Tutorials
How to Draw SD Characters
Part 3: Eyes and Facial Expression
by Felix Leong
0. Introduction and Some Reminders
Well, this is the last part of this three-part tutorial. In this section, I'll
put more emphasis on eyes, which I think is the hardest part of a character drawing to master (the hair comes second ^^). After practicing what you've already learned, you'll be able
to draw characters that will impress your friends (at least some of them)!
So, let's get started!
*NOTE*
I'll give out good practices and tips in BLUE.
And warn you about common "boo-boo"s in RED.
(P/S: In my last tutorial, I did a mistake on drawing an example which didn't
conform to the ratio I mentioned. I would like to apologize for the confusion caused)
1. Some theories about eyes
In this tutorial, I'll touch more on important theories and basic art concepts. So be prepared and take note on these details, they will prove useful in drawing characters in any art form.
The difference between a realistic character and an SD character is that SD characters have larger eyes (about 1/2 of the face). And the eyes can have many shapes and sizes; here are some examples:
[Note: I'm drawing these eyes in a normal anime style, NOT in an SD style, but the concept is almost the same]
Notice that I've drawn an outline around the eyes, and you'll be surprised that these shapes looks awfully like polygons! They can range from circles to hexagons, but anything that has more sides than a hexagon is uncommon in anime drawing.
Even eyebrows can have different appearances; look at these examples:
Basically, there are two kinds of eyebrows.
- The "Streamlined" eyebrow: The most commonly used. It can be a straight line, a "hill", or a "small wave" (like this one).
- The "Jagged" eyebrow: Usually these kind of eyebrows are used for characters who have an exceptional personality. Many villains have these kind of eyebrows, but usually not females!
Here's also a point to note when drawing eyes for different gender:
For males: Eyebrows are thicker, no eye lashes.
For females: Thin eyebrows, eye lashes are thicker, and the eyes are bigger
[Note: You can't really notice the difference in terms of size in these examples. Check the Fanart archieves for SD art and see it for yourself.]
These rules aren't fixed as different characters have different personalities and you'll have to break some rules for that. An adventurous woman (e.g. Lara Croft) will have thicker eyebrows.
2. Drawing Eyes: A Step-by-Step Guide
 - Draw out the overall shape of the eyeball, and don't forget the center line.
 - Next, sketch out the shape of the eyelids and the eyebrows. Take note that your eyebrow should match the eyes drawn, your instinct can be a good judge for this ;).
 - Then, sketch where the eyes are looking at. Below are examples how the eyes look like at different directions. Take note that the eyes follow the direction in which the character is looking, so be extra careful. Otherwise you'll have a character who is not paying attention :).
 - Now, clearly draw out the eyes.
 - You've finished drawing the eyes, but they still look lifeless and still. They need more details. So sketch out the pupils, and the dark and light areas of the eyes.
(Note: You'll need some understanding about "light sources" before determining the dark and light areas. If you're clueless about this, just trace out my examples for the time being, or refer to a book on art.)  - For the final touch, just shade the dark areas and there you've it!
3. Connection Between Eyes and Facial Expression
At this point, I'm sure that you can draw great characters (Good for you!). And I'm also sure that you'd like to add some emotion to your characters, right?
But you'll soon find out that facial expressions aren't always easy (especially the first time). And I would like to tell you that:
The eyes and facial expressions are closely related!
I know that was common sense, but more than often we forget about this rule. So, is there a simple way to draw facial expression? Unfortunately, no - it requires some practice to actually master this skill.
But there IS a way to practice this! Remember those "Smiley"s that you always used to draw? Well, that is a GREAT way to practice without much hassle! Look at some examples below:
[Note: We'll be learning about facial expression in greater detail in the future, so stay tuned!]
The Epilogue
So, there you have it. From now on, you'll be able to draw great eyes, and this wraps up the SD Character tutorial series.
From now on, you should be able to draw basic SD characters, and hopefully your art skills have risen to a greater level.
Well, keep practicing and happy drawing! Comments, suggestions and questions from you are always welcome, so send them in to my usual e-mail address: seh_hui@yahoo.com.
(P.S. While you are practicing, why not submit some art to this fanart column?)
About the Author
Felix Leong, currently a college student in Computer Science, but takes anime drawing as a serious hobby. Prize winner in some local art/cartoon competitions and a contributor to some RPGamer fanarts.
Favorite medium: Mixed medium (color pencils and crayons) or computer graphics, uses a 0.6 Artline 210 felt-tip pen.
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