Drawing dog eyes from a photo reference
A lot of times, the structure of the eye is hidden when we draw from pictures. The eyes often appear too dark. I strongly suggest using a photo editing program like Photoshop Elements to see and study the details of the eye.
Here’s a quick tutorial: In the editing program, select the Levels panel and move the central scroll to the left. The will lighten up considerably. You can save this file under a different name and refer to it while drawing the eyes. Switch to your regular photo to draw the rest of the dog after that.
Tip 2: Use Wet on Wet for the Early Layers
The wet on wet technique is when the paper is damp and the brush is loaded with water and paint. I like to use this technique with eyes especially because as the paintbrush touches the damp paper, the colour spiders out and creates similar patterns that we see in pupils.
Basically, if I say something that you know to be incorrect, feel free to leave me a comment. I’m always open to learning.
This tiny white line is actually another light reflection on the ridge of the eyelid. Use your photo for reference to determine how long the white line is.
That’s an important point to painting eyes – pay attention to the eyes in the photograph you’re using for reference and where the light reflections are placed. If I follow a photograph stringently, I always get a good result, as opposed to dotting some white here, there and wherever.
I like Dark Burnt Umber by Ceramcoat but other colors work too. I used to use black but I found that a) it can be too harsh for the overall painting, and b) if you need to go darker, you can’t once you’ve painted black.
Sorry, I didn’t take separate photos for these steps. Anyway, I painted just a couple dots of grey on the pupils, following the photograph. I’m not sure if this was a secondary reflection or if it’s because she is an older pug and might have cataracts. In any case, the grey added that much more realism. So check your photos.
PAINTING TUTORIAL Dog Eye | Lysa Roberts Art
We all love to draw our pets — especially dogs! If you want to draw a realistic depiction of your pup, it all starts with the eyes. Drawing realistic eyes starts with understanding the structure of the dog’s eyes and then breaking it down into simple shapes. We’ll walk through basic anatomy and then do a step-by-step tutorial so you can follow along.