The eyes are organic crystals capable of collecting light and converting it into the biological chemistry that communicates with the brain and creates images. They are extraordinary organs that work without interruption, adapting to the light and focusing on the points of attention.
Nature has made one of its greatest successes with the creation of eyes, those pearls given to us to see the world. Bright, colorful, expressive and lively, they are the source of expressions and emotions.
But they are also so close to the essence of the human being that they constitute a strong symbol and are the most effective way to attract attention in a pictorial composition. They symbolize as many things as aspects the human beings have. And that is why his drawing and painting are infinite, capable of continuing to inspire artists and creatives of all kinds.
In short, they are the essence of the “Living Being”, the one who observes, the witness and the one who, at the same time, is a strong center of attention and attracts the gaze.
The beauty of the eyes depends on the shape and colors of its different parts. Meditating a little on these parts will help us to better appreciate the eyes that we see:
1 – The iris. The adored pearl. A colorful center with abstract shapes where artists usually take advantage and release brushes, applying glitter, shadows, lines, drawings, and other elements that make a wonderful game.
2 – The pupil, and the light of life that it always contains. It is the strongest active point, it gives meaning to the eye and its coherence and direction marks the look of the drawn eye.
3 – The eyeball, the white of the eye. They have a lot to do with health, emotions and energy. A darker eyeball is sadder and deeper. The clarity in general of the entire eye and the eyeball in particular usually brings a more serene, healthy feeling. And on the other hand, to express surprise, fear and horror, the eyeball is enlarged, opening the eyes more.
4 – The eyelids and eyelashes. They generate femininity and masculinity in the first place. They also mark a greater or lesser contrast of shapes. There are a lot of variety of ways.
5 – Dark circles and eyebrows. They frame the eye, give personality, character and expression.
This in terms of the eyes of human beings, but if we analyze other species that also have eyes, the pictorial theme and creative possibilities are broadened. Cats, horses, tigers, owls and snakes stand out in the animal world.
To better appreciate the beauty of the eyes for themselves, I have selected some images cropped so that we see only the eyes.
First some photographs, to see what the eyes really are. Eye makeup is also part of the wide variety of possibilities that this pictorial theme has.
EYE PHOTOGRAPHS
Brown eyes, with black makeup on the lashes. Woman’s eye with a very low eyebrow.
Blue eyes of a woman. The truth is that blue eyes are among the most admired. But beauty is usually the set of all the aspects previously discussed.
Man blue eyes. They differ by the simplest forms, the shorter and less wavy eyelashes. This boy’s eyebrows, for example, are thicker and coarser. These details must be taken into account well to make the correct eyes, since a drawing can be generated where it is not possible to know if it is a man’s or a woman’s eye.
Sometimes the eyes of men and women are very similar, even in photographs, especially from children to adolescents and according to race or ethnicity.
For example, in this black and white photo you can see the eye of a little black girl. In her eye you can see the reflection of the person who is photographing her, that is, myself. Her eyes are a fantastic mirror.
And finally the photo with the eyes of an animal, a small owl.
The big eyes of an owl.
The photographs confirm it. Yes, the eyes are precious pearls, emeralds, diamonds and sapphires, which shine and give joy.
In the world of art and painting there is much to see when it comes to the eyes …
But first you must start with the drawing.
Charcoal drawing of an eye, by artist Sanskorn, on Deviantart. His gallery is in: Sanskorn
Image Source: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Auge-122197508
And this would be an anatomical infographic of an eye, showing its various parts, the flexibility of the eyelid, and the ducts next to the eye.
HOW HAVE SOME FAMOUS PAINTERS PAINTED THE EYES?
Five examples of eyes painted by famous painters.
The eyes of Rembrandt van Rijn
One of the best painters in history, Rembrandt, shows his deep eyes in his famous self-portrait of 1659. These eyes stand out for being so human, so realistic and close, letting his soul see through.
Eyes of Amedeo Modigliani
Modigliani stands out because he painted people’s eyes very schematic and even with a simple filling of dark or light color, without irises or pupils. But despite this, his eyes are expressive, which produces an incredible feeling.
Detail of the portrait, Portrait of Mme Zborowska (1918). To see in Google art project.
Van Gogh eyes
This self-portrait of Van Gogh I have found in the Van Gogh museum, thanks to the Google art project. It does not have the classic Van Gogh style, but a more controlled brushstroke, composing the forms in a very effective and measured way.
Self-portrait with a pipe September / November 1886. Google art and culture.
Another more colorful self-portrait and with his most famous brushstroke is this one, painted only one year later, between September and October 1887. Built with brushstrokes of almost pure color, with much more paste and volume. Google art and culture.
THE EYES OF PAUL CEZANNE
Self-portrait painted between 1890 and 1894, with his style of well-fitting forms, we look at his shadowed eye, with blue and green planes. The painting acquires all the personality of the painter.
You can see the complete painting in the Google Art and culture.
Blue eyes painted by Egon Schiele
In the Schiele gallery in Google Art and culture we can see more examples of his way of painting.
I highlight these blue eyes from the portrait of Wally Neuzil painted by Egon Schiele because it captures your eyes like two bright blue pearls.
HOW DO SOME CURRENT PAINTERS PAINT THEIR EYES?
In general, in contemporary art, the eyes tend to be more powerful and colorful. The aesthetic qualities of the eye are exploited, its games of shapes and color are exploited.
And in addition, contemporary artists also give prominence to animal eyes, especially felines.
Cat painted by Brian Commenford. This painting is simple and eye-catching. Colorful and calm at the same time.
Brian Commenford’s Eagle. Another example of this artist with a soft but lively brushstroke.
The artist’s gallery is on the website: Pixels.com
Bob Hahn’s Tiger.
The eyes of Ftourini, in his gallery of Deviantart, They are made with digital techniques and photomontages. She has a series of horoscope-inspired eyes.
Mistic Aya, another gallery in Deviantart. Contemporary Enlightenment-type eyes.
On YouTube Kelly Eddington has a famous video where she paints an eye with the watercolor technique in her own way.
His channel on Youtube is: http://youtu.be/WMgy8FvCNqU
And your website is: http://kellyeddington.com/
And finally, a self-portrait of me when I was 18 years old. I have always liked to make my eyes bigger than they are …
Self-portrait with watercolors by Cristina Alejos at 18 years old.
The eyes are muses that inspire poems as well as beautiful paintings.
They are a true reflection of how people feel. For this reason, it is important for an artist to know how to look into the eyes and know how to see the emotions that they contain. Know that they are the emotional points of the people, and that together with the heart, our mood swings, our emotional explosions suffer and reflect both the happiness and the deepest sadness of the human being.
The pictorial subject of the eyes is immense, so there are two subjects within this that I have not touched because they deserve another whole subject. These are: The eyes with tears and The eyes of terror / fear / devils / evil. That is, in this topic I have focused on the eyes as the “pearls” that nature has given us, the beauty of the lens.
