The process of drawing a closed eye is quite similar to drawing an open eye. Logically, we draw much more of the upper eyelid, the eyelashes follow a different angle, and new wrinkles appear that we might not see with an open eye.
To follow this tutorial, I recommend that you first familiarize yourself with the Drawing Eyes from the Front tutorial, as we won’t be covering the basics and general structure of eyes here.
Feel free to use reference images from the internet when drawing. If possible, grab a small handheld mirror to study your own eye while drawing.
Lower Eyelid
Start with a gently curved line that represents the natural contour of the eye. This line marks the boundary between the upper and lower eyelids.
Even though we can’t see the inner corner of the eye, it determines the line’s direction, which should slightly tilt downward at this point. Make sure not to draw this part too short, so the eye appears realistic.
I found it easier to draw this line realistically by imagining I was drawing the edge of the lower eyelid of an open eye. You might draw the eye corner and other elements mentally or even with a very thin pencil (which you will erase later) to orient yourself better.
In the next step, use a light, hard pencil to draw the skin of the lower eyelid. Remember, no eyelid is a flat surface. Shadows can vary in strength depending on lighting and the shape of the eye you’re depicting.
Add some fine (or strong) wrinkles to the lower eyelid. Crow’s feet appear near the outer corner of the eye and can be drawn more pronounced or lighter depending on your preference.
I use a 2H pencil for the wrinkles, while I use a 4H pencil for the rest of the skin.
Since we are drawing a closed eye, we should not neglect the shadows on the lower eyelid. Consider which parts of the upper eyelid cast shadows on the lower eyelid.
A particularly strong shadow should be drawn right at the boundary between the upper and lower eyelids, as the eyelashes of the upper eyelid are close together here and let through little light. Also, strengthen the shadow in the inner corner of the eye, or it will lose depth compared to other areas.
Finally, add some eyelashes to the lower eyelid. Unlike drawing an open eye, you can start the eyelashes right at the boundary between the two eyelids.
In an open eye, we always leave a small space free as the eyelashes don’t grow in the tear line. However, since this is covered in a closed eye, you don’t need to leave extra space here.
Upper Eyelid
Start with a very light line that forms an arc. There are no strict rules for how this arc should look, as eye shapes are so varied. The arc can start above the inner corner of the eye and should end behind the outer corner.
Ensure the line is not too sharp and dark, as it only serves as a guide and will be blended into the shadows soon.
Next, draw the skin of the upper eyelid. Use the same pencil that you used for the lower eyelid skin.
Remember, the upper eyelid is a curved surface that follows the natural shapes of the eye. Thus, shadows near the inner and outer corners of the eye should be a bit darker, while you leave the middle area lighter. Apply a softly transitioning shadow along the previously drawn curved line.
Whether your drawing has double eyelids or a monolid, every upper eyelid has a few wrinkles. Draw these as gently as those on the lower eyelid.
For double eyelids, it’s advisable to make the central crease a bit more prominent.
Additionally, closed eyes often have short, fine wrinkles directly at the edge of the upper eyelid. These run diagonally away from the eye. It’s best to look at your own eye or reference photos to study these wrinkles more closely.
Once you draw them, the closed eye will look even more realistic.
Finally, draw the eyelashes of the upper eyelid. Unlike the open eye, the eyelashes of a closed eye slant downward but still maintain a slight curve in their strokes.
In my example drawing, the upper eyelid’s eyelashes are much darker and thicker than those of the lower eyelid, making them barely noticeable. Next time, I’d either make the lower eyelid’s eyelashes darker or the upper eyelid’s eyelashes lighter so that both sets of eyelashes are visible.
