(1/3) First of three slideshows breaking down painting an Eye in Photoshop. The secondary goal for this project is to attempt to convey an emotion by painting only one Eye (and the skin/brow around the eye)

1. Eye Project: Overview
{ ‚Iris Exercise‛
Additional .PPTS on project:
and
‚Lashes & Brows”
A. Theinert – Becker College - 2013

2. The human face is one of the hardest things to paint. Because everyone
looks in a mirror on a daily basis, so we are very familiar with what features
should look like, making it easier to point out when they don’t look as they
should in a painting
These three digital paintings
represent three distinct
painting styles. The more you
paint, the more you will begin
to develop your own style.
In the beginning it is best to
experiment- look at the work
of others and attempt to
mimic it. Eventually you will
find a style that works for you
and make it your own..

3. Begin by tackling just one feature of the human face.
We will start with an Eye:
First decide what perspective your
subject is in, and which way they are
looking. This determines the shape of
your eye and placement of the pupil/iris.
In a 3-quarter perspective the
pupil will be slightly oval, not
round. And there will tend to
be more shadows by the inner
corners, near the nose.

4. Scared
Match the Skeptical
Emotion
with the EYE
Happy
Surprised
Sad
Sad
Angry
Skeptical
Scared
Happy
Surprised
Angry

5. As you paint, keep a mirror handy and examine your own
eyeball, or use a reference image from the web.
The best way to paint something real is to look at real imagery.
Zone in on specific areas, use your
reference material to examine the area
and capture all the details. For
example:
• The eyeball is actually a large
sphere which the lids wrap around.
Keep this in mind as you position
the upper lid, lower lid and tear
ducts.
• The lids have thickness to them, so
remember to paint the ‘lip’ where
the lid meets the eyeball.

6. Process:
• Start with a simple sketch. Try to be loose with your lines and let
your hand flow.
• Then block in some areas where there will be highlights/shadows.
• Adjust your brush hardness and opacity so that you have a soft
brush, and start to blend the areas together.

7. Process:
• Fill in the eyeball area with an off-white color.
• The iris has many, many colors in it, so pick a base color to start
with, then add more details/colors later.
• Define the crease in the upper lid and the tear ducts, this is where
you should remember the ‘sphere’ of the eyeball, it will help
determine where the shadows/highlights fall.

8. Process:
• To add depth to the image, continue to add shadows & highlights, use your
reference material as a guide.
• Start to add more color to the iris, it should be slightly darker around the inner and
outer edges. Use a lighter color for the center areas and details. You can also use the
smudge tool, with a very small brush size making quick straight strokes from the
inside edge to the outer edge of the iris.
• Also don’t forget about the specular highlight. The eyeball is wet and glossy so it
should have a harsh white highlight.
• Lastly, use small brushes to add fine details such as eyebrow hair and eye lashes.