7 Graphic Eyeliner Tutorials That Anyone Can Master, From Top Makeup Artists

For those just dipping their toes into the makeup world, graphic liner simply refers to more stylized ways of wearing your eyeliner. Most people are familiar with well-known staple liner styles, such as the classic, wing, and cat-eye looks. But if you're ready to step up your liner game, these graphic liner tips will help you nail any geometric shape that crosses your feed.

Even if you're a makeup newbie, don't feel intimidated by these intricate end results: If you make a mistake, you can always start over. Still, it's always a good idea to practice new makeup tricks when you're not in a rush. This is especially true for many graphic liner looks, which require a steady hand and precise applications. 

At its most basic form, floating liner is simply a liner placed anywhere above your upper lash line. However, in most cases, the liner lives just above your eye's natural crease. Better still, this is a liner look where the cheese stands alone: You don't have to rock a full eyeshadow look with a floating liner, and in many cases, it'll be dramatic enough on its own.

The lower lash line often doesn't get enough love. Thankfully, this look provides a twist on the floating liner look—just for your lower lids.

This trick follows similar steps to the floating liner look, except you might want to avoid getting too close to your lash and water lines. Instead, you're going to target the crease on your lower lids.

If floating liner feels a bit advanced, there are other ways to get expressive with your liner that doesn't require nerves of steel and an unwavering hand. Enter: multi-line liner. With a multi-line approach, you're going to be stacking liner colors beginning from just above your upper lash line. This is a great look for wings and cat-eye styles.

Multi-liner looks are easier than floating liner since you're following the natural line created by your upper lid. But precision is the key here: For the best results, we recommend picking liners that offer more precision, like felt-tip liners. Or if you want to use eyeshadow, spritz an angled liner brush with water or setting spray before dipping it into your powder to avoid fallout and smudging. 

If you've got some patience, the gradient liner look is a twist on a single line that offers a ton of attitude. Similar to the multi-line liner, you can create a look using multiple colors. However, your goal is going to be to create a single cat-eye, wing, Cleopatra eye, or whatever your heart desires, while switching up the liner color throughout the look.

For those beauties who are short on time but still want to do something different with their eyeliner, stamp liners have you covered. Better yet, these no-fuss looks don't usually require as much effort since you can rely on the eyeliner stamps to achieve your look (like this one, from Kaja). 

Eyeliner stamps come in a variety of shapes like circles, hearts, flowers, card suits, and more. Or you can even use a regular felt-tip liner to create a simple look, like the dotted eyeliner look: 

If there's anyone in history who loved liner, it's Cleopatra herself. The beautiful thing about this eye look is that you can make it as dramatic or simple as you prefer. The liner is bold enough to work by itself for a negative space beat, but it can also be paired with an amazing eyeshadow for a head-turning effect. 

Tip: If you like the idea of the Cleopatra but feel the lines are too thick, you can create a thin single-line version of it, which is often referred to as an open-ended liner. It will still make your orbs pop but might not feel as intense as the Cleopatra. 

Not everyone wants to rock an in-your-face liner look. If this sounds familiar, start small with the double-wing look (also dubbed "fishtail liner").

Not everyone has the steadiest of hands when applying liner, especially when you're essentially free-styling some graphic shapes. If you struggle with maintaining steady lines or are constantly fighting smudges, you'll appreciate these makeup artist tips: 

However, many of the looks in our guide are precision styles—meaning, you need a product that lays down a clean line during the application process, is less likely to shift with wear, and doesn't fade as the hours go by. Felt-tip liners and true liquid liners tend to be your best bet. Just make sure that the applicator offers a precision-fine tip for enhanced accuracy. Gels can work, but be sure to spritz a setting spray once you finish your eyes so transfer is less likely to occur. 

Eyeshadow might not be the best choice for more stylized graphic liner looks, as it can read a bit smoky. But for our multicolor liner styles, eyeshadow can be a fantastic substitute. To make it work, celebrity makeup artist Spencer Barnes notes that he loves "using eyeshadow (in various ways) along the lash lines of my celebrity clients…you can apply your eyeshadow wet or dry—but the key is using a precision eyeshadow brush to deliver the desired effect." He recommends mixing a setting spray with the shadow for more staying power. 

When it comes to dramatic liner, few styles are as bold as the Cleopatra. Gargi Patel, the celebrity makeup artist behind Vasanti Cosmetics, notes that you can make the Cleopatra liner even more unforgettable by using a liquid or felt-tip liner and drawing "an angled line from your tear duct toward your nose, in a slightly downward projection." 

Grab a lash curler, your liner of choice, and head to your mirror. Note: This works better with the classic metal clamp lash curlers rather than the plastic or miniature versions. You may find that the curved top edge of the lash curler clamp mimics the natural curve of your top lash line. A bonus? You can also use this trick to create cut creases when applying concealer or eyeshadow primer after laying down your base shade.

Ever seen those cut-crease stencils gracing your social media feeds? Well, you can achieve a floating liner look with them, too. Usually, they even come with multiple curved shapes for you to choose from. Pick the stencil that appeals most to you, and instead of using a fluffy blending brush and eyeshadow, use your preferred liner product to create a clean, simple line. 

Even if you aren't a trained makeup artist (MUA), that doesn't mean you can't have fun and experiment with your makeup. Learning how to apply eyeliner in different ways helps build your makeup knowledge and skills, and it helps you match your eye look to your mood. With graphic liner looks, all you need is a bit of patience, some time, and a killer liner that won't let you down. Good news: We have a stellar list right here.