Escher's Eye

MATERIALS NEEDED

Soft lead drawing pencil

Eraser

Paper

a mirror

OBJECTIVES

You will use only pencil and paper to create a personal image which will increase your drawing ability and your observation skills.

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Look in the mirror at your eye. Look carefully at all the details.

Is the pupil a perfect circle?

What color is it?

Is it in the exact center of the iris (the colored part of your eye)?

Is the iris a perfect circle? Do you have to open your eye very wide to see all of it?

Does the upper eyelid cover part of the iris?

What do you see in the inside corner of your eye?

Look carefully at your eyelashes.

Are they all the same length?

Do they all go in the same direction?

Are they slightly curved?

Are some closer together than others? Do some cross each other? Do you have lashes on both the top and bottom of your eye? How close is your eyebrow to your eye?

STEP 2

Begin this project by making a rectangle approximately 1/2 inch by 4 inches on the back of your paper. Divide this rectangle into 8 smaller 1/2 inch squares. Make the first square as dark as you can with your pencil. It should be shiny black. Make the second square slightly lighter and so on until the last square which will be very light gray.

STEP 3

On the front of your paper you are going to draw a very large eye. You can begin by making a large oval shape that almost touches each side.

STEP 4

Now draw a large circle in the center of this oval. This is the iris of the eye. In the center of this circle you are going to draw a small circle. This will be the pupil.

STEP 5

Draw a arcing line from one side of the oval to the other that just covers the top of the circle you have drawn to represent the iris. This is the upper eyelid. If you do not do this, your eye will appear to be wide-eyed with surprise.

STEP 6

Look again at your eye in the mirror. Look at the eyelashes. You are now going to add them to your drawing.

STEP 7
You are now going to add shading. When you finish, the only thing that can remain white is the white part of your eye. Everything else must be shaded in with shades of gray and black. You should try to have 6 or 7 different shades to make your drawing interesting. You can blend this pencil shading with a bit of paper towel to give it a more realistic appearance.

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