Eyes are one of the most important features of a manga character.
They can show personality, emotion, age, and even the direction a character is looking—sometimes without using any dialogue at all.
In our latest MANGA DOJO Online class, students from around the world learned how to draw manga eyes directly from a professional Japanese manga artist.
In this article, we’ll introduce some of the key concepts we practiced in class and share useful tips for anyone learning how to draw manga eyes.
Why Are Eyes So Important in Manga?
In Japanese manga, eyes aren’t simply part of a character’s face.
They’re an important storytelling tool.
A small change in the shape of the eyes, pupils, eyebrows, or eyelashes can completely change how a character feels.
For example, eyes can help communicate:
- Happiness
- Anger
- Sadness
- Surprise
- Fear
- Confidence
- Shyness
That’s why learning how to draw different types of manga eyes is an important skill for beginner manga artists.
1. Start with the Basic Shape of the Eye
Before adding detailed eyelashes, highlights, or beautiful pupils, start by thinking about the basic shape of the eye.
Different eye shapes can create completely different characters.
A larger, rounder eye may make a character appear younger or more innocent, while narrower eyes can create a more mature, serious, or confident impression.
One of the important lessons for beginners is:
Don’t start with the details. Start with the overall shape.
Once the basic shape looks right, you can gradually add more information.
2. Manga Eyes Change Depending on the Direction of the Face
This was one of the important topics we practiced during our online lesson.
When a character turns their head, the eyes should change too.
If you’re drawing a character from the front, both eyes may appear relatively similar in size.
However, when the face turns to a three-quarter angle, the eye farther away from the viewer will appear different from the closer eye.
This is a common challenge for beginners.
Instead of thinking of the eyes as two separate symbols, think about how they sit on the three-dimensional structure of the face.
This is also why professional manga artists often begin with construction lines before drawing the final face.
3. Use Face Guidelines Before Drawing the Eyes
Before drawing detailed eyes, lightly sketch the head and add guidelines.
Start with:
- A circle for the basic head shape
- A vertical guideline to show the direction of the face
- A horizontal guideline to help position the eyes
- The jaw and chin
These construction lines help you understand where the eyes should be placed.
When the character looks straight ahead, the vertical guideline stays near the center.
When the character turns, the guideline moves and curves with the direction of the face.
This makes it much easier to position the eyes correctly.
4. Learn How to Draw Manga Eyelashes
We also practiced how to draw eyelashes during our MANGA DOJO Online class.
A common beginner mistake is drawing every eyelash individually.
In manga, you don’t necessarily need to draw each eyelash realistically.
Instead, the upper eyelid and eyelashes can often be treated as one strong shape.
You can then add a few carefully placed eyelashes to define the character’s style.
The thickness, length, and direction of the eyelashes can also affect the character’s appearance.
Experiment with different styles rather than assuming there is only one “correct” manga eye.
5. The Eyes Don’t Have to Be Perfectly Symmetrical
Beginners often try to make the left and right eyes exactly identical.
But a face is a three-dimensional object.
Especially when the head is turned, the two eyes should not look exactly the same.
The eye farther away may appear:
- Narrower
- Smaller
- More compressed
Understanding this will make your manga characters look much more natural.
You’ll begin to understand that manga drawing isn’t just about making a beautiful illustration.
You’re communicating a story through your character.
Practice Exercise: Draw the Same Eyes from Different Angles
Here’s a simple exercise you can try at home.
First, create one manga character.
Then draw the character’s face from three different angles:
Front View → Three-Quarter View → Side View
Pay particular attention to how the eyes change as the head rotates.
After that, try drawing several different expressions using the same character.
Don’t worry if your drawings aren’t perfect.
Learning manga requires repetition, observation, and lots of experimentation.
Even professional artists continue practicing throughout their careers.
Learn Manga Eyes from Professional Japanese Manga Artists
Reading manga tutorials is a great way to learn the basics.
But sometimes it’s difficult to identify what’s wrong with your own drawing.
That’s where receiving feedback from an experienced artist can make a big difference.
At MANGA DOJO Online, students learn directly from professional manga artists working in Japan.
Our classes cover topics such as:
- Manga faces and proportions
- Manga eyes
- Facial expressions
- Character design
- Body proportions and poses
- Panel layout
- Storytelling
- Inking techniques
- Backgrounds
- Creating your own manga
Students can also submit their work and receive feedback from our instructors.
And because our classes are online, you can learn manga from Japan wherever you live in the world.
Want to Learn Manga with Us?
MANGA DOJO Online classes are held every week.
Whether you’re a complete beginner, an experienced artist, or someone who dreams of becoming a professional manga creator, you’re welcome to join us.
Learn Manga from Japan, Wherever You Are.
Comments