USUALLY ROUNDER AND “SOFTER” IN APPEARANCE, THE BASE FOR CHIBIS ARE MOSTLY DIFFERENT DUE IN PART THAT THEY ON A DIFFERENT BODY PROPORTION. THEY CAN HAVE A LOT OF VARIETY AS WELL, BUT LET’S LOOK AT SOME GENERIC KEY TRAITS THAT MAKE UP A PAIR OF CHIBI EYES AND FOLLOW THESE STEPS.
DEPENDING ON THE STYLE OF CHIBI, SOME ARTISTS WILL OMIT REALISTIC REFERENCES FOR CUTESY DETAILS. WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON A BASIC AND COMMON DESIGN.
FIRST, LAY OUT A GUIDELINE FOR THE EYES. FOR CHIBI EYES, THESE GUIDELINES CAN BE SIMPLER, SINCE THE ANATOMY IS THE LEAST REALISTIC OUT OF ALL THREE DESIGNS.
CHIBI EYES ARE NOTORIOUS FOR THEIR ROUND AND CUTE APPEARANCE, SO WHEN YOU ARE DRAWING CHIBI EYES, IT IS BEST TO AVOID A SHARP GAZE. THERE ISN’T ANY RULES SAYING YOU CAN’T DO THAT, BUT THE GOAL OF CHIBI DESIGNS IS TO COMPACT A CHARACTER DOWN INTO A CUTE AND SMALL FORM.
AFTER THAT, WE WILL START OFF WITH THE EDGES OF THE EYES, SO WE CAN SEE WHERE THE “LASHES” ARE.
AFTER THIS, ADD YOUR IRISES. NOTE HOW THEY TAKE UP A VERY LARGE PORTTION OF THE EYES, BEING VERY VISUALLY SIMILAR TO DOLL EYES.
ONCE THE IRISES HAVE BEEN ADDED, NEXT WE WILL ADD THE PUPILS. THESE WILL ALSO BE LARGE, EHANCING THE OVERALL “DOLL-LIKE” LOOK.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SAMPLE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN DOLL EYES AND THE CHIBI STYLE.
NEXT THING UP IS THE SHADOWS. NOTICE HOW THE SHADOWS TAKE UP A THIRD OF THE EYES? THIS IS TO HELP FURTHER EXAGERATE A DOLL EYE LOOK.
CHIBI EYES CAN BE REALLY SHINY (TO FURTHER ADD TO THEIR CUTENESS) SO GO AHEAD AND ADD THAT SPARKLE TO THEM.
ONCE YOUR SKETCH IS FINISHED, THEN IT IS TIME TO DRAW THE LINES! CHIBI STYLES HAVE THEIR OWN REPUTATION, SO IT IS UP TO YOU WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO USE THICK OR THIN LINES.
NOW IT IS TIME TO FILL IN THE GAPS! LET’S KEEP THE SHADOW PORTION UNFILLED FOR THE MOMENT, SO WE CAN SHADE THEM WITH A DIFFERENT TECHNIQUE.
LET’S USE HATCHING FOR A SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE WAY SHADE THE SHADOW PORTION OF THE EYES, FOR SOME ADDED CUTENESS, LETS USE SOME LIGHT HATCHING TO MAKE BLUSH AT THE BOTTOM CORNER OF THE EYES.
ONCE YOU HAVE FINISHED THIS LAST STEP, YOU CAN SAY THAT YOU HAVE DRAWN A PAIR OF CUTE CHIBI EYES! HOORAY! NOW YOU MAY BE WONDERING, “WHAT IF MY CHARACTER IS MORE RUGGED AND SERIOUS THEN CUTE?” HAVE NO FEAR, BECAUSE REMEMBER THAT CHIBI EYES HAVE MANY VARIATIONS, JUST LIKE THE OTHER STYLES
