- This topic has 9 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 9 years, 11 months ago by .
-
Posts
-
I noticed today that Tohickon Glass sells clear unpainted eyes which you can paint yourself and that other companies do this too. I couldn’t, however, find any tutorials on how to actually do this, so I was wondering if anyone here had ever done it. It seems a much cheaper alternative to commissioning someone like Tohickon for a special pair, especially if you already have some artistic talent.
You can find Tohickon’s here -> https://www.tohickonglasseyes.com/shopproductdetail.asp?prodID=65&catID=23
Check out my finished artwork at http://falcolf.deviantart.com/ and my sketch/studio blog at http://rosannapbrost.tumblr.com/
Excellent!
I think Melody said that unless the paint is fired on, that eventually, the paint will pull away from the back of the glass eye. If I remember correctly, this is also why there are so few eye color options, since there’s limited paint colors available that are made for this process. I’ll see if I can find that thread. Until then, anyone is free to correct me. Windstone requires their pieces being archival though, so that might not be something that is important to you. Or you have a kiln for firing (right, that’s the equipment required? Or a really, really, hot oven? or a campfire? I don’t know the process LOL )
I have indeed.
The paint that I used was the kind that you bake in the oven after you paint it on. The eyes that I painted have been fine (the backs haven’t flaked off or peeled off) for over a year. I was so discouraged by people telling me that they wouldn’t last that I stopped bothering to make them. I have still not seen any cracking, peeling, or flaking though.
Commission spots are currently closed! Please message me for details.
Please visit My Webpage to see my art and PYO's that I've done in the past!I have never painted any eyes. HOWEVER, a few days ago I was looking for glass crafting projects and found this blog post on painting wine glasses and tumblers. So perhaps it has information that would be useful to you? It has a lot of good photos and step by step explanation. Very informative and even specifically names the brands of paint used.
http://hollysartcorner.blogspot.com/2013/04/craft-project-pour-paint-wine-glasses_5.html
I can’t vouch for how good paint is over time though. Good luck!
You can check out my work on dA & Redbubble!
https://prezaurian.deviantart.com/
https://www.redbubble.com/people/prezaurian?ref=artist_title_nameThank you everybody, I really appreciate the information! With this I can move forwards and decide what to do next, in particular I didn’t know that the paint had to be fired on. 🙂
Check out my finished artwork at http://falcolf.deviantart.com/ and my sketch/studio blog at http://rosannapbrost.tumblr.com/
Excellent!
I think Melody said that unless the paint is fired on, that eventually, the paint will pull away from the back of the glass eye. If I remember correctly, this is also why there are so few eye color options, since there’s limited paint colors available that are made for this process. I’ll see if I can find that thread. Until then, anyone is free to correct me. Windstone requires their pieces being archival though, so that might not be something that is important to you. Or you have a kiln for firing (right, that’s the equipment required? Or a really, really, hot oven? or a campfire? I don’t know the process LOL )
Yes, I remember the same thread. That’s why on the really old animals and very first dragons, the eyes look a little odd because the paint has pulled away from the glass. Some method of firing them on, either in a kiln. The oven-baked ones are long lasting. Application and brand can vary the quality, but some do hold up very well over time, even lasting outside in harsh weather. They can work a bit differently than some of the kiln fired paints in how you thin or mix/apply them, but are not considered as archival as the kiln fired ones. I believe the kiln fired paints are generally enamel as well. The oven baked paints (like Pebeo paints) that are good quality haven’t been around as long though, so it’s hard to give a ball park figure of how many years they would last, but sitting out in harsh weather for a few years is probably harsher than sitting inside the head of a pyo. So, Hannah, your eyes would likely last long enough for a person to enjoy a dragon for at least the bulk or entirety of their lifetime depending on the brand of paint used. Whether the paint would last say, 200 years, no idea! Long lasting – yes, just not considered archival (but they should be fine for people wanting to use them in pyos). 🙂
Epoxy will stick to glass, but I’m unsure of how long it would last. Urethane or similar eyes are sensitive to heat and UV, so over time, or in some cases (such as sitting in the summer sun too long, like on a shelf) even melt slightly. Urethane type eyes are common in BJDs, but due to the resin makeup of the bodies, you wouldn’t be sitting them in direct sunlight, as sunlight will discolor the body resin over time and it doesn’t necessarily take long.
Hope that helps.
Yep, as was said above. It is up to you to decide how archival a method you wish to use. Windstone of course strives for the best processes available and this includes firing the paint onto the eyes in a way that is the longest lasting.
Using less archival methods might be okay for 10, 20 years, 30 years? (etc) but MIGHT (keyword “might”) EVENTUALLY pull off or lift/bubble from the back of the eye.
One year, or even 5 years, is not a long enough trial to know how it will last.Other factors such as the type of glue used and how the piece is displayed (indoors, outdoors, what climate overall, etc) also play a part in this.
So, it is a personal decision!
Though, it is fair to let any potential customers know, if you do sell your pieces. “Possibly not archival over the long term” is a good way of putting it. Though, this is true of some paints and glues, too, so it just matters how thorough you want to be!!
For example, when I craft my masks, I paint the eye onto the blanks with normal acrylics and seal it well, but I know the realistic lifespan of a functional mask is not a human lifetime, so that is an acceptable thing for me to do. 🙂
Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comI have a PYO that I just painted for myself that I wanted to have a special eye color. I used nail polish on the clear class eyes, and it looks great, then just put it in with easily removeable white glue. I know it’s not archival, but in a few years, I’ll just eyedropper the white glue with water until I can pop the eyes out, repaint them, and stick them right back in! (I’d even have the option of changing the eye color 🙂 ) Since its a personal piece I had no qualms about it.
When selling though I always use Windstone or Tohickon eyes.
Well, the piece I want to do is one which I intend to keep forever as she’s a very special personal piece, but this thread is making me lean towards commissioning the eyes I want rather than painting them myself though the quoted price for custom eyes might sway me back towards painting them myself again once I have it.
Check out my finished artwork at http://falcolf.deviantart.com/ and my sketch/studio blog at http://rosannapbrost.tumblr.com/
Excellent!
I bought two pieces with yellow eyes that I really disliked, but I loved the design and teal coloring so much that I bought them anyway. I hated those eyes even more in person.
Hannah had a pair she had painted in what I would call a dark teal color. They are a wonderful match, and the color worked better than any of the other aqua or teal shades I could find.
She told me it was not archival paint and could not guarantee how long a lifetime the eyes would have. I loved the color and thought if they did not last forever, I could just put in a new set of eyes. I don’t put eyes in with glue; I use tacky because it is easier to remove them if I want to change them again. In the meantime I have the perfect color instead of a not-too-bad-a-match color. It has been about a year now, and they are still beautiful.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Recent Comments