how can i paint eyes???

For smaller scales, I base the eyes in white, then use a very small brush to touch in the eye color. It's actually fairly convincing, if you don't use too bright of an iris color.

Paint the area white and let it dry completly. then with a triple 000 brush lay in a small dot of the color you want . make sure both dots are center on the white area, otherwise it will look funny. Good luck........ from Jorge

I don't use white in the eyes. Rather, I use a slightly lightened flesh color. Paint in this color for the whites then paint the eybrow over it making sure that the bottom of the brow is neat(don't worry about the top of the brow as it will be trimmed later). Now paint two vertical lines (one for each eye) through the brow and eyeball. After it's dry simply touch up above and below the eye with flesh color.
You might consider getting ahold of "How To Build Miniature Figures" or "How To Build Dioramas" by Shepard Paine .Both books are published by Kalmbach. They both have great sections on figure painting and describe this technique with drawings and photos.

I use a method similar to jack21771 on smaller figures. And do the detail with a wash. For larger figures I paint the whole eye ball a dark color first then go in with a bone white or very light, almost white flesh color for the eye. then the iris. On the larger figures there is enough sculpted detail in the eye that when you paint it dark and then fill in with the lighter color for the eye, it leaves the very fine darker line around the eye that is perceived as the lash line. Then I just paint in the regular flesh highlights on the lower "bags" under the eye and upper eyelids.

I used to try an older method that I learned from a British artist for 54mm figs. That being painting in the overall eye socket area in a dark blue or dark grey. Then paint the eye ball with a very light grey or flesh (again almost white) then touch the color to that for the iris and then the black dot for the pupil. After it dries, then paint in the lids being careful to shape the eye with the paint. this always made the figures have a sleepy eyed or heavy eyed (for lack of a better term) but looked pretty good. 1/35 is just too small for me to get away with that now.

Mike

ok paint the whole face the base color, take a blue or brown paint and a thin brush and paint a stripe from above the eyebrow to below the cheek bone, next take black and paint an even thinner stripe down the center of the blue or brown. next take the base color and paint over the excess untill you have shaped the eye. then just paint the skin tones and eyelashes and eyebrows. works everytime for me and its real quick

First of all, keep trying. Practice makes perfect (or at least leads to improvement)

With 1/35 scale figures, after painting the flesh, I paint the entire eye area black. Next I mix a little blue paint with white to get a slightly off-white color. Fill in the entire eye with this color leaving just a thin black line on top and bottom to represent the eye lashes (I find this easier than trying to paint them with a fine (20/0 or 25/0) brush. To paint the iris, I either use a small brush (20/0 or smaller) or a drafting pen (005). You will find if you paint the eyes as though the figure is looking off to one side, it is easier than if they are looking straight ahead (you will find if you paint them looking straight ahead it is easy ot get the "cross-eyed" look). For the pupil, I typically use a drafting pen.

My method works for 1/16 scale down to 1/48 scale. On larger figures I do everything with a paint brush. For 1/72 scale, if the eye is wide open you can paint a very thin line of color just a little lighter than the flesh color and use a drafting pen or fine brush to add a black spot to represent the iris and pupil.

Good luck and keep practicing.

the metod I use and find works well in 1/35th or even 1/48th is to paint a black line, then place a white dot either side of where you want the iris.
it gives a half closed, squint effect.

I think to make the eyes work don't just look at the eye it's self, but the whole face. What is the mood of the face. If you look at a persons face sometimes the eyes set back sometimes not. I drybrush my colors to work dark around the eyes then I get lite on other parts of the face. I found that using a fine 000 ink pen for the lines of the eye lids can make the face look real. I try not to use stright white on the eyes. I keep my colors soft. The eyes can make make a model. Is it real or just a toy.
You can find samples of my work and my students work on this link. Thanks Dale

http://community.webshots.com/user/dales_model_art

My way works very well and I just recently started... its very easy, first paint the face the base color, take a very thin brush and get a light blue and paint a gentle thin strip down the center of each eye socket so its from the forehead to the cheek, then take a little black on the brush and paint an even thinner strip down the center of the blue. take the base color of the face and then paint till the eye is the shape it should be. I'll see if I can get a good photo up.

Here's a pic illustrating the "stripe" painting method from A Shepard Paine book:



may the road rise with you,
Jack

the pics arnt working but yes that is where I got the method from

In all the years that I've been painting small scale figures, the one thing I hated the most was trying to paint the eyes.I never liked the way they came out and I found I was spending too much time on them trying to get them to look right.On 1/32-1/35 scale some of the eye sockets were no more than slits and never really looked right when I painted them.I would paint a great looking figure,only to have that bug-eyed look ruin it.I tryed all the methods described above but was never really satisfied with the results,until I read a method about this subject many years ago, I think, in this very magazine.I don't remember who wrote it but it seem to make sense.He said to paint with perspective,in other words, paint distance to scale.If you were looking at some one at a distance at 1/35 scale size would you see their eyes like someone who is close to you?No you would not,so here was his solution,take one of your figures and go out some where ,a mall or a street corner,and hold up your figure to someone in the distance and try to match the scale.What do you see?Chances are you will not see their eyes.Remember the smaller the scale the less detail you will see.So he said to paint your base coat,then do a wash of redbrown or other browns on lighter skinned figures,darker base color on darker skinned figures.Then highlight the face to your pleasure.I tryed this method and it has worked very well for me over the years.This method is mainly for the smaller scales( 1/32 on down),which is what I mainly do,it also helps with understanding highlighting and shadowing.You don't have to run around town holding up little figures,you can also use photos as reference.It may seem like a cheap way out but it does work pretty well and looks really good in a diorama,it gives it a more realistic look ,in my opinion anyway.If you do the smaller scales this might be the way to go.One thing I have learned though,is that every one has their own method and finding what works best for you is the key.I know there are purist out there who think a certain way is the only way.I've been doing this for around 30 years give or take and the best method is the one that satisfies you.This is a hobby enjoy it for what it is ment to be and don't worry what everyone else thinks,find your nitch and go from there.Impovement will come with time and experience. Good luck and happy modeling. Jim