The
eyes are the most expressive part of a custom pony. So, it's
important to take your time and make sure that the eyes are painted to
your liking. Eye painting is one of my least favorite tasks, just
because it requires great concentration and patience. Don't worry,
you'll get better with practice. ^_^
Also, there is no wrong way
to paint an eye. Dare to go crazy with the eyelashes. Get
creative with eye swirls, embellishments, and decorations. The most
important thing is to have fun! ^_^
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Base
pony - any pony will do ^_^
Acetone, nail polish
remover, or Goof-Off & cotton pads/swabs - for removing the existing eye
Fine tipped detail brushes - a few brushes capable of holding
a fine point. I prefer sable hair size 0 or 2/0 rounds, although
quality synthetic liner brushes will work too.
Tissue paper - used
for wrapping items for shipping or gift wrap. NOT the same as tissue
used to blow your nose! Thin, flexible, and translucent...it's good
stuff.
Pencil - for making
an eye tracing
Gloss varnish (optional)
- for sealing eyes when they are dry
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3.
Flip paper over and trace over back of eye design
This is what it should look like. Fill in any areas that you missed.
Flip it over and trace over the BACK of your design with your
pencil. This will make sense in a later step. |
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4.
Remove original eye
Using acetone (or nail polish remover or other solvent of your choice) and
your cotton pads and cotton swabs, completely remove the eye. Be
careful not to smudge the paint everywhere, since it may stain light
colored ponies. Also, this should be done in a WELL VENTILATED area
away from any flame sources. |
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5.
Paint white base coat
Using your medium brush, apply several layers of white paint to the
eye. Wait until each layer is dry before applying another one. |
[Click for enlarged view] |
6.
Transfer your eye pattern
Position tissue over the white part and trace over it with either a pencil
or stylus. Press gently!
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[Click for enlarged view] |
7.
Remove tissue paper
Voila! It looks somewhat like a pony eye. ^_^ Use your pencil
to fill in areas that were missed. |
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8. Paint
outer rim of iris and bottom eyeliner
Using your fine tipped brush, paint outer rim in your preferred outline
color. Most ponies have black or dark blue rims. Some G1
ponies have dark brown rims. Bottom eyeliner does NOT go all the way
across the bottom eyelid...it's only in the lower outer quadrant! |
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9. Paint
iris color
Use your fine tipped brush to paint the iris in your preferred
color. Be careful not to paint over the outer rim that you painted
in step 8. The inner edge can be a little "messy" because
you'll paint over it in step 11. |
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10. Optional ** Iris stripes or swirls
I added thin stripes to the iris here. You can add a
"swirl" if you want to in this step.
TIP: You want to paint both eyes at the same time, to make them as
identical as possible. If you add a layer of color to one eye, make
sure you do the same to the other eye, because this can show through in
the final color. |
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11.
Paint pupil and white reflection
Use your medium sized brush to paint a dark circle for the pupil.
After it dries, add a dab of white for the "reflection" in the
upper outer quadrant.
Optional: You can add an
eye symbol in this step, like the pink heart in the original eye.
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12. Optional ** Eye shadow
This pony has gradient upper eye shadow. To do this, paint one or
two base layers in the lighter color. It is silver in this
example. While the paint is still wet, use a fine tipped brush to
add a line of the darker color in the crease. Use a clean brush to
blend the darker color into the base color. |
[Click for enlarged view] |
13. Paint
upper eyeliner
This step requires a steady hand. Angle the pony's head for easy
access to the upper eyelid. Make sure your brush is nice and
clean. Load with your preferred eyeliner color (black in this case)
and drag the brush on your palette or a piece of scrap paper. This
gets rid of excess paint. Then, paint the upper eyeliner. |
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14.
Paint eyelashes
This must be my least favorite part, LOL. Painting eyelashes is
tough. Make sure your brush is clean, then load with your preferred
eyelash color. I like to thin it down a little, so the brush retains
its shape. Carefully paint the lash from the eyeliner OUT, using a
light touch. This pony's lashes are not the same as an original
G3s...I added a few extra lashes. ^_^
TIP: For ponies without a full re-paint - if you mess up a little, you can
use some acetone on a cotton swab to correct the mistake. If your
pony DOES have a full re-paint, I hope you saved some of the base
color. Use a tiny brush to paint over the area with base color and
try again. It may take several layers to cover up the
mistake. |
[Click for enlarged view] |
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15. Optional ** Clear coat
For most eyes, I use a thin clear coat of glossy varnish. Eyes
should be 100% dry before attempting any clear coat, otherwise they will
cause your paint to run. Make sure that you're finished with the eye
& don't want to make any changes. This is the "point of no
return"!
If you want a super glossy coat, tilt the pony's head so the eye faces up
and is parallel to your table top. Put a drop of gloss varnish on
the eye & spread it evenly in the recessed part. Do not move the
pony until it dries completely (may take a day or two). Repeat with
other side.
Gloss varnish is best when applied in one coat, since extra coats won't
stick to the first one! ^_^ |
[Click for enlarged view]
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A
Link?:
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If you used this tutorial, I'd appreciate a link back to this page.
Who knows, you might inspire me to write another tutorial ^_^
http://www.aikarin.com/mlp/customs/eye.html
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