I was excited this evening to return to the Manga Artist’s Workbook and practice sketching an important facial feature. Before I move to drawing expressions, the workbook provides opportunity to focus on the most expressive part of the face…the eyes.
I had missed this section of the book when I peeked ahead. I thought the next assignment was the drawing of expressions. I understand, though, the importance of spending time capturing the eyes. So much of what we are feeling and thinking is reflected here. The eyes are the first thing I notice about a person. I can tell whether the person I am looking at is open or guarded, happy or sad, fearful or confident, by studying the eyes.
As I prepare to create an upcoming cartoon project, I know that much of what I hope to convey will be made evident through the eyes.
Tonight’s exercise was to sketch in the eyes, on a teen girl and teen boy, using the manga style. The girl’s eyes are drawn overly large.
I lightly sketched in guidelines.
I tried darker irises and lighter ones. I definitely like the darker better, as they are more distinct.
For a boy, the eyes, while still oversized, are not as large as the girl’s eyes. There are less details too.
As with the girl, I prefer the darker eyes.
William Shakespeare wrote “The eyes are the windows to the soul.”
Not only are we given a peek into the soul through the eyes of another. Our souls gaze out through the eyes as well, in all its states of being, from joyful confidence to beseeching invitation to hardened defiance.
As I sketched this evening, I was grateful for a lesson in mindfulness about what story my eyes are telling.
