The 'eyes' have it !

A shorter blog this week, I thought you might like to see ( again) how I go about painting eyes, and in particular the eye of an eagle owl. Just one eye, but there is so much to see, and the eyes give the creature it's life , it's personality even !

I love to paint them, and you might like to have a go too.

Firstly I draw the owl, paying attention to the eye.

 

 

Then I paint the lightest colours first. When I first began watercolours I might have used masking fluid, but these days I don't ( then I don't have any hard edges). So I paint a light bright yellow, leaving the patches I want to be left white.

 

 

so that is above the pencil line and to the right of the pupil. I also leave out the pupil white. I have added some darker oranges too. Keep looking at the photo you are using and carefully drop in darker colours where you think they should go.

 

 

So slowly slowly build up the layers

 

Then when you are happy you can start with the pupil

 

 

I started with cerulean blue , remember that pencil line, it is lighter above. Then a darker indigo around the edges, this is wet in wet so it all blends.

 

 

 Now it gets darker , making a black with indigo and sepia. I add a hint of an pupil, but let some of the cerulean shine through. Leave the top section lighter.

I have also added to the colours around the eye, darkening under the lid.

 

 

Now to add the socket so the eye sits in place, using cerulean blue first. Then things get darker.

 

 

look where the lighter sections are and leave some shining through.Also add the dark sections.

I use my smaller brushes and treat the eye like a very small painting in itself. Once you can master eyes then you can use similar principles for other eyes. 

I purposely haven't shown you the rest of the owl, you can do theta however you wish, it is always good to try your own style, 

Have a go and remember if it doesn't go well put it to one side and have aother go when your ready ...practise is never wasted.

Have fun x