PREORDER The Complete Guide to Drawing Expressive Eyes

The way eyes are drawn can greatly change a character’s expression and appeal. This book explains a wide range of modern eye expressions as well as techniques for creating realism through detailed elements such as base color, pupils, iris lighting, highlights, and more.

It focuses on how to control facial expressions through the eyes when drawing manga or digital illustrations, carefully explaining the creative process with visuals tailored to different worlds and styles. Starting from basic eye drawing techniques, it covers emotion-based variations (laughing, crying, anger, etc.) and genre-based expressions (BL, fantasy, school life, horror, etc.), enabling readers to master diverse styles seen in modern light novel illustrations.

This is a comprehensive guide for creating more attractive, expressive characters with distinctive personalities.

Contents

Cover illustration: Shoji Goshichi works collection

CHAPTER 1: Build the fundamentals
Tools and usage / Workspace setup / Professional apps / Brush types and usage / Switching brushes by expression / Basics of color usage / Mastering app functions / Layer basics / Using layers effectively / Structure of eyes and facial bones / Basic glowing-eye techniques / Causes and solutions for “can’t draw eyes well”

CHAPTER 2: Let’s start drawing
Rules for cute-looking eyes / Causes and solutions for “not cute enough” / Drawing front view faces / Causes and solutions for facial imbalance (1) / Side view drawing / Angled face drawing / Tips for drawing from different angles / Drawing eyes with glasses / Eyelids and eyelashes / Causes and solutions for “don’t understand eyelash stylization” / Eye movement and gaze alignment / Aligning gaze between two seated characters / Causes and solutions for “gaze doesn’t match” / Emotional eye expression techniques / Eye expression variation examples / Causes and solutions for facial imbalance (2)

CHAPTER 3: Coloring and enhancing
Basic layer structure / Brush usage / Coloring workflow / Eye color and gradients / Creating natural shadows / Iris and pupil drawing and variation / Highlight variations / Attractive eyelash rendering / Finishing touches / Process explanation / Choosing eye colors

CHAPTER 4: Character design
Character design workflow / Character design sheets / Eye and character trait charts / Common problems and solutions / Practical character design examples

CHAPTER 5: Expressing worldbuilding
How to express a world / Worldbuilding sheets / Matching styles and brushes to worlds / Brush selection process

Interviews with creators: KATHMI / Mamekura / Aneko
Bonus: Portrait collection of shining eyes

Author: Shoji Goshichi

Born 1997. Graduated from University of Tsukuba, School of Art and Design. Works as an illustrator specializing in anime-style rendering combined with various techniques. Creates character illustrations and designs and also works as an instructor. Featured in VISIONS 2024. Illustrator for MF Bunko J “I Became Telepathically Connected With That Absolutely-Detestable Guy!?” Lecturer at Palmie drawing courses.

Book Details:

Published by Seibundo Shinkosha

Size: B5 format, 160 pages