OK folks,

The basic purpose here was to draw an eye as best I could, and then do it again only better. I am concentrating mainly on the iris and pupil, and am looking for it to look as real as possible. The top one was drawn first. I tend to concentrate on just one thing until I'm really good at it, so I may be working on eyes for a bit! Please have a look and let me know what you think!

the second one is most definitely better then the first, it has a lot more depth, the iris is what really makes it look great, the reflection is much better also. a few things id say you could work on is the eye lashes although they are good i think you could do a better job, and also the veins in the eyes look a bit funky in your picture, i feel as though they are too clustered in the corners. i think your doing a great job, keep working at it and im sure you can make an udderly fantastic looking eye

Have you done the Drawspace lesson"Eyelashes on an Eye" ? It's full of useful tips, and of course has a lot of info about eyelashes.

Quick tip: keep your pencils sharp.

Its good to concentrate on a single area and become familiar with it.

Drawing eyes can be complex and it really is a matter of observing then putting that down on paper rather than letting your mind trick you into some symbol of what an eye should be.

The areas that need concentration going by what you have here are the transitions of values within the iris/pupil and the sclera (white) of the eye. The striations in the iris are present and vary from person to person, but tend to be sutbly shaded so they don't stand out. Pupils and irises in eyes are perfect round and symmetrical - always. Take care to ensure they are in your drawing too. Eyes are balls in a socket and need to be shaded to reflect that shape. Tiny capillaries in the eyes can be drawn but unless done very carefully, they can make the eye look odd.

Also look at the eye lid in your reference and note where it starts and stops, the curves it takes, the shading, if there is any hooding of the eyelid, etc.

Finally, really observe the eyelashes. Here you have the classic even eyelashes all growing in the same direction right across the lids. Look again at your reference and really notice how they grow and what direction. It will make all the difference to your final drawing.

Thanks very much everyone. I'll take all the advice into account. I think next time, I may do a pair of eyes, looking to keep them looking the same and even with one another. Ernest, I'll have a look at that tutorial! Thanks again folks!

For the lashes try using a sharp 6B pencil lashes are very dark so either 6B or 8B

note about the lashes .. like jeanette said the direction is important to make them look realistic some will not follow the same direction as others and they are most times lomnger at the outside corners and get more scant and short on the inside corner of the eye .. bottom lashes are about the same way ...this small detail is a easy fix and really improves the drawings realistic view. hope that helps ...also eyes are the hardest part for me or one of the hardest parts because I like them to look as real as I can so they pop out ..its in the eyes most portraits are captured .