Are you excited to learn how to draw Manga eye or any other Anime character?
If yes, then you have come to the right place. Before you dive into the videos and step by step tutorials, a brief background history.
History of Anime
Do you know the form of Japanese animation called Anime?
This is a form of entertainment that has spread throughout the world during the last decades of history, since thousands of people see anime every day, especially since the majority of these people are not even in Japan.
What is Anime?
Anime, for the Japanese, is the way to abbreviate the word animation, and it refers to just that, the animation of drawings that is made following a specific story and that is transmitted on the main television channels in the country.
These animations have had an impact on world culture.
Drawing an Anime, especially the eyes makes the difference. Because the eyes portrays its mood, to a large extent.
How to Draw Anime Eyes (Video Tutorial)
Millions of people enjoy anime series, not only because of its varied design, but also because of the quality and depth stories that this form of entertainment shows.
So, these people, that enjoy the anime so much, want to be part of this world as much as they can.
It is for this reason that the anime transcends of being just one type of animation, since Japanese have created video games, card games and even costumes for people to feel that they participate in the history of their favorite characters.
So, everything mentioned above has led to the creation of a great collective interest in the art that is used in the world of manga and anime.
Drawing your favorite characters is always fun and is not as complex as many people think. Animating the same character is even easier if you have the right software.
With a simple step-by-step guide you can make quality drawings, so you can also create your own characters and your own stories.
In this sense, drawing anime is open to everyone and may be the best way to relate to this art even when you are many miles away from Japan and its culture.
The drawing of a character involves two fundamental parts:
- The face of the character
- The body of the character
These two parts should be drawn with many details, so it is easier to separate the process in two to get a quality and very beautiful drawing.
On the other hand, the drawing of the face has a main characteristic, that is to say, that is the center of attention of the character: the eyes.
No anime drawing is finished if you do not have eyes with many details that show how the essence of the character is at this time and what are their characteristics.
Popularly it is said that “the eyes are the window of the soul” and the anime takes this very seriously.
This is where it is necessary to have a guide on how to make the drawing of the eyes of an anime character, and just to help you with that we are.
Most Important Characteristics of the Eyes in the Anime
Before starting the drawing process it is important that you know some of the characteristics that define the design of this section of a character’s face.
Knowing these characteristics will allow you to determine which design best applies to a specific character and have a basic idea for the drawing to be faster.
In essence, the eyes of an anime character are the way in which the viewer of the animation is told how a character feels in a given situation. For that, a large eye design with many internal details is used.
It can also be said that these details may be subject to change while a character changes what he is feeling; having for example the size of the character’s iris may change when he is happy when he is upset.
This versatility is what gives a level of realism to the expressions of the characters.
Steps to Start Drawing the Anime
The drawing of the eyes with the anime style is not very complex, so that the steps to follow — try to simplify the whole process so that the beginner cartoonists can begin to experience for themselves the world of drawing and all its variants.
Before starting, have all the utensils you need, as well as enough sheets so you can practice a lot and draw the different types of eyes that exist in this type of art.
Follow these steps to learn how to draw Anime eyes the right way:
Step #1: Start by Creating the Contours of the Eye
that is to say, the size it will have.
For this you should start by drawing a line that curves upwards and that is slightly thicker when you are at the highest point. This will be the upper limit of the eye.
Now you must draw the lower limit, which is represented by a line much smaller and much thinner.
This line may be close to the first drawn to create a smaller eye for special designs or it may be further away to create a much more common design for the anime.
Step #2: Draw the Character’s Eye Outline
Yes, the outline of the character’s eye must be drawn.
Normally this part of the drawing is represented with a large oval that has a suitable size that does not pass one of the lines made in the previous step.
It is in this oval that the details of the eye will be drawn, that is to say, the iris, the reflections of light, among other things.
Step #3: Draw the Internal Details of The Eye
The internal details of the eye must be drawn, among which the iris and the reflections of light stand out.
The iris is drawn with a smaller oval than the previous one, which must be in the direction in which the character is looking at a specific moment.
On the other hand, the drawing of the reflections of the light is very important to give realism to the eyes of the character.
These reflections are given by the lights that are close to the character, with sunlight being the most common in all the drawings.
