VIDEO TUTORIAL: Painting an Eye with Makeup (Patreon)

In this advanced level tutorial I will show you how you can create a realistic looking eye with make up. We'll be using the Flotastic Brushes and Makeup Brushes. I've added a short breakdown of all the steps. I have also added the reference image, color palette and brush set with all the brushes that were used. 

Have fun!

Canvas size: 3000 x 4000

The Steps

0:00 - 7:00 : The first step in the process is creating a sketch, I used the Flotastic Sketcher for that. Try looking at the negative spaces and compare sizes. Or get started with the sketching lessons if you are having trouble sketching.

6:00 - 11:00 : Next we'll drop in some base colors. I started with a basic skin tone on a layer underneath the sketch. Then I grabbed a darker color and used the Base Painter brush to add some darker areas to the eye, focusing on values first.

11:00 - 16:00 : Then I started adding more color, grabbing colors that are close to the colors that are in the reference image. You don't have to pick the exact same color though, don't worry about that. At the end of this stage you should have a messy and blurry version if the eye.

16:00 - 18:00 : Using the Flotastic Blender set to the smudge tool, I blended the colored areas a little bit, making every look softer.

18:00 - 25:00 : With the Darken Line 2 brush I started refining the shapes of the eye. You can darken the crease above the upper eyelid for instance. Make sure you work on one layer if you wish to use this brush. The brush is also great to start working on some eyebrow hairs.

25:00 - 33:00 : You can use the Flo Darka brush to work on some bigger areas and make them darker. You can pick up local colors to do this. I also used the Darken Line 2 again to work some more on the little creases around the eye.

33:00 - 41:00 : On a separate layer, I created the lashes using the Lashes brush. This is the only time I work on a separate layer (except for the sketch that is). Working on a single layer enable you to use the smudge tool to blend and use brushes like the Darken and Lighten Line.

41:00 - 47:00 : Time to use the Lighten Line 2 brush to start adding highlights. You can see bright highlights in the corner of the eye for instance and at the bottom of the white of the eye, making it look moist in that area. Using the Flo Lighta brush you can work on some more subtle light areas and add some light detail and texture to the iris of the eye.

47:00 - 48:00 : I thought the top eyelid was a bit too thin, so I used the liquify tool to adjust it slightly. Long live liquify!

48:00 - 53:00 : Duplicate the entire layer and place glitter around the eye, I thought the Sparkly Glitter worked nicely. Once you have covered this duplicate eye with glitter, you can add a layer mask to the layer and fill it with black. Now you can use a brush like the Base Painter for instance to paint the glitter back in.

53:00 - 56:00 : Using the Highlighter 2 I worked on some lighter areas. This is a very subtle brush, so you'll need multiple strokes before you'll see anything.

56:00 - 1:07:00 : Time to add some gloss and shine! We're using the Wet Subtle Gloss and Shiny GlossLight again, just like in the Sparkly Lips Tutorial. I also used the Lighten Line 2 to add some more sparkle and glitter by hand. 

1:07:00: I finished up the eyebrows using the Eyebrow Hairs brush and Lashes brush. The Lashes brush is great for individual hairs. If you need to blend some of the hairs, then you can use the Allround Hair brush for instance, set it to the smudge tool to use it to blend.

The reference photo is a Shutterstock photo, feel free to use it for practice purposes (you just can't use it for commercial purposes like selling prints ;))

You might also like:

Painting a Realistic Eye

Full Color Portrait Painting

Painting Glitter Lips

Drawing Eyelashes

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