Any advice about eyes

[Jenny]

Does anyone have any ideas where I could get some eyes...either glass or plastic that have a larger than normal pupil? Sandra very kindly pointed me in the direction of one site..and..though they did have great eyes...they didn't have what I need. I have seen the baby 'Alive eyes' which are perfect but the wrong colour...I need green/ yellow or clear so I can paint them myself.
I have tried painting the pupil in larger but it doesn't work very well..all thoughts on this gratefully received!!!!

Thanks in advance...

Jenny:)

[Chowlea Bears]

Three other suggestions:

http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/category/1/

http://www.glasseyes.com

http://www.sarbears.com/supplies.asp (This Lady does custom orders according to the site)

Sorry Jenny - I don't know how to write these as 'live links' or whatever its called :confused: - I'm a quill pen person in disguise.

Hope you find what your looking for.

Oh - it seems to have activated by itself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jenny]

Sandra...the taxidermy ones look as if they could work!!! I need to email them though...just to be sure!! I did check this site out last week..I obviously didn't check hard enough!

Thanks!!

Jenny

[shelly]

:) Hi , I bought some taxidermy eyes the other day for my rabbit. I'm not sure of the best way to attach them. They are concave, and the lady who supplied them said I could use a glue , but I thought it may be better to glue it to a regular glass eye and then I could attach it in the normal way , with thread. Does anyone have any ideas or advice?
Thanks Shelly.

[Jenny]

Are they glass? Plastic? I can't picture them...you would surely have to secure them...Hmmm.
A picture would help....I am thinking felting around them after sinking them deep into sculpted eye sockets...
Post a pic and that may spark an idea!!

[gotobedbears]

Jen, just try 'puddling' black paint into the hollow of a clear glass eye around the existing pupil and leave it to dry thoroughly, perfectly level and upside down (obviously ha ha). The paint will find it's own level and produce a perfect round pupil.
I have used glass paint before and you can bake it in the oven but you must let it all settle before baking or it may not be completely round. If you don't want to use glass paint you can use enamel paint as it's nice and gloopy, opaque and will settle very well into a round shape. Hang the eyes up by the loops til dry.

Is all this making sense?

Penny

[Chowlea Bears]

Hang the eyes up by the loops til dry.

Penny

I know its Halloween - but this could really freak a person out :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Jenny]

Penny..I will have another go at that but I tried it and it seemed to leave a faint white circle where the paint just wouldn't quite seep between the black glass 'pupil' and the clear glass iris. Maybe I should try the ones without the crimped loop because you are right, those do have a bowl shape at the back..the ones I have are flat at the back...HMMMM!!

[shelly]

Hi Jenny,
I don't think I could attempt to post a photo of them! I'll try to describe them a bit better. They are made of glass and are like contact lenses in shape, but thicker, if you laid them on a flat surface they, would be hollow in the middle. Does that make sense?
Shelly:rolleyes: :o :o

[Jenny]

That's hard..have you looked up how a taxidermist might do it? The only way I can think is to make a 'socket' out of polymer clay (sculpey or fimo) and then sink the eye in that but use a tiny eye with a wire loop baked into the fimo socket so you could attach the eyes the same as normal teddy eyes...or..again using the fimo, make an armature with a wire loop either end that you can sink them into the head. Either way you would need to sink them a bit or it'll look like it has myximatosis!! Yep the polymer clay socket with a loop sounds like just the ticket..unless anyone can think of another way?

[shelly]

Hi Jenny ,
I've never tried 'Fimo' so that sounds quite interesting. I know what you mean about myximatosis, I put one of the eyes against a short haired rabbit head that I've made and it did look like that LOL !! But against a long haired rabbit head I didn't think it looked too bad. It's all experimentation at this point, but it's quite good fun and everyone is being very helpful.I will check out how the taxi's do it, they possibly have a moulded form.

I was going to start a new thread to ask this question but I'll just tag it on to here. Is there a show that you, and some of the other experienced bear makers on this site, go to? It would be nice pop in and say 'hello'.
Shelly

[Jenny]

If I get a minute I'll do a diagram of what I mean..I have done it myself once or twice. There is a good book on polymer clay sculpting and there are great techniques that can be filched for use in soft sculpture. I'll get the info on that for you.

I am showing and so is Melanie at the NEC on the 12th November..it would be lovely to see you!!

[Chris Russell]

Hi Jenny,

I've been away for a few days so have missed your request until now. We have a good selection of clear glass eyes, but need to know the diameter of the eye and the pupil in millemetres - we can then check our stock.

Look forward to hearing from you

Chris