Eyes

Inserting Glass Eyes in an Open Eyed Sculpt

About This Lesson

This module takes you through how to insert glass eyes and is only required if you’re working with an open eyed sculpt.  This is my preferred method to insert glass eyes but you can feel free to put eyes in through the back if you would prefer. I recommend full round German glass eyes. It’s important to always selecting the highest quality glass eyes as you want the effect to look the most realistic. Acrylic eyes aren’t worth it, they almost always make your baby look “doll like”.

To insert your eyes, you’ll also want your vinyl to be warm to the touch (pop the head in your convection oven for 4-8 mins). If the vinyl is particularly hard you’ll want to bake for the full 8 mins. Make sure to cut the flap inside the eye socket with your vinyl cutting knife before inserting. And position based on your preference. If your vinyl is warm, and you are gentle inserting the eyes, you will not damage the vinyl by inserting this way. If you’re concerned, you can also always insert from within the head, but it is significantly harder to do with full rounds.

Please note: When sizing your full rounds, if you’re working with a larger iris, you’ll want to go 2mm down. So if the sculpt calls for 20mm eyes, use 18mm full rounds. If you’re working with a smaller pupil (like these) use the recommended size. You can also work with half rounds (at the recommended size) and position with more E6000. I also prefer working with full rounds as they provide a bit more flexibility for positioning. Also, buy quality German glass eyes over acrylic or cheaper glass eyes on the market.  They’re pricier, but they’re far more realistic and you’ll probably end up buying them anyway and tossing the cheapies after seeing them in person – I speak from experience!

**Pro Tip! The eyes are the window for the soul – and this is especially in a reborn doll! Setting your eyes can give tremendous life and soul to your baby! Set to the side, baby can appear curious, or slightly sneaky! You can also set eyes a little cross-eyed like real newborn babies sometimes have! When photographing in natural light, always try to capture the sun’s reflection in the pupil. This gives the pictures of your baby a lively, realistic look and your baby will sell better than flat eyes! Glass eyes will also catch the light, over acrylics. Open eyed babies are harder to photograph, but many collectors prefer awake babies over sleepers (or vice versa).

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