Panel of the Week: Spider-Man #653
I swear this will be the last time I write about Spider-Man’s eyes. Until the next time. I thought I had seen every variation of how to draw the black and white eyes of Spidey’s mask. Then Italian illustrator Stefano Caselli rolls in and draws this fresh take on those classic eyes.
First, Caselli is of the school of thought that the black and white eyes can emote. They can squint. They can grow wide in astonishment. They can furrow quizzically. I am never sure if the eyes are supposed to be some type of tinted glass or plastic. I assume that the whites are a type of see-through fabric to allow this type of emoting. (However, if you take a tour of Caselli’s blog you’ll see sketches of Spidey with broken eye ‘lenses’ that allow the eyeball to show through so who knows.)
The second aspect of these eyes that I’m digging is the raised black border around the main white body. It looks like shiny rubber and it really sets off the eyes and allows for great expressions to shine through the mask. Overall, these eyes are stylized and unique without going overboard into McFarlane territory.
If you want more from Stefano Casselli please go and read the first volume of Secret Warriors called Secret Warriors, Vol. 1: Nick Fury, Agent of Nothing
