Most people think that drawing requires great artistic talent and skill. But there are many styles of drawing that an amateur artist can learn and do. Cartoon eyes are an example, because drawing different styles of cartoon eyes is quite simple. It requires minimal detailing and only a few strokes of a pen or pencil to create.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Creating a Base with a Cross and Circle
Step 1. Draw a circle on the sketch paper
Drawing a perfect circle using a compass will help, if available.
- Define the width of the compass to be a small or medium circle. Place the tip of the compass on the sketch paper, then gently place the tip of the pencil on the compass on the paper. Rotate the pencil tip around the stationary tip of the compass to draw your circle.
- It may be helpful to hold both the "legs" of the compass, as the angle can sometimes widen due to the stress of twisting and drawing. This will help maintain the size of the circle.
Step 2. Use a ruler to draw a cross in the center of the circle
The cross will separate the circle into four quadrants, which can help you position the cartoon eyes.
Draw a line as close to the center as possible, from bottom to top and then from left to right. This will help ensure that your eyes are evenly spaced and equidistant from each other
Step 3. Design the head shape of the cartoon character
Around the basic outline of the circle, draw the shape of your character's head.
- This character's head shape will inspire you about the types of eyes you give your character.
- This will also help you determine if the character is male or female or maybe even an animal or a monster!
- Drawing the shape of the head will include the chin/jaw line, ears, and hairline.
Method 2 of 4: Draw Cartoon Oval Shaped Eyes
Step 1. Decide where you want to place the eyes
You can position it anywhere around the cross, but it's important to remember a few things.
- The higher the eye position, the smaller the size should be to take into account the position of the eyebrows and the forehead. Conversely, the lower the position, the bigger and more dramatic the eye can be.
- You may need to place both eyes an equal distance from the vertical line on the cross and level with the horizontal line on the cross.
Step 2. Draw a pair of oval eyes on the face, equidistant from the vertical line on the cross and aligned with the horizontal line
Oval eyes can have different shapes.
- Perpendicular (Note: in this style, you may need to make the oval eyes touch each other on the inner side in the center of the face).
- Beveled on the outer edge
- On top of each other, drawing a small semicircle under the eye, intersecting the bottom of the oval.
Step 3. Shade the pupil in an oval shape
Again, this depends on your creativity, as you can determine how big it is and where it is positioned. Here are some ideas:
- Shade the small pupil in the center of the oval
- Draw and shade the large pupil that fills the bottom of the oval
- Draw a pupil inside each oval shape, making the character look cross-eyed
- Leave a small speck of the pupil unshaded to show the shimmer that often appears on the human eye when exposed to light
Step 4. Color the iris around the pupil
This will make the character look somewhat lively and have a real feel.
- Common colors include blue, brown, gray, and hazel. However, you can bring out your creative side in cartoons and use other colors, such as purple, orange, or red.
- Depending on the size of the pupil you create, you can make the iris thicker or thinner. The size of the pupil will show the emotions of the character. For example, if the character is scared, then the pupil will be bigger, showing less of the iris.
Step 5. Add eyelashes and eyebrows
How to draw these characteristics is up to you, as it will depend on whether your character is male or female.
- Shade the top edge of the oval with a thick line that tapers on both edges to reveal more masculine lashes.
- Draw thin lashes over the top of the oval to reveal more feminine lashes. You may still need to add the tapered shading described above to give your makeup look.
- Add just a few thick lash lines to make the eyes and face look basic and simple.
- Shade the eyebrows according to the style you like. You can make it thick and voluminous for men, and slim and curvy for women. You can also play with the emotions of the appearance of your eyebrows, by making them look angry, surprised, surprised, worried, etc.
Method 3 of 4: Draw Cartoon Round Eyes
Step 1. Decide where you will place the eyes on the face
Round eyes seem to make the most sense far and flat from each other, rather than side by side.
- How high or low your eyes are on your face can help convey emotion, so take that into account when you start drawing.
- You also need to determine how big the eye size you want. How much space of the face is used for the eyes determines what other features can be added.
