drawing of an eye
By Shelley Prior

Mysterious, beautiful, telling … the eyes in a portrait painting reveal as much about the sitter as they do the artist in some ways. Here, we hope you’ll find inspiration for drawing and painting eyes – while all done in a realistic rendition, they vary in media and style; most are details of a larger work.

Thank you to all of the artists who contributed by responding and sharing their work! Follow Realism Today on Facebook, where we invite you to be a part of this incredible community. Learn how to paint portraits with these workshops from PaintTube.tv.

60+ Drawings and Paintings That Depict Eyes

detail painting of eyes
By Tanja Gant. Related article about Tanja Gant: “PleinAir Salon News: First Place is Canceled”
detail painting of eyes
By Agata Tkaczyk
By Alejandro, self-portrait
By Alejandro, self-portrait
detail painting of eyes
By Anna Toberman
detail painting of eyes
By Ashlee Trcka
detail painting of eyes
By Art Gudrun
Contemporary realism portrait painting
By Cathy Yarwood-Mahy
Portrait painting
By Chantal Sulkow
Portrait painting
By Constanza Sanmguel
Portrait painting
By Coleen Pienaar
Painting of a human eye
By Constanza Sanmiguel
portrait painting
By Deborah Brada-Pitts
realistic portrait painting of an eye
By Donviraopainter
drawing of eyes
By Donna J. Smith
realistic portrait painting
By Diego Glazer
Paintings of eyes
By Ellen Starr Lyon
drawing of eyes
By Elena Degenhardt
portrait painting of eyes
By Gretchen Gackstatter
drawing of a human eye
By Gregory Mowery
collage of portrait paintings
By Eugen Varzić
realistic portrait painting
By Jackie Edwards (detail of “Bluebird,” 2019, oil)
realistic portrait painting
By Johannes Wessmark. Related article about Johannes Wessmark: “Hyperrealism Spotlight: Wet Hair”
realistic portrait painting
By Joellyn McSorley
realistic colored pencil drawing painting
By Jesse Lane (“Witness,” colored pencil)
realistic portrait painting
By Jori Jacobs-Farist
realistic portrait painting
By Lorri Lynn Dixon
realistic portrait painting
By Lorraine McFarland (pastel)
realistic portrait painting
By Judy Gordon Schubert
painting eyes
By Marie Kash Weltzheimer
drawing of eyes
By Mays Mayhew
drawing of eyes
By Mary LaGarde
painting eyes
By Mary Carroll
realistic drawing of eyes
By Michele Ashby
realistic painting of eyes
By Nancy M. Paden
realistic painting of eyes
By Nancy Jacey
realistic eyes in art
By Nadia Ferrante
realistic drawing of eyes
By Nanette Fluhr. Read a related article on Nanette’s work here > “It’s Personal: Portrait Paintings by Nanette Fluhr”
realistic painting of eyes
By Nicole Alger
realistic painting of an eye
By Narelle Zeller
realistic drawing of eyes
By Paula Prentice (graphite pencil)
realistic painting of a baby
By Ruby Allan
realistic drawing of eyes
By R A Sturgill
realistic drawing of an eye
By Sara Gallagher
realistic painting of an eye
Vignette eye by Sandra Angelo, who says, “Colored pencil eyes vary a lot based on the hue of the eye. As I do with graphite, I make sure there’s just one highlight (same side on both eyes because otherwise it will look cross-eyed). I always put a subordinate highlight directly opposite the highlight.”
realistic portrait drawing
Samuel Baltes (quick self-portrait, charcoal on paper, 18 x 24 in.)
watercolor painting of an eye
By Sarah Maria Gardner (watercolor)
painting of eyes with glasses
By Sheryl Boivin
drawing of an eye
By Shelley Prior. Related art workshop by Shelley Prior: “Pet Portraits in Watercolor”
portrait painting
By Sharon Tousey
Painting of eyes
By Ulrika Muller
realistic eyes in a drawing
By Traci Wright Martin
realistic portrait of an older man
By Tadej Žugman
painting of eyes with glasses
By Sheryl Boivin
realistic painting of an eye
By Vicki Sullivan. Related art workshop by Vicki Sullivan: “Painting Realistic Portraits”

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