Eyes!

[No Such Agency]

I don\'t usually bother with eyes. If you hold up your figure in a crowded street (haven\'t we all done that....ahem) and try to match the scale to a real person at a distance, you don\'t see the eyes, just a vague impression of the shadows of the face.

While this is true, I don\'t think mini painting is neccessarily about \"replicating the look of a person at a simulated distance\". If that was the case you could largely paint with just flat colours like some historical wargamers prefer. Like Renaissance painters using the exaggerated light/dark contrasts of chiaroscuro, we are trying to achieve \"super-realism\" when we highlight and shade. We want to give, with a tiny figure, the same \"impression\" as a full-sized person. And this means exaggerating a lot of things, including having distinct eyes. Eyes are supposedly the \"windows to the soul\", and eyes in shadow traditionally convey a sinister or gloomy character - not exactly what you\'d want for your Dudley Do-Right paladin or fair damsel. Of course this is all personal preference, right? If you can pull off a good-looking mini without painting the eyes, that\'s probably a sign of true mastery

 

[Panza]

It\'s just the excuse I give myself so I don\'t have to paint the things! lol

I\'m old enough to know that I\'m probably never going to have the control in my digits required to paint a really good eye on a 28mm mini, but my extensive collection of 1/6th scale figures will give me a few more years before I have to give up painting completely and start collecting Heroclix!

 

[Corvus]

I agree with No Such Agency when it comes down to exaggerating details. Take for example the black (or brown ) lining between the fingers of your mini. This i a thin line that is clearly visible... but hold your fingers together and take a look. It\'s definitely impossible to paint this tiny line in the right scale on a 28mm mini

 

[Panza]

I must admit to being more ready to bring down the rest of the details on my figures in order to match the levels of exaggeration I\'m forced to use. Confused? ???

Basically, I know that in order to differentiate between two areas of colour, I\'m going to need a dark line. That\'s ok, but I like the idea of taking the levels of shadowing and lighting of those parts I have little control of, and applying it to those that I can control.

This means that, more often than not, I paint my minis in a very sombre style with harsh lighting and deep shadows, and unfortunately, keeping to the vaguely realistic shadowing guidelines I set for myself, eyes tend to be the first things I do away with. See explanation above.

 

[barkel]

I don\'t buy it, Panza.

After looking at the models you have painted I have a hard time believing that you have trouble with your eyes. Or even trouble painting eyes for that matter. Your guy with the goggles was fantastic.

barkel

 

[mouse]

agree...agree...

I agree with the rest...I always do the face first...if it sucks, then into the thinner bath.

I had a problem with eyes initially but after repeated trial and errors, I believe that I finally achieve something that I am satisfied in (although still not GD standard or anywhere near it).

I read several articles and basically tried everyone of them until I came up with my own \"hybrid\" method.

Step 1: Cut the edges of the eye.
Step 2: Paint the eye red (usually i use scad red or red gore not bright red)
Step 3: Paint a washed down off-white. The paint cannot be too \"wet\". This is to leave the rim slightly red cast.
Step 4: Add a drop of watered down black ink and using a dry brush, spread it around the cut rim of the eye.
Step 5: Paint the spot with watered down white where the light is from or where you discern the light will catch the eye (remember it\'s also the spot or angle of the pupil will be not the entire eye).
Step 6: Using watered down black (cannot be watery and use whatever colour you want the pupil to be), paint two lines.
Step 7: Paint half-strokes along the black lines, whereby the positions of the half-strokes will also determine the mini is looking up/down/straight.
Step 8: (haven\'t tested it yet) Glaze the pupil with whatever colour you want the pupil to be.

 

[vincegamer]

pens and colored eyes

I got a micron pen. About all I have found use for is writing or doing geometric shapes that are difficult with the softness of a brush.
I tried using the pen for an eye but I find it harder than a brush because I can\'t see the point of contact. Even the .005 pen is much broader than a brush.

As to color, my favorite iris color so far is a dark gray. Black is too dark unless you are doing a dark-skinned person. Green, blue etc. are just way too bright. You have to get fairly close to a real person to tell their eye color, but if you paint your mini\'s eyes hawk turquoise, they\'re going to appear hawk turquoise from 20 feet. I find eyes need duller colors but not totally black.

 

[finn17]

Hmmm.

Originally posted by Lai
hey finn what fluid you use to cover the face?i tryed vallejo liquid mask but it glue on the paint and when i remove it the paint goes away with the mask

I used to use an old masking fluid designed for photography. That seemed to work fine. Whatever medium you used, it would be a good idea to let the underlying paint dry completely. Guess at least 24 hours. Nowadays I tend either not to use a mask (as mine has run out) or just protect with varnish if I think I am not going to get away without handling the face a lot. That doesn\'t really answer your question, but most fluids advertised for the purpose should work, as long as the surface you are painting them on to is completely dry.

If vallejo medium is not doing the job it is advertised to do I should contact them and complain.

 

[finn17]

Article...Article...!

Originally posted by mouse
I agree with the rest...I always do the face first...if it sucks, then into the thinner bath.

I had a problem with eyes initially but after repeated trial and errors, I believe that I finally achieve something that I am satisfied in (although still not GD standard or anywhere near it).

I read several articles and basically tried everyone of them until I came up with my own \"hybrid\" method.

