I found a set of jeweler's loupes at Harbor Freight. That alone has greatly helped my eye painting skills.

I don't do a lot of eyes myself but that is the technique I use also. Black oval, then white oval leaving the "lash", then a fine brush that is only used for this detail is used to add a pupil that just barely connects to the lash. After that I paint the flesh tone around the eyes to bring them to their final shape.

That final step was the kicker for me. I used to try to get the eyes done last but I found that I need to paint them first before I do any other work on the head and face.

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Jeweler's loupes? I'm always interested in new tools for customizing. What are these and what do they look like?

My way a painting eyes is to use a tooth pick... No need for a brush that may or may not have a wild bristle. I add a base of black for the eye lash hairs. then add white for the eye it self. If needed I take a exato or other / dry side of the pick and scrape / push away the white while its still wet then once it is dry I use a new tooth pick to add the iris. I normally get great results with little to no repainting.

I found that a jewelers loop does help for small detail. But I was able to locate a lens with two clamps that have come in handy as well. The added ability to use both hands is very...handy

I have to definitely go with GITrekker's endorsement of the Sakura Micron markers. I use them for eyelashes, the pupil, freckles, tattoos, just about anything that requires a micro permanent line. Gold that they come in various colors, and once set, they are quite permanent. Helps to prime the area to be drawn on first by removing any personal oils like a fingerprint. You'd be surprised how the simple oils of a fingerprint can ruin any potential paint job or detail work. Nowadays, if have to do any painting, I use those plastic food service gloves to hold the figure or part, which you can get in bags of 50 to 100 for $1 at the Dollar Stores. Also great for covering your hand if you prime with spray paint outside.

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Jeweler's loupes are those little monocles you see jewelers (and fences in the movies) wearing. A set of 5 ranging from 2x to 10x for $3.99.

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-piece-loupe-set-98722.html

I like to use a fine tip colored sharpie for the iris and a black one for the pupil.

Cap makes some excellent additional points about Micron pens, and to me, the big one is the phrase, "and once set, they are quite permanent."

These pens aren't "really" designed to be used on plastic. That's not to say they won't work on plastic. Certainly they will. But the ink in the pens does not dry quickly, and if you're drawing something both precise and ornate, such as the tattoo Cap mentioned, it's a good idea to do the work as early in the day as possible, and then set the piece aside -- like until late the next day, just to be on the safe side.



Ah, I see! Very nice. Unfortunately, I wear rather considerable prescription eyeglasses. I'm not sure these would work well for me.

But they do look to be a very useful tool for getting up close for intricate work, indeed!

What you want is this. I have one (albeit a different model) and it's invaluable for tiny detail work.

I've also seen lens sets that can be mounted to the side of your glasses, and you just bring down whatever lens you need.

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Cool! Thanks, Greyryder!