Eyes for My Mini Babies

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By  

Debra Hornung Zachrich 

 

Tools needed: Sharp exacto knife; tweezers--one curved and one pointed; wire cutter; 2mm white glass head pins; Copic Markers (or other alcohol markers) in your choice of colours. The last photo will show the colours I used for blue, brown, and green eyes.


Cut into the eye area along the lash line, point down, with the sharp edge of the knife towards the centre of the eye.

Do the same thing on the other side of the eye--2 cuts per eye.

 Hold the head so the eyes pull open--they should look like this. If there is some silicone still connected in the middle, cut it now. Use your pointed tweezers if you need to pull of any parts that are sticking out.

Cut two of the pins with the wire cutters, leaving about 1/4" (6-7 mm) of the pin.

 

Using the curved tweezers, insert the pins into the slits you cut.

Press them in to see if they are centred where you want them. If not, pull them back out and try again.


 
 If they look right to you, press them in just a bit more.


 They should now look like this--not quite fully inserted between the eyelids.


 Time to colour! I use my lighter shade of colour and mark the centre.
Make that area a little larger--closer to the size that you want the iris to be. I use the just the very tip of the marker, and just kind of 'touch' it to the pin head gently. The alcohol ink dries very quickly.


 Now add some of the darker colour, mostly around the outer edge of t he iris. Again, a very gentle touch, just dotting the colour in.
Add the pupil with black, just a round touch of the marker.

 


 Wait a minute or so, then push the pins in a bit farther, allowing the eyelids to come around it. If they want to curl under, use the pointed tweezers or a pin to sweep between the lid and the pin to move the lids into place.


 Once I have it all finished, I dot the pupil with black one more time. And he/she is finished!


 
 

Copic marker colours I used


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How it worked out for me.

 Copic markers are quite expensive but you get what you pay for, I did buy a pack in Hobbycraft 5 copic double ended pens (1 medium broad wedge the other end a super brush). They also came with a multi liner 0.3 size in black £26.00. I already had a few Windsor and Newton Pro marker pens, they have a wedge one end and a nib the other.  I think so long as they are alcohol pens they should be fine? I did look on Amazon UK and found a box of 80 pens for £15.99. A better price for someone just starting out.


 

80 Colours Alcohol Markers with Free App, ‎Chisel Tip and Fine Tip Colouring Pens for Adults, Alcohol-Based Markers for Artists, Art Markers for Painting, Colouring, Sketching and Drawing

Then it was time to practice, practice and practice some more. You need the two iris colours to tone together. You also need to get the size of the eye correct.  So I spent some time first going through all the colours and then making mini eyes on a piece or paper or you can use card...whatever you have handy. 

 

 Also from Amazon UK the pins

200-Ct Extra Fine 0.4mm x 35mm (1-3/8") White Glass 2mm Head Stainless Steel Straight Pins for Appliqué Patchwork Quilting Sewing in Reusable Plastic Snap-top Container

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So I have rounded up all the items needed at it's time to try my first doll. 

White pins from  Amazon I added the google eyes and black pins for reference

 

I used this pens for the pupil.
 

Retractable Craft Knife Pen compared with normal craft knife (I used the small one). From Temu

 

 

Tweezers and jewellery pliers

 

For me I found the tweezers slipped a little so I have ordered some with silicone ends.

First up sorry my babies are so 'hairy' they was in with some babies I had added flock to. 

As I have no idea what I'm doing I started out with practising on a piece of paper. Then I followed Debra's instructions.Even with her method and giving the eyes a day to dry out before pushing them in they did rub a little. But over all I'm very happy with the results. I think if I had used the pens recommended maybe they would not have rubbed?





 I think I need to push the baby (top lefts) eyes in a bit moor? I do think as someone that is not arty that Debra's instructions were easy to follow and gave good results.

And the other methods I tried before I found Debra's painted eyes...

Just pushing in black pins 


 The google eyes could work if I had not burst the bubbles!!!!!


 

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