What You Need

  • Pencil (HB for sketching, 2B for darker lines)
  • Eraser
  • Fine liner or darker pencil for inking
  • Optional: coloured pencils or markers for the iris

Drawing Female Anime Eyes (Classic Style)

  1. 1

    Draw the upper eyelid

    Draw a thick, curved line — this is the upper eyelid. It should curve gently upward in the middle and taper at both ends. Make it thicker in the middle than at the ends. This is the most defining line of the eye.

  2. 2

    Add the lower lid

    Draw a much lighter, thinner curved line below — this is the lower eyelid. It should be about 70-80% of the width of the upper lid. Anime lower lids are usually thin or barely suggested.

  3. 3

    Draw the iris

    Inside the eye space, draw a large oval or slightly rectangular iris. In anime style, the iris is very large relative to the eye opening — often filling most of it. The top of the iris should be partially hidden behind the upper eyelid.

  4. 4

    Add the pupil

    Draw a smaller oval inside the iris, centred or very slightly above centre. In anime style, pupils can be vertical slits, perfect circles or a mix — choose your style.

  5. 5

    Add the eyelashes

    Draw 3–5 short, thick lashes extending upward from the ends of the upper eyelid. They should curve outward and taper to fine points. Keep them clustered toward the outer corner.

  6. 6

    Add highlights — the most important step

    Place one large white oval highlight in the upper right area of the iris and a smaller one in the lower left. Mark these clearly before you shade. These are what give anime eyes their characteristic bright, expressive look.

  7. 7

    Shade the iris

    Shade the iris with concentric tones — darkest at the top (under the upper lid shadow), mid-tone in the middle, slightly lighter at the bottom. Leave the highlights completely white. The pupil should be the darkest element in the eye.

Practice tipDraw the same eye 10–20 times before moving on. Muscle memory is how you develop a consistent style. Study anime eyes you love and try to break down exactly what shapes they are using.

Male Anime Eyes

Male anime eyes are typically smaller, narrower and less rounded than female eyes. The upper lid line is similar but less dramatically curved. The iris is smaller and the lashes are usually just a few straight or slightly curved strokes rather than the full lash of female eyes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Use light pencil guidelines — a horizontal line for the eye level and vertical lines for the eye positions before drawing. Measure the space between eyes (it should be approximately one eye-width apart). Draw both eyes at the same time, alternating between them rather than finishing one completely before starting the other.
Coloured pencils allow smooth blending for the iris gradient. Markers (like Copic or Prismacolor) give cleaner, more professional results. Watercolour is beautiful but harder to control. For digital, work in layers with multiply mode for shading.
The pupil and highlight move together. For looking right, shift both toward the right side of the iris. The eyelid may also shift slightly. Keep the highlight in the upper portion of the iris regardless of direction.