How to Draw Eyeliner

Eyeliner can make your eyes stand out or appear bigger, and can even change the shape of your eyes. Even if you’ve never lined your eyes before, all you need to do is practice a little to take your makeup to the next level!

Table of Contents

Choose eyeliner

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Use eyeliner for a natural look or a matte finish. Eyeliner is easy to use because it works like any pencil. You can lightly line it for a subtle natural look or blend it out for a smoky or dramatic effect. Eyeliner will not smudge the eyes like liquid eyeliner when used incorrectly.

When using eyeliner, you sometimes need to sharpen or blunt the tip a bit to soften it. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Use liquid eyeliner to create smooth, flexible and sharp lines. Liquid eyeliner comes in the form of a marker or a small bottle of eyeliner and brush. When using, you just need to draw on the eyeliner, then re-apply by dotting in the missing areas. With liquid eyeliner, you can draw a variety of styles, from naturally slim lines to sharp eyes.

The liquid eyeliner is very easy to draw.
If it’s a small bottle and brush eyeliner, it may take a bit of practice to learn how to use it. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Try using gel eyeliner if you want to draw really sharp. Gel eyeliner comes in the form of a gel bottle with a small brush. The thicker formula of the gel eyeliner works well with striking cat eyes and winged eyes. The eye brush is also easy to use.

You can use other brushes to apply gel eyeliner. The beveled brush is the easiest to paint.
Remember to clean the brush regularly to prevent infection. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Eyeliner

Shake the eyeliner bottle. In order for the eyeliner to blend well, you need to shake the bottle. Check to make sure the vial cap is tight, then shake the vial for a few seconds. When you’re ready, open the vial cap and remove the brush from the jar. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If you find the brush has too much eyeliner on it, wipe it over the mouth of the bottle to remove it.

Start in the middle of the eye. Place the brush tip against the upper lashes to get as close to the lashes as possible. Start drawing the upper lash line. Draw towards the end of the lash line. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

If you are afraid of uneven eyeliner, you can use an eyeliner to draw the upper lash line first, then line it with a water pen. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Fill in the missing spaces. After finishing the eyeliner of the upper lash line, you will continue to draw the upper lash line towards the top of the eye and connect with the previous line. Use small strokes to join the two lines and fill in the gaps as needed to create an even and seamless upper lash line. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

If you make a mistake, dip the tip of a cotton swab in liquid oil to correct it. You can erase excess lines or repaint zigzags. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Line the lower lash line to create a wing shape. It’s up to you whether you want to line your wings with liquid eyeliner or not, but winged eyes can add a bit of flair to your look. If you want a wing-shaped eye, simply follow the curve of the outer lash line upwards to form the tail of the eyelid. Repaint the wings evenly if needed. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Draw small wings if you don’t want to stand out, or draw longer wings for more dramatic eyes.
You can use the edge of a business card to create a straight line for the wing shape. Just place the business card close to the corner of the eyelid slightly diagonally and use eyeliner to follow its edge. ^{[10] X Research Source}
Adhesive tape can also be used to shape wings. Apply the tape over the lower lash line so that it forms a diagonal angle. The tape should be close to the end of the lower eyelid and point up towards the eyebrow. Glue both sides before applying eyeliner to make sure the line is even. You can stick it up as much or as little as you like, but remember that the higher the slope, the sharper the eye. If you want a more natural look, don’t stick the criss-cross tape too high. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Use eyeliner

Sharpen or blunt the tip of the eyeliner a bit. The sharpness of the eyeliner will affect the stroke. You can create thin and neat strokes by sharpening the tip of the pencil, or create thicker and more rounded strokes by blunting the tip.

Use an eyeliner sharpener to sharpen the tip as desired.
If you want to blunt the tip of the eyeliner, you can gently rub the pencil tip on a paper towel until it is satisfactory.

Prepare eyeliner. The eyeliner must be at the right temperature to be smooth. If the eyeliner seems hard, you may have to warm it up. If the lead is too soft, you need to refrigerate it. Cold eyeliner will create lighter, lighter lines, while warm eyeliner will soften and create darker lines.

To warm the eyeliner, turn your hair dryer on the highest setting and blow on the eyeliner for a few seconds. The heat of a hair dryer will soften the lead to an almost gel-like consistency. You should try drawing it on your wrist before applying it on your eyes.
To cool the eyeliner, you can put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes before using it. This will prevent the eyeliner from falling apart. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Hold the tail of the eyelid. Place your fingers on the outer corner of the upper lash line and gently pull outward to stretch the eyelid. This will help you draw even lines along the upper lash line. You can close your eyes while stretching your eyelids.

Raise your eyebrows so that your eyelids do not cover the lash line.
You can rest your elbows on the table to keep your hands steady.

Start drawing from the tip of the eyelid. Start drawing from the tip of the eye to the bottom of the eye. Remember to draw slowly and use small strokes to create even lines.

If you want to make your eyes look bigger, you can consider using a lighter shade at the tip of your upper lash line. ^{[13] X Research Source} For example, you can use cream eyeliner at the top of your eyes and brown at the bottom. Use a beveled brush to blend colors if you want to combine more than one color.

Consider applying inner liner for a natural look. If you want to create a natural look, you can consider applying inner liner. With this eyeliner, you will draw close to the base of the upper eyelid. ^{[14] X Research Source} This eyeliner will help sharpen the eyes without being too bold.

You can apply inner liner on top or bottom lashes.
If you want to be even more natural, you can try liner in a neutral color, such as a light brown.

Draw lower lashes. If you decide to draw a lower lash line, place a finger on the end of the lower lash line and stretch it out. Start with short strokes as you did with the upper lid.

