Shading Eyes

In anime, things get serious when the top half of a character's face goes dark and heavy shadows cover their eyes. Shaded eyes refers to that dramatic, obvious visual cue. It usually means a character went insane. They may have discovered a terrible truth, lost a loved one, or let their yandere side take over. This great trick lets artists show complete emotional shutdown or blinding, terrifying rage without a crazy face.

Artists apply a thick, dark shadow to the character's forehead to hide the bright anime eye highlights. Sometimes all you see is a scary, empty space, not their eyes. The character looks even crazier when the artist leaves one small glowing pupil in the dark. A slight, unsettling smile or a blank mouth often accompany this lighting. Black shading on the upper face and normal lighting on the rest of the body create a very intense, movie-like atmosphere that grabs your attention immediately.

Having a dark photo as wallpaper makes a statement. Your screen looks edgy and suspenseful, which is cool. You will love these moody fanart pieces on your desktop if you like bad guys, brooding anti-heroes, or sweet characters going crazy.