The parts of an anime eye
Before drawing, it helps to know the pieces that make an anime eye read as one:
- Upper lash line — the thickest, darkest line; the eye's anchor.
- Lower lid line — lighter and thinner, often broken.
- Iris & pupil — large and tall, usually cut off by the upper lid.
- Shadow under the lid — a band of shade across the top of the iris.
- Catchlight — the white highlight that makes the eye look alive.
1. Sketch the eye shape
On a sketch layer, block the basic almond shape with light pressure. Two rules keep eyes believable: space them about one eye-width apart, and tilt both along the same line to set the expression. Make the upper line a bold curve and the lower lid a softer, shorter mark.
2. Ink the lineart
On a new layer, ink the final lines. Keep the upper lash line thick and the lower lid thin — that contrast is pure anime. Add a few lashes at the outer corner and a simple eyebrow above. A crisp inker with Streamline raised gives smooth curves; browse the inking brushes category.
3. Flat-color the iris
Below the lineart, fill the iris with a base color on its own layer and drop in a darker pupil. Keep it flat for now — shading comes next, and a clean flat base makes it easy.
4. Shade the eye (cel shading)
Add a shadow under the upper lid on a Multiply layer — the top third of the iris sits in shade. Make the iris a little darker at the top and lighter toward the bottom for that glassy anime depth. This is the same hard-edged method from our anime cel-shading guide; lean on painting brushes for soft accents.
5. Add highlights and the catchlight
This step sells the eye. Add a layer on top and place a bright catchlight where the light source hits — usually upper-left or upper-right, crossing the edge of the iris and pupil. Add a smaller secondary highlight on the opposite side, and a soft pale glow along the bottom rim of the iris. One strong catchlight does more for life and emotion than any other detail.
Male vs female and style variations
- Female / younger: taller, rounder eyes with more lashes and bigger highlights.
- Male / older: narrower, shorter eyes with a flatter upper line.
- Chibi: huge simple eyes, often just a shape with one big catchlight.
- Semi-realistic: smaller irises and softer lids.
Show emotion through the eyes
Small changes read as big feelings: slant the eyes down-and-in for anger, open them wide with a large highlight for surprise, curve the upper lid and add a shine for sadness, and narrow them for a calm or sly look. Draw both eyes on the same layer so you can match the expression.
Common mistakes
- Eyes too close together — leave roughly one eye-width between them.
- Forgetting the catchlight — the eye looks dead without it.
- Same line weight all around — keep the upper lash line heaviest.
- Perfectly identical eyes — adjust the far eye slightly for the head's angle.
- Flat, single-tone iris — add a shadow and a gradient.
Brushes and next steps
You only need a crisp inker and a soft round for eyes. Grab a free set on the anime & manga brushes page or browse all free brushsets. Ready to draw the whole character? Follow our guide to drawing anime in Procreate.