Rendering Eyes

After completing the block-in for her portrait drawing of a live model, artist Savannah Tate Cuff begins the rendering phase, starting with the left eye (the model's right eye). Rendering, or modeling, involves adding shading to the initial line drawing to give the portrait depth and realism. Savannah starts by sketching the contours of the eye, including the upper eyelid, lashes, corner of the eye, sclera (white of the eye), lower eyelid, iris, and pupil. Since the eye is positioned on a downward plane, she explains that it won’t be overly bright. She uses an HB pencil for darker areas and a 2H for softer gradations.

Using a 2H pencil and a mahl stick, Savannah begins modeling the area above the eyelid, adding white chalk highlights on the brow and eye. She deepens the shadows in the eye socket, visualizing the area as a curved cylinder. Switching to the HB pencil, she works on the eyelashes, treating them as clusters or small groups rather than individual lashes. Throughout the process, Savannah shares valuable tips. She notes that the color of the iris influences the values rendered, emphasizes the importance of considering the light source and how it impacts the modeled area, and reminds artists to observe where the pupil appears sharper versus softer.

When moving to the model's left eye, Savannah observes that the light makes this eye appear lighter. She again starts with the upper eyelid and the shadow at the corner of the eye. She darkens the pupil, checking its alignment with the other eye, and deepens the shadows within the iris. She keeps the shadow areas flat while using gradients in the light to ensure a more accurate and lifelike representation of the eye.