How to paint realistic shiny owl eyes

January 7, 2016•

I painted this Tawny Owl in March 2015 and since then I’ve been inundated with requests to demonstrate how to paint it.

And specifically those glassy eyes that reflect to us what the owl is seeing.

Huge credit to Mark Hancox here who managed to capture this fantastic photo.

So in this tip video I wanted to show you how it is I capture the shape and shine of those owl eyes.

Hint: stop thinking you’re painting an eye, focus on the patterns within it instead!

Have you managed to take a photo capturing eye reflection like this? And did you manage to paint it? I’d love to hear about it.

If you do paint these eyes, I’d love it if you’d upload them to Instagram using the tag #AnnaMasonArt.

 

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23 Comments

  1. Anna on January 7, 2016 at 6:05 pm

    Your paintings are lovely. Thank you for the demonstration.

    Reply
  2. Al Vesselli on January 8, 2016 at 1:23 pm

    Anna – You are amazing! I love this idea for a tutorial. I have complimented you on your videos before, but I’m still always impressed by them. You do a great job and it’s hard for me to imagine someone not getting better by following your step-by-step lessons!

    Be Good,
    Al Vesselli

    Reply
  3. Sue Caton on January 8, 2016 at 2:09 pm

    Thank you Anna, so grateful you share these tips, it help enormously 🙂

    Reply
  4. Beril on January 8, 2016 at 2:10 pm

    Thank you very much. Great information & inpiration <3
    I will try if I can make the same effect with acrylics.

    Reply
  5. Shari on January 8, 2016 at 5:25 pm

    Absolutely gorgeous. Thank you so much.

    Reply
  6. Kathryn on January 8, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    Fabulous painting and great video tip – thanks!

    Reply
  7. brianna on January 9, 2016 at 9:37 pm

    Anna you are amazing at art! You are such an inspiration to me and many others. Keep doing what you love and have a happy 2016! You should do a landscape prismacolor color drawing of your favorite place in Germany. Post it on YouTube. Anyways thanks inspiration!☺️✌️

    Reply
  8. Sharon, RSA on March 12, 2016 at 5:50 pm

    Wow! Thank you

    Reply
  9. Barbara Miller on August 13, 2017 at 9:27 pm

    Brilliant!
    I am just retired and have just bought my first paints! This has bern a great help!
    Beautiful work.

    Reply
  10. Helen Thompson on January 1, 2018 at 5:33 pm

    Delightful beautiful painting love the detailed tutorial
    Thank you

    Reply
  11. Linda Reifel on March 11, 2018 at 12:11 am

    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

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