Line the entire lower lash line for a dramatic look. Linearing the entire lower lash line with the upper lashline will make your eyes stand out even more, although it can make them appear smaller.
Draw only the outer half of the lower lash line for a more subtle look. You can also use a lighter eyeliner color on the lower lash line for a softer effect. For example, you can use a light brown color to line your lower lash line.

Use gel eyeliner

Apply gel to one side of the brush. Gel eyeliner usually comes in the form of a small bottle that you need to use a brush to apply eyeliner. When you’re ready to apply your eyeliner, screw the cap on the bottle and dip the brush into the gel so that the gel sticks to the tip or side of the brush only. ^{[15] X Research Source}

Gel eyeliner can dry out quickly, so be sure to close the cap immediately after use. If the gel seems dry or hard, you can warm the gel bottle in your hand to make it easier to apply. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Start drawing from the top and bottom of the eye. Start at the top of your lashes and draw in the center, but don’t rush to the tail. Then you will draw from the bottom of the lashes towards the top of the lashes. ^{[17] X Research Source}

If your eyelids often cover the eye line, draw an arc. This way you can see the lash line when you open your eyes. ^{[18] X Research Sources}
Another option is to dot several small dots along the lash line and join them to form a line. ^{[19] X Research Source}

Fill in the middle of the lash line. Once you have the lines from the top and bottom of the eyes, you can fill in the space in the middle of the lash line. Use small, light strokes to draw an even line along the upper lash line. You may need to stroke several times to make sure the line is even. ^{[20] X Research Source}

Add more gel to the brush if necessary. You can finish one eye with the amount of gel you have taken on the brush or add more if needed.
Try blending some eyeshadow along the lash line for a smoky or matte effect. ^{[21] X Research Source}

Smokey eye effect cat eye

Create background. Apply a neutral-toned eyeshadow on the lid to the brow, then apply a slightly darker shade on the lid and eyelid crease. For example, you can layer underneath with a skin-colored eyeshadow, followed by a light brown on the lids. ^{[22] X Research Source}

Use a large cotton brush to apply each layer of eyeshadow all over the eyelids.

Add a little eyeshadow to the bottom of the eyelid. Next, you will apply a bit of neutral brown eyeshadow on the bottom of the eyelid. This step emphasizes the tail and serves as a base for the cat eyeliner. Apply a little more black eyeshadow over the neutral brown area. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

Apply a little more black eyeshadow to the tip of the eyelid. This step will help create a smoky eye effect.

Highlight the middle part of the eyelid. To make your eyes pop, add a little shimmery shimmer in the center of your eyelids. You can use a shimmery shimmer in a color you like, such as champagne, cream, or white. Use a small cotton ball to apply eyeshadow in the center of the eyelid. ^{[24] X Research Source}

Draw the upper lash line. Now that you’re done with your eyeshadow, you can begin to line your upper lash line with a black eyeliner. Use black eyeliner to draw from the corner of the eye and the tip of the eye to the center, then connect the middle. ^{[25] X Research Sources}

If using gel eyeliner with a brush, make sure the gel covers the brush evenly and there are no lumps on the brush.

Wing shape. Next, you will extend the eyeliner past the lash line and upward. Follow the curve of the lower lash line to create the bottom line of the wing shape. Draw again to fill in the gaps of the line. ^{[26] X Research Sources}

When you’re done, you’ll have a really dramatic cat eye liner.

Apply mascara and apply false eyelashes. You can complete the eyes with a little mascara and false eyelashes if you like. Mascara will help sharpen the eyes, and false eyelashes will create a more prominent look. ^{[27] X Research Source}

Try curling your lashes before applying mascara to make them thicker and more defined. ^{[28] X Research Source} You can also heat an eyelash clipper for a few seconds with a hair dryer to increase the curl of your lashes.

Advice

Do not stretch your skin when applying eyeliner. Doing so can lead to premature skin wrinkles and less-than-sharp eyeliner.
Don’t line your eyes with long strokes; Instead, you should draw smaller strokes for easier control and better contouring.
Do not touch your eyes when you have eyeliner, lest your eyelids smudge and your hands get dirty.
To remove the eyeliner, you can use a wet tissue to gently rub it clean.
Instead of using white eyeliner, use skin tone/peach pink to line the inner lash line for a more natural look.
If the eyeliner doesn’t come out, use an old hair dryer or straightener to warm the eyeliner. This will make it easier for you to draw. Remember not to melt the eyeliner.
If your skin is dry, it may be difficult for you to blend in your eyeshadow. You can apply a light cream on your face and wipe it off before applying makeup. It will help keep the skin moist enough so that the color can move on the surface of the skin.
A little eyeshadow on the eyeliner will help keep the line longer and look softer.
If you find it difficult to remove eye makeup, you can try using cotton swabs and baby oil.
Wash your makeup brushes regularly with a mild makeup remover or gel shampoo.
A black pencil dipped in warm water can make a pretty good eyeliner, but be sure to test it on your arm first to make sure you don’t have an allergic reaction.

Warning

Lining the inside of the lower lids of the eyes can cause eye inflammation and greatly increase the risk of makeup getting into the eyes.
Be careful with the amount of cosmetics when applying eye makeup. Better not to wear eye makeup than too much makeup.
Avoid sharing eyeliner with others because of the risk of spreading bacteria and infection from one person to another. If you have to share, you should wipe the tip of the pen with makeup remover or rubbing alcohol, then rinse the solution. You should also change your eye makeup every 30-60 days to reduce the risk of infection.

Steps