How to Draw Eyebrows & Eyelashes in Procreate

2026-06-30

Brows and lashes are tiny but they make or break a portrait. The mistakes are predictable — solid caterpillar brows and stiff spider-leg lashes — and easy to fix once you draw them as soft, directional hair. Here's the Procreate method.

Brows and lashes are hair too

The same rule applies as everywhere else in hair: build a soft shape first, then add a few directional strands — never draw individual hairs onto a blank brow. Treat them as small masses of value with hair on top.

Eyebrows: shape first

Block the brow as a soft shape with a low-opacity brush, following its arch: thicker and darker at the inner head, tapering to a fine tail. This soft base is what makes a brow look real — solid hard brows look drawn on. Place it correctly relative to the brow bone and eye.

Brow growth direction

Brow hairs fan in changing directions: at the inner head they sweep upward, through the body they angle out and slightly down, and the tail sweeps down and out. Draw short strokes following this flow with a fine tapered brush, over your soft base. Getting the inner upward sweep right is the detail most people miss.

Eyelashes: clumps, not a comb

The number-one lash mistake is evenly spaced "spider legs". Real lashes grow in clumps of a few hairs with gaps between, and they curve — out and up on the upper lid, down on the lower. Think clumps and curves, not a uniform fringe.

Step-by-step lashes

Darken the lash line itself first — a soft thickening along the upper lid where lashes root. This alone defines the eye.
Add clumps of a few lashes, thickest at the outer third, sparse toward the inner corner.
Each lash tapers and curves — thick at the root, fine at the tip, flicking up. Draw with a quick flicking stroke or a taper brush.
Lower lashes are shorter, sparser and lighter — barely suggest them, or eyes look heavy and doll-like.

Common mistakes

Caterpillar brow — flat solid fill with no soft base or direction.
Spider lashes — evenly spaced straight lines; use clumps and curves instead.
Too-heavy lower lashes — keep them light and short.
Symmetry trap — brows are siblings, not twins; let them differ slightly.

Stylized and anime

Stylized eyes simplify lashes to a few bold flicks or a solid shape; brows become clean tapered strokes. For anime eyes specifically, see how to draw anime eyes. The realistic skin around the eye is covered in painting realistic skin.

Brushes

A fine tapered strand brush for brow hairs and lashes, plus a soft low-opacity brush for the brow base — free in the hair and skin categories.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click a question to expand the answer

How do you draw realistic eyebrows in Procreate?

Block the brow as a soft, low-opacity shape first — thicker and darker at the inner head, tapering to a fine tail — then add short directional hairs on top. Follow the natural growth flow: the inner head sweeps upward, the body angles out and slightly down, and the tail sweeps down and out. The soft base under the hairs is what keeps a brow from looking like a solid drawn-on shape.

How do you draw eyelashes without them looking like spider legs?

Draw lashes in clumps of a few hairs with gaps between them, not as an evenly spaced fringe. Darken the lash line first, then add clumps that are thickest at the outer third and sparse toward the inner corner. Each lash should taper from a thick root to a fine tip and curve up. Keep lower lashes short, sparse and light.

Why do my eyes look doll-like or heavy?

Usually from lower lashes that are too dark and heavy, or upper lashes drawn as a thick solid band. Keep lower lashes barely suggested — short, sparse and light — and break the upper lashes into curved clumps rather than a solid fringe. Softening the lash line instead of drawing a hard black line also helps the eye look natural.

What brushes should I use for brows and lashes?

A fine tapered strand brush handles individual brow hairs and lashes with a natural thick-to-thin taper, and a soft low-opacity brush builds the brow's base shape. Both are available free in the hair and skin categories. A quick flicking stroke with the taper brush gives lashes their natural curve.