Each light has a different intensity, so the reflections of the drawing must have different sizes. Then, the reflection is represented with ovals or small circles that must be placed in the direction of the source of light that the artist chooses.
It is also important to say that you should not exaggerate with the amount of reflexes that your character’s eye will have, given that 5 reflections would be the maximum that can be placed.
Step #4: Draw the Outer Part of the Eye
Now you must draw the different parts that make up the outer part of the eye, that is to say, the eyebrows, eyelids, and eyelashes.
These characteristics will depend on whether the character is feminine or masculine, since, if feminine, the lashes should be thick and very pronounced.
Step #5: Shade the Inner Part of the Eye
To finish the drawing you must make the shading of the inner part of the eye, for which you can use a pencil or with colors, depending on what you want to do with your character.
To start shading you must determine which areas of the eye are the ones that will be darker and which ones will not, with the top section usually being the darkest.
You can make guidelines (very clear) so you know from which areas you are going to start painting lighter or darker.
Keep in mind that the reflections of the eyes should not be painted, no matter in what area of the eye they are. To highlight these reflections is a decision for each artist, since you can leave them without any edge.
Finally, the use of colors is very important in the anime characters, since the characters can have different colored eyes, regardless of whether these colors can be found in the reality or not.
Everything depends on the creativity of the artist and the type of character you want to draw.
How Important are the Details of the Eye?
Surely you wonder why it is so important to make so many details in the drawing of the eyes in the anime.
The answer is very simple: the eyes are the best way in which you can express the feelings of a character.
The way you draw your eyes can tell you exactly what the character feels and even what he is thinking without even saying a word.
This is where the details play a fundamental role in the drawing of any anime character, this feature being one of the most outstanding in this type of art.
So, to change the expression of an anime character you just have to change the position and shape of the eyebrows, the position of the iris of the eye and the position of the eyelids.
The right combination of these elements will help you to express the emotions you want quickly.
In the anime and manga, one of the characteristics that make the eyes stand out so much is that the size of the iris can change to create a more dramatic expression.
Position of the Eyes in the Head of the Character
One of the most important aspects that should be considered when making drawings of characters in anime is the proportionality of the parts that make up the character.
This means that you do not want to have a very big head with very small eyes, just to give an example.
Then, at the time of beginning to draw the eyes of a character it is necessary to place limits in which the eyes will be located, besides that you must ensure that the eyes are placed at a prudent distance from each other, that is to say, not very close and not very far.
When you start the sketch of the character’s face you must make a horizontal guide line, which will determine where the character’s eyes will be. Upper this line you must place the eyebrows, while under it you can place the eyes of the character.
What is the most complex thing about drawing eyes in anime?
One of the most common problems faced by beginner cartoonists is that the eyes are not completely symmetrical.
This is virtually impossible, since if you draw the right eye is very difficult for the left eye to have exactly the same characteristics.
This can only be done if instead of drawing with pencil and paper you are using a program to make more specialized drawings.
In the case of hand drawings, you should try to make the strokes of the right and left eye consecutively, that is to say, if the right eyebrow is drawn, then the left should be drawn and so on.
This simple advice can get you to make a beautiful drawing, although keep in mind that all the details will not be the same, but this is not a problem, since it adds realism to the drawing.
Conclusion
Drawing is a very popular art form all over the world and many people want to learn this very special skill, either just as a hobby or as a profession.
So, those people who want to learn to draw as professionals should try to learn step by step all the processes involved in this activity.
In this sense, the drawing of the anime does not escape from this, since the beginners in this type of art want their drawings to be perfect, but this can only be achieved with practice and dedication.
So in the anime, there is no characteristic more representative of this art than the drawing of the eyes of the characters, since this characteristic is what defines the personality of that character, even when no word has been said.
A well-drawn eye can give a lot of information to people who watch the animation.
Pro tip: To correctly draw this section of the face it is important that you follow the steps mentioned above, since in this way you can get a quality drawing that impacts other people.
The anime style is very versatile, so the characteristics of the eye will depend on the artist and the character that is being drawn.
One of the things you can do to better draw a character’s eyes is to see many drawing styles on the internet.
In this way you will have a pattern to follow at the beginning, and then you can create your own designs.
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