Need Help Painting Eyes

Hello Freaks - i was wondering if any of you awesome painters out there could share with me your technique on how you paint eyes on a 1/6 Head .


I've tried everything from cutting my brush to a flat rounded tip - to using small rounded objects to get the circular color done.

If anyone has some info for me , i would highly appreciate it .


I have a fine tip brush but i still can'y achieve the right look of the outer color black / the inner color of whatever and finally the pupil .


Thanks in Advance , MIKE

I'm certainly not an awesome painter, so take my advice for what it's worth, but the most important thing to me was learning the best way to steady my hand. I used to paint model airplanes as a kid and that was a big help in figuring out how to hold things in a way that allows me to keep my hands steady and focused while painting fine details. That's really the only "trick" to painting eyes, steady hands. Then it's just a matter of using a fine tipped brush, thin paints and drawing them on like you're using a pencil.

Thanks man - I can get the steady hand but the eyes are so small its hard to get it right .

You can always use this:

https://cgi.ebay.com/HEAD-MAGNIFYIN...905?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2ea369c1

it's dirt cheap and you'll get a better view when painting the eyes. I bought one but to be honest I haven't used it at all, I'm kind of getting used to it, it gives me some dizziness.

Thanks buddy i appreciate it

I use that contraption but not too often cause it begins to mess with my eyesight and cause dizziness.It's great for sculpts with squinty eyes and real small detail.I personally draw it out with a fine point pencil first then thin out the paint and apply with a either a 18/0 round or 18/0 liner brush.I never use paint straight from the bottle cause it's too thick and sometimes it dries to quick for me anyway.Practice,practice,practice^_^

That's what I use and I've found it's a great help! Changes everything for me!!!

Cheungkinmen said:

You can always use this:

https://cgi.ebay.com/HEAD-MAGNIFYIN...905?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2ea369c1

it's dirt cheap and you'll get a better view when painting the eyes. I bought one but to be honest I haven't used it at all, I'm kind of getting used to it, it gives me some dizziness.

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Thanks guys for all the help , yes i have figured out the dry brushing technique a long time ago , it works awesome

I can't remember who it was, but earlier in the year I was reading two of our top-tier painters here (boot25 and silentsurfer?) saying they used 005 sigma micron pens for the pupils. After reading that I had a go using a pen on the next paintup I did.
I laid down two very thin (so the nib wouldn't scratch through them) coats of white over the whole eyeball. Then did the pupils by starting with a tiny dot in the middle of each eye and gradually making them bigger so I was sure they lined up and faced in the same non cross-eyed direction. Then I did the outer circle of the iris with the same black pen. Practice a few tiny circles on a sheet of paper right before you do this. Then I put in the iris colours in the normal fine brush and paint way and touched up the pupils a bit where I'd accidentally gone over them with the brown paint. Then a little pink line on the inside of the eyelids between the sclera and the lashes.
Not the best paintjob in the world, but the overall shape of the pupils and iris came out very crisp and clean and those little sigma pens make that part so easy compared to how I used to brush them.
Here's the head in question:

Thanks so much for the tips , i have tried a pen before and it does work great

I've also read about using a sharp pencil to draw the outline of the iris on. It helps corral the paint into a circle. I haven't tried it out though, but was a tip that stuck in my head.

Anyone tried using decals for the eyes and then clear glossed over them. I was thinking you could get some awesome detail into the eye this way, especially if laser printed

Laney74 said:

Anyone tried using decals for the eyes and then clear glossed over them. I was thinking you could get some awesome detail into the eye this way, especially if laser printed

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Thats a really good idea. I would definitely try that.

I always start with a dark color for the basic shape, then use lighter colors for the inside. Then after I like the shades use a micron for the pupil(wait till it drys though) Then use a gloss clear.

Laney74 said:

Anyone tried using decals for the eyes and then clear glossed over them. I was thinking you could get some awesome detail into the eye this way, especially if laser printed

Click to expand...

That's a great idea and I think that's how HT actually does their eyes.

noisetrigger said:

That's a great idea and I think that's how HT actually does their eyes.

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Kind of.... I think they're tampo stamped, but same general idea.

Cloudfilter great job on her eyes she pretty. How did you do the skin texture?

Thanks! No special technique to the skin texture, I just did the painting with as thin coats as I could to keep it smooth (the sculpt is a completely smooth one with no textured skin) and then the spray-on sealant (GW Purity Seal, three coats if I remember right) adds that last bit of lovely eggshell dimplyness to it all.

Cool thanks.

Eyes can make or break a paint job. The first thing people normally do when they look at a statue or model is they tend to look at the eyes first. I know I do.

My buddy Eli produces a couple of sets of eye decals ranging in different sizes. They come in monster, human and 1:1 scale. Check 'em out: https://www.zotzdecals.com/eyes.htm

Heres an example of one of the decals on this tenticle modeled by Marc Havican of Amazing Figure Modeler. They work great and look fantastic!


My friend John put this little tutorial together for painting pupils.
It really works well. As far as painting lines, alot of
the time your just repainting the flesh tones around
the line to make the lines look smaller and neater.
Pretty dificult to get a perfect line on each convect surface.



I use the tutorial below alot. I referenced it when I painted up this Black Widow kit. The results render a nice, realistic eye.

And remember, the sclera part of the eye is not white! They are more greyish/off white/egg shell color.





Hope this helps guys.