Step 3 Add a shadow to the pupils using a deeper color.
The eyes are a ball inside of the upper and lower eye lids. The eye area lies at the deepest point of the face so the eye is shadowed by the eye lids and by the eye brow ridge. I’ve added a shadow of darker blue to the iris along the upper eye lid to show that the eye ball area lies below the upper lid. The shadow color is about two tonal values darker than the iris color. So if you have used a medium blue for the iris the shadowing is done in a medium royal blue color; if the iris was first painted medium brown use a burnt umber brown for the shadows.
Even if your Santa’s eyes are very small a little line of darker iris color makes the eye more real.
Step 4 Create the radius lines in the pupil
Because my eyes are large I have added a few lines of dark blue radiating into the center of the iris. The iris is not a flat structure, it has ridges and folds that allow the iris to expand or contract. The deeper fine lines give this gathered or folded look to the iris.
Step 5 Adding the black iris circle and the white highlights
The end of a large brush handle dipped into your paint makes a perfect circle when just lightly touched to your carving. Look through your brush kit and try several handles as you probably have a variety of possible circle sizes. A little sand paper used on the brush handle can enlarge the circle it makes. Place a small amount of black on your palette. Tap the handle of the brush into the color then tap that color into the center of the full circle of the iris. Note in the photo the iris lies near the upper eye lid as this is where the center of the iris’s full circle falls.
The eye now has a nice circle of black for the pupil, a smaller circle of medium gray at the bottom of the center of the pupil and a white highlight. On small eyes I would not bother with the gray highlight. The eye surface is shiny – glossy. The white highlight shows this glossy look. The highlights of both eyes fall in the same position.
Step 6 Outline along the edge of the upper eye lid with black
I have added a black line along the upper eye lid. If this was Mrs. Clause I would add a few fine eye lashes on the outside of the eye lid. The bottom eye lid is not outlined. This black outline emphasizes the overhand of the upper eye lid.