10 tips on how to draw perfectly straight arrows

Real art. ELLE learned from Make Up For Ever's leading makeup artist Anna Merkusheva how to do it professionally - using eyeliner or improvised products that, at first glance, are not at all intended for this.

All girls are divided into those who do not know how to draw arrows, and those who can do it literally on the go, without even looking in the mirror. If you belong to the first group, you should be patient and start training regularly to get better. First, decide what you will draw with - a pencil or a liner. Secondly, remember a few rules that will greatly facilitate the learning process:

1. Draw arrows in good lighting so that all errors are visible.

2. Draw arrows while looking straight in the mirror. Then the line will not be deformed when the eyes are open due to the fold of the eyelid.

3. If you are not sure about the shape of the arrow, try drawing it first with a light pencil. If unsuccessful, the line can be easily erased.

4. To make the ponytail more clear and neat, use a special brush with an even or oblique cut and eyeliner shadows from a jar. Errors can be corrected with a cotton swab dipped in makeup remover.

5. Start drawing the arrow line from the middle of the eyelid to the place where the ciliary contour ends, and then from the inner corner of the eye to the center. The technique is more psychological, because it takes a certain amount of time to concentrate on such a painstaking process and draw a straight line. From the center of the eye, the arrow may begin to expand, and if the hand trembles, it’s not scary, you can just slightly thicken the line.

6. Drawing arrows, stretch the eyelid to even out the skin relief, then the line will turn out to be even.

7. To make eye makeup last longer, degrease the eyelid before work by applying a base under the shadows.

There are also several non-standard ways to help you draw beautiful arrows:

To make the arrow a perfectly even tail, attach to the corner of the eye, for example, a business card, a piece of paper or the tip of a teaspoon. Make sure that the angle at which you apply these objects is the same for both the right and left eyes. And then you will get absolutely symmetrical arrows.

You can also use a spoon to draw a thick or graphic eyeliner tip: just place the round base on the edge of your eye. In a word, use a spoon as a ruler, which, by the way, can also be used.

Ordinary tape can be an excellent assistant in drawing arrows. Apply a small piece of clear tape, starting from the outer corner of the eye at the angle you want, onto both eyes at once. Make sure everything is symmetrical. Then start drawing arrows. If you do this with a liner, let it dry and only then peel off the tape.

While mastering all the subtleties of creating perfectly straight arrows, don’t forget about the basic rules:

Draw arrows as close to the eyelash contour as possible so that there are no light gaps.

If you want the line to be wide, use a pencil or a special marker with a thick tip.

Never draw arrows only on the lower eyelid: this visually narrows the eyes.