Captain Jack portrait in progress 4 - A window in the eye

You can see all kinds of shapes in the lighting and reflections in an eye. Capturing them accurately is what makes an eye look real.

In the photo, the shape of the bright reflection in Captain Jack’s eye was clearly a window. 

This closeup shows how much complexity there is. I used multiple shades of browns (chocolate brown, rust brown, mahogany, sepia), greys, blue, and black in the iris of this eye, in addition to the highlights: white, pale grey, light blue, beige.

When I’m working on the eyes in a portrait, I always zoom in on the reference photo to see all the detail. 

2

These are the Prismacolor pencil colors I was using for Captain Jack’s coat. Warm greys, Cool greys, French greys, Sepia, and Ultramarine blue. And of course black and white.

3

This is how the portrait looks now.

It takes a lot of concentration to do a detailed eye in a portrait. In one studio-day that might be all I accomplish. The eyeball and the surrounding structures that attach to it: the eyelids, corner of the eye, the eyebrow and the small hairs around the eye, flowing into the bridge of the nose and the cheek.

The left side of Jack’s forehead was already done. In the studio today I completed the eye and eyebrow, and the coat to the left of the eye overlapping the long fringe of hair from the left ear. 

It's ready to start tomorrow morning by working my way across the bridge of the nose - the area that connects the two eyes.... and tomorrow I’ll do the right eye.

🎨 Prismacolor pencil on “Flannel Grey” Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 10 x 12 inches.

Commissioned by Sindy B.