I need an alternative for my dolls eyes,help anyone(pics)?

Question

Well I'm designing a doll and, I at first wanted the doll to have a traditional painted face but,now I've been thinking that's a little played out.I was thinking of the doll having some sort of acrylic eyes or glass eyes similar to these.

http://flickr.com/photos/arieldawn/29518562/

Except the eyes would have eyes like Barbie but,with those type of eyes what do ya'll think?Other suggestions welcome.

Answer 1

Certainly inserted eyes provide an entire new dimension to any doll.  One of the big draws of the Asian resin dolls is that they allow the owner/buyer to change the eyes, not only in color but also size that sort of makes each doll unique.

Masterpiece which is one brand of eyes are available in sizes from 4/5mm through 30.  And the color ranges grow daily.

Now for the issues.  Of course you have to open up the eye area in the head.  But after that, you have to insert the eyes and attach them.  This needs to be done from inside the head which means you have to have a way to get in, and you have to be able to work in there as well.  So . . . the smaller the doll, the more difficult this becomes . . . which is probably why dolls like Barbie have painted eyes.

You need a way to attach the eyes to the head.  The resin dolls normally use putty.  This allows the eyes to be easily removed should you wish to change them at a later date.  There is no reason that you couldn't permanently glue them in place as well.  The hard part is getting the eyes to look in the correct direction.  These eyes have a stalk or peg on the back side that allow you to hold it while putting it in.  But a 16mm eye is a lot easier to hold than a 4mm one.  You don't want to end up with a doll that looks crosseyed.  Again, probably another reason why Barbie has painted eyes.  Also consider that another drawback of using a permanent glue is that you might be likely to smear it onto the eye surface showing if you move it around to align it.

However, I think it's a great idea.  These eyes really provide a "soul" to any doll.  I suggest you visit the Clea Bella web page.  This is a 16 inch vinyl fashion doll that has recently been converted to inserted eyes by the maker over ones that were painted.  You can get an idea of the difference in the look.  Also, you could visit the Ryung-Soah group here on Yahoo Groups.  They cover a 24 inch doll that uses inserted eyes but there are pictures in their files area that show the inside of the head and you can see how these eyes attach or are puttied in place.

I hope this helps and I wish you good luck on this.

Answer 2

Check out these online sites...

http://www.miniworlddolls.com/EyesAcryli...

http://www.eloradollhouse.com/Content/95...

You can alter the affect by the size and shape of the holes you cut. Be careful though... you are working on a small scale and just shaving the smallest bit off can make a huge difference.

Good luck with your designs!