How to Draw Anime Eyes

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Anime is a drawing style that originates from Japan. Anime eyes are very different from natural eyes, but still tend to communicate personality. When an anime eye is drawn, the externally visible part of the eye, the orbit, the eyelid, and the eyelashes are depicted. Let's begin!

Like the conventional Caucasian head, begin the shape of your anime head like an inverted egg. Using light sweeping lines, secure the symmetry but let the lines meet at a sharp angle when forming the chin. The keen-angled chin predominates the anime figure culture, and here's why: It is not unusual for Asians of the Far East, including the Southeast, to have receding chins. And the pointed-angle chin suggests this.

The ever-famous anime eyes are very large; each iris is somewhat vertically oval and mainly composed of two concentric circles. The innermost circle, the pupil, is the darkest; the larger outer one, the iris, holds the eye color. And in this pattern, a white circle or two are drawn to indicate the reflection of light. Why this passion for the large eyes and their detail? The Japanese, as well as the Koreans, find large eyes beautiful. The detailing is probably an expression of the intensity for this preference.

Above and below each beloved eye are the short sandwiching lines that never quite make it to the corners of the opening. They are, nevertheless, part of providing expression to the eyes. Give the lines a thicker width at mid-length. This method has been effective in accenting a character's personality, especially among females, with their long upward curling eyelashes.

Leaving the eyes, work on the eyebrows. Heroes usually have the shape of a scythe blade, the thickest portion assigned to the inner part of the face. The muscled sidekicks have theirs thicker and bushier. The female eyebrows are the thinnest, usually in a concave shape. The villainesses' have the distinct downward-slope, the largest part of which rises before reaching the temple area.

The lesser detailed parts of the face are the nostrils, which are almost not indicated at all, and the mouth. Anime characters usually have small mouths. It is another predominating feature of this art culture. It is almost a general fact that the smaller the mouth, the more serious the character. A larger mouth, on the other hand, predominate the western style; and is usually assigned to comical characters.

Experiment on the hair. Anime hairdo has its own personality; and the development of the anime characters through the years have become a hair-dressing competition.