The first thing to keep in mind when drawing eyelashes is DIRECTIONALITY. As you can see in my sketch below, I start by drawing a set of parentheses on the outer edges of both the top and bottom eyelids. 

Once you fill your lashes in on the top lid, repeat the process you followed for the lash line on the bottom eyelid.  The second important part of drawing GORGEOUS eyelashes has to do with the amount of pressure you apply with your pencil (or whatever you're drawing with!). 

You begin each lash line with MORE pressure, then flick up and out according to whatever directionality each eyelash needs to go.  Confused yet?! WATCH the VIDEO ;) It makes WAY more sense when you see it in action....

Once you have all the eyelashes drawn in for the top and bottom eyelids, it's time to take a second pass across each lid line, because as humans - we have TONS of eyelashes! And let's be real...you want the girl you're drawing to have fab lashes, right?! Let's glam her up!! 

While you're adding in a second set of lashes on each lid line, be sure to vary the length of each line. This is how our eyelashes are in real life. If you look closely - they're all different lengths. Paying attention to that little detail will make the eyelashes you draw look even more realistic! 

How do you put all this amazing-ness into action for your MIXED MEDIA PORTRAITS?!

I'm so glad you asked!!  Let me show you my secret weapon!! 

I'm in LOVE with the pentel pocket brush pen. Here's why...

First of all, I love this pen because it contains permanent ink. This is extremely important to me in mixed media work because I have lots of layering going on with sealants, etc. I NEED my ink at this point to be permanent. If I want to add a final sealant over the pretty eyelashes I've just drawn, I KNOW the ink I just laid down with the pentel pocket brush pen isn't going anywhere! 

One of the cool things about this pen is the tip of it is actually like a very fine brush. That means it applies like a paintbrush! Lastly - it's just a beautifully crafted pen!! 

I will give you a tiny warning about this pen though... it's super sensitive, and honestly takes a bit of practice to get a feel for it at first. You'll want to play around with it in your sketchbook before using it right out of the box on your latest mixed media canvas!  Just draw a bunch of practice eyes in your sketchbook and see what kind of pressure and look you like best! 

After today's little eyelash lesson, I'll take you straight over to put this into practice on one of my mixed media hamburger system girls! This particular piece is from a couple of years ago- before I discovered my fav little pocket brush.  Watch as I add these lashes in real time  - using directionality, pressure, and varying my lash lengths.  This cute little pen is also awesome for touching up eyebrows for a little added drama. ​So Fun!!

Come on over to YouTube and practice your eyelash drawing with me!!

If you need a copy of the Eyelashes Cheatsheet, just scroll down and request one in the comments of today's video. If you're a member of either the Fun Fab Drawing Club or Mixed Media Society (YAY!! I'm so happy you're here!!!), the Eyelashes Cheatsheet is already in your membership guide!! 

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​I hope today's free drawing lesson helps you create mixed media lashes you are PROUD OF!! See ya next week ;) ​

Would it surprise you to know that I don't sell ONE SINGLE PIECE of my art? I don't!! 

So WHY do I make art and spend all of my time and energy on TEACHING art with a team of people behind me? Because I know the way art makes us FEEL. It can have a HUGE impact on our own lives and the lives of others. 

​You might find it interesting to know that becoming an artist was NEVER even on my to do list when I was growing up!! 

Not for one second did I even consider becoming an artist! I  grew up thinking art was a hobby - no more, no less. 

So how did I get where I am today- with two YouTube channels, an online art school, and 12 art books already under my belt?! 

I got into art later in life because I got addicted to the way it made me feel when I spent time being creative. If I was having a bad day, stuck home when my kids were little and I was changing diapers and wanted to cry, the minute that I sat down to draw, sketch or paint, all of those feelings melted away. It was like a drug. There was a transformation that happened inside of me - in my brain, in my soul, in my heart...and it made everything ok again. 

Art gave me ALL the FEELS inside, and was something I craved because this goodness washed over me every single time I sat down to create. 

These amazing feelings are what I hope ALL my students can experience, and they're WHY I spend SO much time coming up with cheatsheets and shortcuts and break things down step by step for my online art classes - because I want my students to get to their happy place TOO, and to get there even faster than I did!! 

