close to the first one. The bases are slightly apart, but the tips of the lashes merge together.
This creates a full lash look that is both pleasing and realistic.
Step 3: Add and Lengthen Lashes
In this last step, we will draw the remaining eyelashes and add length to some of them.
I usually go back over my image once I have all of the eyelashes drawn, and add length to some of the ones in the middle on top.
Tips for Drawing Eyelashes
As with every drawing technique, practice and time are really what will help you improve. Using the 3 steps above and adding your own creative touches should really help you draw more dynamic eyes.
I do have some fun tips for you below to help you improve your drawings even more, and create beautiful eyelashes every time.
[convertkit form=2621193]Don’t draw straight lines
One of the biggest mistakes when drawing lashes is making the lashes into small, straight lines.
Our eyelashes don’t jet out straight from our eyes, but sweep upward and curl slightly.
Make sure when drawing lashes to make them curve upward.
Thinner Ends
Always taper the ends of the lashes.
No matter what kind of character you are drawing, realistic, anime, cartoon, or comic, the ends of the eyelashes should be thinner than the base.
Vary the lengths
The lengths of the eyelashes should be different, usually going from shortest near the tear ducts, longest in the middle, and slightly shorter near corners of the eyes.
This applies to the lashes on the bottom as well, there just usually aren’t nearly as many lashes on the bottom.
Sweep to the sides
It’s not very often when we see eyelashes directly forward.
Sweeping the eyelashes toward the outer corner of the eyes will make them look full and bold, in a realistic way.
Shadow/reflection of the Lashes in the eye
Something I like to do with my more realism-based images is to draw a shadow of the lashes reflected in the white of the eyes.
Remember to draw the bottom lashes
Don’t forget to draw the bottom lashes!
We all have bottom lashes, and drawing them will help make your characters look more realistic. Just be careful not to overdo it with the bottom lashes.
Drawing too many bottom lashes can make your characters look like they are wearing a lot of mascara on the bottom, which could give them a gothic appearance, especially if the character is male.
Use your creativity
With all art, there really is no right or wrong way.
Whatever you feel is right for your image, is right.
That being said, eyelashes don’t always have to look hyper-realistic to be drawn “right”.
For example, in this picture I drew below, her eyelashes are hidden because of her dark, thick eyeliner. You can see some of them, and you can see the bottom lashes.
This image is just as good as one where you could see the top lashes.
Be sure to use your own creativity, and decide what looks right for your drawings!
If you found this tutorial on how to draw eyelashes helpful, please pin and share! It really does help me and my blog and allows me to keep making amazing content to help others learn how to draw.
What to learn next: How to Draw Mouths and Lips
If you like this step-by-step tutorial, try this one next!
How to Draw Mouths and Lips
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