To learn how to draw an eye, draw a curved line for the top lid and a flatter curve for the bottom lid, then a big circle for the iris tucked under the top lid. Add the pupil and a shine, the lid crease, eyelashes and an eyebrow in six easy steps.
This easy eye drawing is a simple, clean outline, the kind you see in sketchbooks and cartoon portraits. It is a good first step before drawing faces. The free PDF has the step sheet, a tracing page, a practice grid and a coloring page.
What’s in the free PDF
- Step-by-step sheet with 6 numbered steps; new lines are black, earlier lines are grey
- Tracing page with a large eye in light grey to trace over
- Practice sheet with a small reference and two boxes with a light grid
- Coloring page with the finished eye in bold outlines
How to draw eyes step by step
- Top lid. Draw a long curved line, like a wide upside-down U, for the top of the eye.
- Bottom lid. From the same two ends, draw a flatter curve underneath. Add a small curve at the left end for the inner corner of the eye.
- Iris. Draw a big circle in the middle. Its top is hidden under the top lid, so only draw the part inside the eye.
- Pupil and shine. Draw a smaller circle in the middle of the iris for the pupil, and a small circle at its top right for the shine.
- Crease and iris lines. Draw a curved line above the top lid for the crease. Then draw short lines all around the pupil inside the iris.
- Lashes and eyebrow. Draw curved eyelashes along the top lid, short at the corners and longer in the middle, all curving outward. Finish with a long eyebrow shape above the eye.
The iris tucked under the top lid is the secret to a natural-looking eye. A full circle that floats in the middle makes the eye look surprised.
Easy eye drawing: common mistakes and fixes
- The eye is shaped like a lemon. Make the top lid more curved than the bottom lid; a real eye is not symmetrical top to bottom.
- The iris is too small. The iris should almost touch the top and bottom lids.
- The lashes stick straight up. Curve each lash outward, following the direction of the lid, and keep the ones near the corners short.
- The shine gets colored in. Draw the shine circle before you shade the pupil, and leave it white.
Trace, practice, then color
Trace it first
If drawing freehand feels hard, start with the tracing page. Go over the grey lines with a pencil, pressing lightly, and you learn the shapes and their order without worrying about mistakes. Then try again on the practice sheet.
Practice on the grid
The practice sheet has a small finished eye for reference and two boxes with a faint grid. Count how many squares wide and tall the reference is, then draw your eye the same way. The grid keeps the parts the right size next to each other.
Color the finished drawing
Color the pupil black and leave the shine white. Color the iris brown, blue, green or hazel, a little darker near its outer edge. Keep the white of the eye white, and color the lashes and the eyebrow dark brown or black.
Tips for drawing eyes
- Use a light pencil first; eye drawings show every extra line.
- To draw a pair of eyes, leave a gap about one eye wide between them.
- Practice the shapes on the grid sheet until the lids look even, then add lashes.
- For a cartoon eye, make the iris bigger and add two shine circles.
Download the pages one by one
Prefer a single page? Click a link to open the full-size image, then print it or save it. The PDF with all pages and a cover is in the download box.
- How to draw an eye: step-by-step sheet (PNG)
- an Eye tracing page (PNG)
- an Eye practice sheet with grid (PNG)
- an Eye coloring page (PNG)
More to draw: drawing ideas for beginners, simple drawing ideas, doodle art for beginners and sketchbook cover ideas.
FAQ
What is the easiest way to draw an eye?
Draw two curved lines that meet at the corners for the lids, a big circle for the iris that tucks under the top lid, then a pupil and a shine. Lashes and an eyebrow come last.
How do you draw eyelashes?
Start each lash on the top lid and flick it outward with a curve. Make the lashes in the middle longer and the ones at the corners shorter, and keep the spacing a little uneven so they look natural.
Why does my eye drawing look surprised?
The iris is probably a full circle. Hide the top part of the iris under the top lid and the eye will look relaxed.
How do you draw eyes for beginners?
Practice one eye at a time with the tracing page, then copy it on the grid sheet. Once the shape feels easy, draw a second eye the same size with one eye’s width between them.
