Why Eyes Are My Favorite Thing to Draw

Windows to the Soul

Why are eyes my favorite thing to draw? There is an old adage that says that the eyes are the windows to the soul. And when it comes to portraits for both animals and people, if you don’t get the eyes right, the portrait as a whole just doesn’t work.

Needless to say, eyes are just about the most important part of every portrait. For every single portrait that I do, the whole thing is almost routine until I get to the eyes. That’s where I find the soul, the personality, and the unique characteristics of each animal. And yet, as important as they are, they are relatively easy for me to do. Easy, but I love drawing them nonetheless. In my opinion, if I get them right, that’s when my clients tell me that I’ve captured the very essence of their fur baby.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of drawing a lot of eyes. It never gets old and each pair is as unique as fingerprints. It’s so important to me that I almost always insist on reference photos where the eyes are clearly shown.

I particularly like when there’s a nice, clear reflection.

It’s also fun if the eyes are characteristic of the animal’s personality. In the case of Harry, I offered to open up his squinty eye, but the client declined since this was part of his characteristic look when waiting for his human daddy to come home from work.

Sometimes I get lucky and the reflection actually reflects details of whatever’s in the pet’s line of view.

So, yes… it’s all in the eyes for me. And yes, if you are interested in commissioning a portrait of your pet, it’s well worth your time to get a reference photo which clearly shows the furry one’s eyes. You won’t be disappointed!

If you are interested in commissioning a pet portrait, click here to find out more.