Step 2. Draw a pair of circles on the face equidistant from the vertical line on the cross
Circles are a great shape for cartooning eyes because humans don't have round eyes.
- Use your compass to make this circle. Make sure to adjust the angle of the compass to create a smaller circle.
- Make a circle that is large enough to make room for the pupil in it.
- Keep in mind that you may need to hold onto both legs of the compass to avoid widening the angle as you draw the circle.
Step 3. Make dark shading on the pupil inside the circle
Round eyes are great for conveying a variety of emotions, and the placement and size of the pupils provide an opportunity to express those emotions.
- Startled
- Afraid
- Surprised
- Worried
- Like
Step 4. Color the iris around the pupil with a hue of your choice
Think about the emotion you are trying to convey with your cartoon character's eyes.
- The thickness of the iris will help the viewer better understand the feelings of your cartoon character.
- The color chosen for the iris can also convey emotion. Or the color can just show your unique creativity and the real form of the cartoon you imagine.
Step 5. Add eyelashes and eyebrows to the eyes and forehead
How you shade these characteristics is up to you, as it will depend on whether your character is male or female.
- You may want to simply add the top line of the eye, tapering at both ends, to create an eyelash look without drawing thin lashes. Alternatively, you may want to add some lash lines. Few or no lash lines are common in round cartoon eyes.
- Remember to draw eyebrows in shapes that help convey the character's emotions, as well as indicate whether they are male or female. High arched eyebrows indicate surprise or fear, while low, less arched eyebrows can indicate boredom or sadness.
Method 4 of 4: Draw Cartoon Almond Shaped Eyes
Step 1. Decide where you want to place the eyes on the character's face
Eyes can be placed anywhere on the face, but you must also add other facial features.
- If the eyes are placed higher on the face, you may need to draw them a smaller size or make the eyebrows smaller. But it can display emotions such as surprise or fear, with the eyebrows “disappearing” high on the forehead.
- In most cases, you will likely need to place your eyes at an equal distance from each other, as well as horizontally.
Step 2. Draw two almond-shaped eyes on the face, using a cross as a guide for their placement
Almonds are usually wider at one end than the other.
- For cartoon eyes shaped like this, usually the wider end is placed on the inside of the eye, close to where the nose will be drawn.
- Sometimes the wide end is made even larger, making the inside of the eye very large, while the outside of the eye tapers down to a small point. This form is great for conveying concepts or emotions such as innocence, surprise, and youth.
- Almond-shaped eyes are often used in female cartoon characters to convey the ideal of beauty and femininity.
Step 3. Shade the pupil in a circle, in a reasonable place
Almond-shaped eyes convey a slightly different set of emotions than the two methods above, and they look more like human eyes. This can give your cartoon face a wider range of emotions.
- naivety
- Sadness
- Afraid
- Surprised
- Spirit
- Shy
Step 4. Color the iris around the pupil with the hue you like for your character
Remember to make the iris thicker or thinner according to the emotion you want to convey to the viewer of the cartoon face.
- If you want to create a seductive feminine character with this eye shape, it would be fun to use a color like purple or pink on the iris.
- Colored pencils are the most useful tool for this type of coloring, as you can sharpen the tip to keep the coloring sharp and neat.
Step 5. Add eyelashes on the eyes and eyebrows on the forehead
How you shade this characteristic is up to you, as it will depend on whether the character is male or female.
- For female characters with this eye shape, it is common to place eyelashes only on the outer edge of the upper eyelid. This will give a seductive feminine feel.
- Keep in mind that you need to match the shape of your character's eyebrows to their emotions. With so much emotion this eye shape can convey, you'll need to work on adjusting both of these.
Tips
- Express your own creativity and ideas in making cartoon eyes. There are lots of tutorials and examples out there, but this is your chance to create your own.
- Unless you are good at drawing with a sharp-pointed pen, it may be best to practice with a sharp-pointed pencil. This will give you more freedom in deleting and retouching the image.
- Experiment with different eye shapes and styles to find the eyes you enjoy drawing the most.
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