Page:Drawing for Beginners.djvu/89

 teeth revealed. "Roses filled with snow," sang the Elizabethan poet of his lady's pretty lips.

Let us take up the hand-glass in our left hand and a pencil in our right, and examine our features.

An eye is an oblong shape set in an oval cavity. We see it in primitive drawings as a round black dot to which is added a pointed lozenge-shaped frame.

The iris, being the coloured part of the eye, will probably first attract our attention. That, we notice, is a circular shape, covered above and below by the upper lid and the lower lid. Draw the circular shape boldly. We will assume that the upper lid is firmly and clearly seen, not hidden by the brow. Having observed it closely and recorded our impressions we pass to the lower lid, which should be drawn lightly, for it is a tender delicate form.

Next we examine the inner corner of the eye (nearest the nose), where are the soft pink tear-ducts, which we touch in lightly with the pencil.

The outer corner of the eye forms a sharper angle, with the upper lid curving downward to meet the flesh of the lower lid and its corresponding upward curve.

Having sketched the shape of the eye as a whole, we might next return for a closers observation of the iris.

Is there anything in nature more lovely than the iris of the human eye? The liquid tint of blue, grey, or brown is like the luminous colouring of a strange flower. And it is colour. Therefore, it is a shade deeper, many shades deeper, than the opaque whiteness of the eyeball. Then shade it with your pencil.

Within the iris we have yet another shape, the little black pupil of the eye through which the light passes. This is of velvety richness, but before shading carefully note the shape of the bright light on the pupil, and 'leave' this light, working the shadow round it.

Suppose we ignore this light, and shade it in with the pupil; at once the eye looks lifeless.

Having done all this, we might add a few of the long lashes