The eyes in shojo manga (hereafter referred to as girls’ manga) are an extremely important part of the manga, as they convey the emotions of the characters to the reader in an easy-to-understand way.

Compared to boys’ manga, the eyes are very complex and the eyes themselves are larger, so there are unique ways of expressing them.

Everyone has their own way of drawing the eyes, so it can be difficult to know how to draw them.

The most important thing when drawing eyes in girls’ manga is how to make them look attractive.

If you can draw eyes that makes the reader feel favorable and clearly convey the character’s emotions, you can draw an eye-catching picture.

We will explain the basic way of painting eyes to how to make them look attractive.

What are the characteristics of eyes in girls’ manga?

The eyes in girls’ manga are distinctive for being large and sparkling eyes.

It is said the reason for the large eyes is because they are cute.

In any manga, the main character’s personality and appearance must be attractive to the reader.

There is a theory that the eyes in girls’ manga are larger because they are generally thought to be cute, with a baby-like face (baby schema) with a wide forehead and facial features gathered together at the bottom.

Furthermore, it is said that the way the eyes are painted and making them sparkle with highlights is to make emotions easier to understand.

Girls’ manga is mainly about romance, so emotions drive the story.

Since there are many scenes that appeal with the eyes, it is very important to paint the eyes attractively.

Let’s take a look at the eyes in girls’ manga by era

There are many different types of eyes in girls’ manga, and they are also greatly influenced by the trends of the times.

• Post-war period (Ribon no Kishi, Ryujin Numa, etc.)

Male artists often drew girls’ manga, depicting dreams and longings that were far away from the real world.

The eyes were large and round, with multiple glittering highlights in the black iris, and the eyelashes were long and slender.

• 1970s (Rose of Versailles, The Poe Clan, etc.)

As the number of female artists increased and there was a growing yearning for overseas cultures, the settings of the stories were almost always overseas, so the characters also had a Western style.

Lower eyelashes were also drawn to make the eyes more gorgeous.

• 1980s (Tokimeki Tonight, Yukan Club, etc.)

As free love became the norm, romance became more accessible than before, and stories set in schools, romantic comedies and everyday life became popular.

The settings also became more Japanese and modern, and compared to the more flashily drawings of the past, eyelashes and eye highlights were drawn more subtly.

• 1990s ( Marmalade Boy, Cardcaptor Sakura, etc.)

As women became more active in society, strong heroines became popular.

As it became necessary to express strong emotions such as anger more than before, the eyes were even more finely drawn, but the large highlights and full & long lashes also represented a sense of strong will.

• 2000 –

People began to prefer more realistic depictions of romance, and the facial features also became more Japanese-like.

In recent years, the eyelashes have been painted using cross-hatching technique, giving the iris a more delicate, soft, and gentle impression even inside the eyelashes.

Steps and tips on how to draw eyes in girls’ manga

Let’s draw the eyes in girls’ manga on your own.

First, we’ll show you the basic way of drawing the eyes in girls’ manga.

If you want to draw well-balanced eyes, please refer to https://comic.smiles55.jp/guide/7615/

Step 1: Draw eyes and eyelashes that are going to be the base, and decide the position and size of the eyes.

Step 2: Draw the pupils in the middle of the eyes to decide the position and the size of the eyes.

Step 3: Fill in with solid black up to around the center of the pupil, then under that draw fine lines towards the center, imagining the iris.

Step 4: Add the eyelashes, lower eyelashes and the double-edged eyelid.

Two patterns of painting eyes

Once you’ve mastered the basic drawing techniques, try out some methods for making them look even more delicate.

Try cross-hatching technique to make them even softer

Cross-hatching is a technique for expressing shading by layering lines.

Shading is created by layering fine lines at different angles.

Using cross-hatching technique for the pupil and eyelashes will give a softer impression.

If you are working analog, use a round pen to overlap the lines, and if you are working digital, try various types of cross-hatching pens.

Use tones to bring out a glossy feel.

There is also an increasing trend to use tones in the eyes.

By adding fine details and tones, and deleting some tone areas, you can create cute black eyes.

You can also make the eyes look more moist by narrowing the solid black part and making the entire area look a little bit darker with gradation but not too black, by adding highlights.

Make the eyes look softer when they are closed.

Whether the eyes are closing, smiling or looking down, adding highlights or using cross-hatching rather than just painting the eyes with solid black will make the eyes look softer.

In special scenes, be sure to draw in the eyelids and eyelashes.

For the eyes of male characters in girls’manga, make the highlights smaller.

It’s good to be able to differentiate between the eyes of boys and girls.

For boys, make sure the eyes are not bigger than those of girls, as you want to make them look cooler and sharper than girls.

Also, making the highlights smaller will give them a cooler impression.

Examples of drawing eyes in girls’ manga that match the age of the reader

Even among girls’ manga, the way of painting eyes is subdivided further.

We will introduce different eye expressions for each target age group of readers.

Characters in Magazines for elementary school students have large, impressive eyes

Magazines aimed at readers up to around elementary school students have particularly large eyes.

The eyes are drawn with a ratio similar to that of a baby’s face, with small nose and mouth, and the eyes are the most noticeable feature of the face.

The outline of the eyes is drawn with a solid line, and white is often partly added.

For junior high and high school students to around 20 years old, try to draw them softly and ephemerally.

Compared to the eyes for elementary school students, the eyes are more rounded and there is a wider variety of ways of drawing them.

There is a wide range, from glamorous styles that match the magazine to simple, plain styles, but the eyes and eyelashes are often drawn softly using cross-hatching technique, etc.

The lower eyelashes are drawn, making them look a little more mature than the eyes for elementary school students.

In women’s magazines, eyes are drawn in a matured 90s style.

大きすぎない横長の目…Narrow and long eyes which are not too big

The main characters are often adults, and the style of drawing becomes more realistic.

Some of the manga that have been in print since the 1990s have a glamorous yet matured atmosphere, and the eyes show a strong sense of will.

The highlights of the eyes are drawn in a restrained way, and the proportions of the face and the size of the eyes are also close to reality in order to make them look mature.

How to draw even more eye-catching characters in girls’ manga

Have you been able to draw cute, sparkling eyes for girls’ manga? We have introduced various types and methods of drawing, but there is no right or wrong way of drawing.

It is important to find a method that suits your drawings and style, however, it is very difficult to complete something exactly as you imagine, isn’t it?

If you have no experience drawing eyes for girls’ manga, you can practice it while learning at our illustration and manga school, egaco.

At egaco, you can receive advice directly from experienced professional instructors on the spot.

We can help you draw not only eyes but also the character that attract public attention.

Why not create the characters you have on your mind together?

We would appreciate your considering a free trial lesson at egaco.