I became a good artist by default.

Because ALL the chasing of those good "happy place feelings" lead to practice, and all of that practice lead to really great results. Why does that matter? Because I grew up believing people who made art were BORN with talent. I didn't even entertain the thought that I could make art because I didn't think I was born with that talent.

Yet here I am, a successful working artist impacting students who are now making masterpieces of their own.  So how does that happen?!

This is my philosophy on what happened... if I CAN LEARN to be a good artist... so can anyone!!! 

SO CAN YOU!!!!!  ​

After you watch today's video, make sure you sign up to join one or both of the art challenges I'm running next week. They start on MONDAY!!! 

✅ SIGN UP for my MIXED MEDIA CHALLENGE 

✅ SIGN UP for my DRAWING CHALLENGE 

Now press play already for today's video so I can show you how YOU can become an awesome artist too ;)

I can't wait to show you!!!! 

Bryn shared that she started this altered book / art journal in a book of violin sheet music she bought at Goodwill for 99 cents!!! I LOVE doing this kind of thing too! It's so pretty to see the music notes peek through your art work. If you haven't tried it yet - you have to!! 

Bryn has created a gorgeous style that's all her own and SO unique... you just have to  come see for yourself!

While we chatted, she explained that she started this altered book back in March - when we all started hanging at home because of covid. She said she typically begins each page with a thin layer of gesso over the sheet music, then sketches her portraits in using a reference photo.  

Bryn uses a combo of painting and shading techniques using tombow markers, copics, micron fineliners, posca pens, india ink, and polychromos to create her beauties, and said each of her mixed media portraits takes a couple of hours to complete.  

Just LOOK at this insane masterpiece!!!!! 

Bryn was an art minor in college and shared that she's constantly taking art classes, and that's how her style has evolved over time.  She said she took a number of face courses a while back that weren't clicking. Then she stumbled onto my Fun Fab Faces books over on Amazon and did my #100FunFabFaces challenge last year. She even did ALL 100 faces!!!! Not many hung in there for the long haul like Bryn. I'm so proud of her, and her dedication shows in her work!!

Bryn also credits Toni Burt (LOVE HER! Everything she does is magical!) for helping her develop a looser style in her work. In addition to Toni, she loves James Burke (ME TOO! Totally "stalk" him and his gorgeous work!).

I'm super lucky to have Bryn as a long time member of BOTH The Fun Fab Drawing Club AND Mixed Media Society.  I have to share a quick look at one of the pieces she did in The Fun Fab Drawing Club earlier this year... 

​Absolutely STUNNING!!!!

​FYI - if you're interested in either of my clubs - Bryn has some GREAT ADVICE if you're someone (like us!) who loves BOTH drawing and mixed media, so stay tuned for her thoughts if you've been on the fence yourself! ​

After you watch Bryn's flip through, make sure you head over to Awesome Art School to sign up for my TWO SUPER FUN challenges beginning on Monday, September 21st!! Here are the links .... 

✅ CLICK HERE to SIGN UP for my MIXED MEDIA CHALLENGE 

✅ CLICK HERE to SIGN UP for my DRAWING CHALLENGE 

Each challenge is going to run for 5 days and kicks off open enrollment for The Fun Fab Drawing Club & Mixed Media Society! SOOOOOO .... if you've been waiting for these clubs to open up - your wait is almost over!!

We're having a blast and hope you come join us!!!! 

​See ya next week!

I'm so proud to say that the page was painted with paints from my Signature Collection over at Jerry's Artarama. Even though I have 2 kits (one for Fairy Faces and one for Whimsical Animals), these Silly Emus were painted with paints from the Fairy Faces collection, lol!! That's the beauty of art I guess, at the end of the day, can you REALLY put paints into a single category?!
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​Hope you get lots and lots of great takeaways from today's lesson, but mostly I hope you take away that we are all students, it's okay to laugh at your own struggles and that it's important to give yourself permission to mess up and HAVE FUN! Like I did!!

Press Play below to get your weekly dose of inspiration and FUN!!!