How to draw eyes: an open eye, an eye in profile, a closed eye

Step sheets for people learning to draw eyes, the feature most beginners practise first. Each picture builds one eye in numbered panels: the almond outline, the iris and pupil, the highlight, the lid and the lashes. The three eyes are an open eye from the front, an eye in profile and a closed eye. Type a different kind of eye, such as a crying eye or a cat eye, and the page is built to that request.

• a face-drawing practice sheet
• a beginner's art class
• a sketchbook warm-up
• a handout for portrait lessons

Frequently asked questions

What is in each picture?

One eye, built from its outline to the lashes and brow, one stage per numbered panel.

What is the difference between the styles?

Pencil uses light guide lines and soft shading in the last box. Red steps shows each new line in red. Pen hatching finishes the last box with cross-hatched shading.

Can I ask for a different eye?

Yes. Type a different eye, such as a crying eye or a cat eye, and the page is built to that request. The result is not guaranteed to match the nine shown.

Are these hand-drawn?

No. They are illustrations made for this page, not scans of hand drawings.

About toile

This page is a showcase and a starting point: nine samples already rendered, three readings of the pack crossed with three styles, each shown at the size and ratio it was made for. Take any of them further on the wall with a few words, or ask for all nine again under your own direction; a sign-in keeps what you make, and it is free while Toile is new. The recipe behind each sample — the subject, the style, the palette, the framing — travels with the image rather than staying private to the render: it is in the alt text of every sample and in the page's own structured data, so a search engine reads the same handles a person would.