Step 1: Cut the edges of the eye.
Step 2: Paint the eye red (usually i use scad red or red gore not bright red)
Step 3: Paint a washed down off-white. The paint cannot be too \"wet\". This is to leave the rim slightly red cast.
Step 4: Add a drop of watered down black ink and using a dry brush, spread it around the cut rim of the eye.
Step 5: Paint the spot with watered down white where the light is from or where you discern the light will catch the eye (remember it\'s also the spot or angle of the pupil will be not the entire eye).
Step 6: Using watered down black (cannot be watery and use whatever colour you want the pupil to be), paint two lines.
Step 7: Paint half-strokes along the black lines, whereby the positions of the half-strokes will also determine the mini is looking up/down/straight.
Step 8: (haven\'t tested it yet) Glaze the pupil with whatever colour you want the pupil to be.

You have got to put this up as an article mouse!

I think I can see where you are coming from but I would need it explained more simply and with pictures before I fully understood.:duh:

 

[freakinacage]

)i agree with finn, mouse - you should put that as an article coz you\'ve lost me!! but it does sound very good.

as for me, sometimes minis look better without eyes done but most of the time i\'ll at least add a thin white line. if i am doing eyes properly, i\'ll do the face and add some extra flesh wash in the eye sockets. paint the white and then add the pupil using a nice thin brush (paint has to be wartered down so it doesn\'t dry on the brush:flame

 

[tooshy]

You lookin\' at me?? HUH?? HUH??

Hmmm....I always paint the face first on a new figure. If I can get the face right, then the rest usually follows.

I\'ve tried the \'turning upside down\' technique - it kinda works and I\'ve also tried the \'paint the whole eye black and dab 2 small dots of white either side\' one too.

I\'ve come to accept the fact that my figures all look like Marty Feldman\'s (WHO??!) brother or at least a distant relative of the Doctor from the Cannonball Run films! (Apologies to everyone who hasn\'t a clue what I\'m rambling about)

Anyhoo, as eyes continue to be my \'nemesis\', I shall forever battle on to produce a model that doesn\'t need corrective eye surgery.

 

[Pellimore]

Originally posted by tooshy
I\'ve come to accept the fact that my figures all look like Marty Feldman\'s (WHO??!) brother or at least a distant relative of the Doctor from the Cannonball Run films! (Apologies to everyone who hasn\'t a clue what I\'m rambling about)
/quote]

Wow, I\'ve seen the Cannonball Run films! Sorry for the useless comment, but I\'m usually the one who has no clue what everyone else is talking about.

Have fun!
-Pellimore

 

[freakinacage]

it must be my turn then to say - eh? never seen any of those!???

 

[tooshy]

Erm....an explanation

Sorry about my last post - it\'s easy to forget when you chat online that not everyone has the same sense of humour or will appreciate funnies when no-one knows what the hell you are talking about!!

Marty Feldman is an actor with incredibly squiffy eyes. He played Gene Wilder\'s (Blazing Sadles, Stir Crazy etc) sidekick in the very funny film Young Frankenstein, and the Doctor in the series of Cannonball films had unbelieveable eyes! I don\'t think either of them actually looked ahead - each one went off at different angles.

Hence my reference to these two characters when trying to explain what the eyes usually look like on my models!

<sigh> I\'ll be over here in the corner beating myself silly with a rolled-up copy of White Dwarf...... lol

 

[vincegamer]

Originally posted by tooshy
Marty Feldman is an actor with incredibly squiffy eyes. He played Gene Wilder\'s (Blazing Sadles, Stir Crazy etc) sidekick in the very funny film Young Frankenstein, and the Doctor in the series of Cannonball films had unbelieveable eyes!

Sadly, Marty Feldman WAS an actor with squiffy eyes. He is now deceased. If memory serves the cause of death was related to the condition that caused his eyes to be overly large and bulge out of his sockets.

Now for a good example of his fantastically funny work I recommend \"the Last Remake of Beau Gest\" starring Michael York as Beau and Marty Feldman as his identical twin Digby Gest.
--line from film--\"somehow Beau was always a bit more identical than I\"
Of course it helps if you\'ve seen the Humphry Beaugart version first.

 

[mouse]

okie...

finn and freak , i\'ll try my best. Let me borrow the digital camera from my friend first (cos film SLR is just too troublesome - no developer near my place and it takes a while to process and if the shots come out like shit, then i have to redo the process again) ... hopefully it\'ll be helpful.

 

[Pellimore]

Originally posted by tooshy
<sigh> I\'ll be over here in the corner beating myself silly with a rolled-up copy of White Dwarf...... lol

Don\'t hurt the Magazine!!!


Have fun!
-Pellimore

 

[Nomis]

Originally posted by tooshy
I\'ve come to accept the fact that my figures all look like Marty Feldman\'s (WHO??!) brother or at least a distant relative of the Doctor from the Cannonball Run films! (Apologies to everyone who hasn\'t a clue what I\'m rambling about)

It was Jack Elam

And I take him as inspiration for all my faces - male and female.

 

[jrock1]

eyes

hi everybody new to this site and have been paiting like 3-4 years and am pumped about this site.well just thought i throw an idea about eyes out there this co. archer designs makes decals and dry transfers and lone behold they offer eyes and tattos.havnt tryed them yet but have ordered some when i do i will post on how they are.

 

[tooshy]

Beau jest....

Ah, sorry re Marty Feldman I should\'ve got my tenses correct.

As for Beau Gest - I saw that film at the cinema and it was damn funny. It was back in the days when you used to get another film before the main feature. Can\'t for the life of me think what the other film was.

Thanks for the name of the Doctor in Cannonball Run - Jack Elam. I would definitely NOT want him as my Doctor! lol

...transfers for eyes?? Sounds intriguing. Not sure what they\'d look like tho, but I guess they couldn\'t get any worse than my own fair hand