15 artistic eyeliner steps for your eyes

Makeup is the perfect means to stimulate one's creativity, discover new colors to apply, and new ways to experiment. Artsy Eyeliner, also known as Graphic Eyeliner, is a trend in the makeup community. This eye makeup style involves using eyeliner to create impressive and unique eyes. It will be very interesting to experiment with this eyeliner style, especially if you enjoy finding creative makeup techniques. Practice many times to be able to apply this captivating eyeliner style that will impress your friends and family.

Sequence 1: Preparing Your Eyes

Step 1: Start with a Clean Face

Before applying makeup, ensure your face is clean and free of any makeup you may have applied previously. This ensures you are starting with a fresh face. A clean, fresh face will help the makeup apply well.

Step 2: Apply Eye Primer

Eye primer is the foundation for the rest of your eye makeup. It helps eyeshadow and eyeliner adhere to your eyelids without smudging or fading. It also makes your eye makeup last much longer than if you didn't use eye primer. Makeup primers can be purchased at drugstores and beauty supply stores.

Eye primers can vary in price, but you can find quality products at affordable prices, such as NYX Cosmetics eye primer. Primer can be applied with your fingers, using only a small amount to help the makeup stay put. Dab a pea-sized amount onto your fingertip, rub it with the other finger, and apply it to both eyelids.

Step 3: Apply Concealer

Concealer will cover any veins, discoloration, or unevenness on your eyelids and create a beautiful, neutral base for easy application. Dab a pea-sized amount onto your fingertip and blend it onto your eyelid. Repeat on the other side. Remember to blend thoroughly until it adheres evenly to your eyelid.

Step 4: Choose the Right Eyeliner Type

The best eyeliner for creating graphic eye styles is liquid eyeliner. You can also use an angled eyeliner brush and some dark powder to mark the eyeliner line you want to draw, and finally, use liquid eyeliner to draw over the marked line.

The best liquid eyeliner to use is a pen or felt-tip liner with a fine tip. These will provide you with the most precise application for creating eyeliner lines. Kat Von D’s Tattoo Liner in Trooper is a popular liquid eyeliner for achieving extremely precise yet easy-to-use eyeliner.

Sequence 2: Applying Top and Bottom Winged Eyeliner

Step 1: Draw the Upper Wing Outline

Starting from the outer corner of your eye, slowly and carefully draw a small line to create the wing outline. Ideally, the wing outline should extend in the same direction as your lower lash line. In other words, create a wing outline that looks as if it's extending straight out from the outer corner of your eye, rather than curving up or down too much.

You can use a piece of tape as a guide to ensure a straight line. This will help you create a more precise wing. Use a concealer brush to correct any mistakes. Dip the brush into concealer and use it to gently cover any drawing errors. If you accidentally draw a slightly curved line, concealer will help you cover it up.

Step 2: Draw the Upper Lid

Now that you have created the wing outline, connect it to the upper lash line, along the lash line, to create a cat-eye style eyeliner. Be careful and slow in completing your upper lash line, making sure not to blink and smudge the eyeliner. It will be helpful to look down into a lighted makeup mirror, which can be purchased at a drugstore or beauty supply store.

Step 3: Draw the Lower Wing Outline

In a similar way to what you did with the upper lid, draw an eyeliner line for the lower lid that is parallel but does not overlap with the upper wing outline. The lower wing outline will point outwards from the outer corner of the eye. This helps you determine where the eyeliner should go and at what angle it should point.

Step 4: Draw the Lower Eyelid

The eyeliner for the lower lid should be gently drawn along the curve of the lower lash line. This does not apply to lining the inner lower lash line (waterline); instead, the eyeliner should be drawn just below the lower lash line. Carefully draw the eyeliner for the lower lid, ensuring that the line is thinner than the upper lid. Then, connect it to the lower wing outline, to create a smooth, continuous line from one corner of the eye to the other. Finally, repeat on the other eye.

Sequence 3: Using Negative Space to Create a Triangle Shape

Step 1: Line Your Upper Lash Line

Use eyeliner to line your upper lash line. The eyeliner line should be thick enough so that you can erase a small portion of it and use the negative space to create a triangle shape. You can add a wing or not, depending on your preference.

If you want to create a wing, draw a straight line slanting upwards starting from the outer corner of your eye to guide where you want the eyeliner to extend. Then connect it back to the upper lash line. Use eyeliner to fill in the remaining empty parts of the upper lash line to complete it. When finished, you will have a seamless eyeliner line from one corner of the eye to the other with a wing at the end.

Step 2: Erase a Small Section of the Eyeliner Line

Hold a cotton swab and wrap a makeup remover wipe around the tip of the swab. The purpose of this is to precisely remove a small section of the drawn eyeliner line. The cotton swab will allow you to remove it more accurately than if you just used your fingertip to wipe. Holding the makeup wipe on the tip of the cotton swab, start wiping away a small section of the eyeliner line, no larger than a pencil eraser, in the middle of your eyelid.

Step 3: Draw a Triangle

After erasing a section in the middle of the eyeliner line, you will have two eyeliner lines: one on the left and one on the right. Starting from the upper corner on each side, draw a straight line going down at a 45-degree angle towards the lashes, meeting in the middle of the gap. This will create a triangle shape. Since this method uses negative space (i.e., your eyelid skin) to create the triangle, you don't need to fill it in with eyeliner.

Sequence 4: Adding a Second Color Line

Step 1: Line your upper lash line with black liquid eyeliner

Using small, precise movements, line your upper lash line with black liquid eyeliner. Draw the eyeliner from one corner of the eye to the other. You can create a wing or not, depending on your preference.

Step 2: Add a second colored eyeliner line

To add a touch of drama and artistry to your eyeliner, add a second colored eyeliner line, which will be drawn above the black eyeliner line. This will give your eyes a pop of color and add a sophisticated touch to your makeup. A thinner eyeliner pen or brush will help create a more precise line.

Step 3: Draw the second eyeliner line directly above the first line

Starting from the inner corner of your eye, draw the colored eyeliner line directly above the black line. Using small strokes, draw a straight line until you reach the end of the first eyeliner line. Drawing this line may require a lot of precision, as an uneven line can easily obscure the black eyeliner. However, it can also be a little easier because you just need to follow the black eyeliner line.

Step 4: Apply mascara

Once you've completed your graphic eyeliner look, apply one or two coats of mascara to your eyelashes. Hold the mascara wand at the base of your lashes and wiggle gently. Then sweep upwards and outwards along the lash line. For the second coat, start at the base of the lashes and move the wand up and out again.

Author: Daniel Vann. Translator: Huyen Tran.

Source: Wikihow. Copyright belongs to: Kallos Vietnam.

A little about the author Daniel Vann

This article is co-authored by Daniel Vann. Daniel Vann is the Creative Director of Daredevil Cosmetics, a makeup studio in the Seattle Area. He has worked in the cosmetics industry for over 15 years and is currently a licensed esthetician and makeup instructor.