How to make resin eyes for BJDs

I always have a hard time finding eyes I like for my dolls. I tend to prefer basic colors and simple designs, without glitter or crazy additions. Those can be harder to find than you'd think, especially in size 12mm or smaller! So I decided to make my own eyes, and experiment with a few different materials. I encountered a few pitfalls while testing methods used by other people, so I included a few of the tips I learned.
Some of these materials can be very finicky, so if you have any questions about them, please ask! I'll do my best to reply. I've had an issue this week with KZbin giving errors when I reply to some comments, so if I don't get back to you in a day or two, feel free to send me a message on Twitter or email me through my website, too!
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Find me, and more updates about my dolls and work:
★ Blog: www.ithilear.com
★ Instagram: / lomilmalinde
★ Twitter: @bnalvarez
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♫ Music: Distant by Micah Dixon
/ micah-dixon-5
Used with personal permission.
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[@neonheadmutt]

Your narration is so thorough thank youuu

[@hobo_fire]

Painting eyes looks like so much fun. 😊 I love the blue ones with the white pearl.

[@LomisPlayground]

You should try it! I know where you can get some supplies. ;) I liked the ones with the white pearl too, but they ended up with a bubble I couldn't fix. Drat. I'll try a pair like that again.

[@hobo_fire]

+Lomi's Playground That's too bad. :( I've been thinking about making custom Blythe eyechips, so if I do...I will let you know!

[@kaitykoenig]

Lomi's Playground do you sell the supplies to make the silicone molds and stuff?

[@kaijinc3639]

I have been looking for this video for 3days! Thank you!

[@lindseydeveau4747]

So great to know how you made these beautiful eyes! I am going to try to make some. (You also have a nice speaking voice.)

[@NekoBJD]

Thanks for this tutorial! I actually started making resin eyes a couple weeks before you made this video. I do this exact same method you show (using oomoo and amazing resin). I tip for getting VERY smooth spheres is by using already on hand silicone eyes and casting them in silicone to make a mold. If you need an indent, roll a small piece of clay and put it in the middle of the silicone mold and cast the resin piece and you'll have a smooth eye you can use to recast again to make a master mold :)

[@LomisPlayground]

That's a great option for people who don't want to sculpt from scratch, thanks for sharing it! I had considered trying that myself, but the only eyes I have on hand for my dolls were really nice urethane eyes I didn't want to risk staining them with the bright purple silicone since I hadn't used it before. I've sculpted a few more unique eye shapes since this and I've been really happy with them. It's so nice to finally have eyes that properly fit a doll with very unusual eye wells!

[@kawaiidevilchuu361]

I didn't mean to say silicone eyes QAQ but that's OK! Also you could buy $2 DIY eyes and cast those :)

[@nadiaginacandradewi5739]

Ok keren baget

[@agustincoronel8205]

What material gives shine to the eyes? thanks greetings

[@aliciapellerano8321]

felicitaciones por sus trabajos hermozos gracias por compartirlo

[@oBringMeTheDiscoCake]

Does anyone know if Modena air dry resin clay would be good for making the bases? I would seal them aswell but I'm interested if using that clay would be harmful to the dolls. Thank you!

[@WaynesWorldStudioVancouver]

Thank you, definitely I will be checking more your videos! Time to mode my sculptures!

[@agustincoronel8205]

and what do you paint them with? : D

[@Natalia-009]

I've been wanting to make eyes for mine for a while! Your video was very clear thank you! ❤

[@miazillwood-hunt1031]

If anyone is using just regular resin for doming something that I do when making eyes is leaving the resin for a little longer until it goes tacky so it's not as runny and doesn't melt over the sides. If you do it like this you need to keep checking the resin and running over heat such as a lighter to pop the bubbles as when it goes tacky it's much harder and also if you put it on the eyes and then run the lighter over the resin will go a little runny as it's almost melting it in a way so it's best to do it before.

[@RavicaArt]

Thanks for sharing :) Do you throw out the pipette after each cast? I got plastic pipettes and found no way to use them several times yet :/

[@LomisPlayground]

I've been able to salvage them for multiple uses a few times by squeezing down the whole length of the pipette with a paper towel once the resin starts getting thick. As long as the tip is clear, that's good enough. I don't always catch it before the resin is too firm to squeeze out though. I keep a separate box for my recyclable supplies like that and toss my used pipettes in there, so then if I'm not able to refill them, I dump them into the recycling bin and don't feel quite as bad about the waste!

[@MaidenTrollBlood]

Cool! I'm going to try this someday when some of my other hobbies calm down lol.

[@LomisPlayground]

I hope you do, it's a lot of fun! I understand needing everything else to settle first, though, haha. I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately myself because I have so many things going at once.

[@RandomLazars01]

this video was so helpful thank u so much omgg

[@LomisPlayground]

I'm glad it was helpful for you!

[@animeloverforeverfan3701]

Dang that looks like too much work for me

[@chrissiehutchings3666]

Which doll is pictured at the end? Shes stunning!!

[@LomisPlayground]

She is an Iplehouse SID Aria on the nYID body. ^^

[@chan-xm6wn]

Eyyyy she used the front of a Strawberry Pocky box!!!!

[@lain8740]

chan愛 I think we all knew that

[@mariaosadchenko2370]

Heey, thank you so much for this video. Can you use these with clay and cure it in the oven with them in the sculpture?

[@LomisPlayground]

Resin cannot be baked without damaging it. However, you could use the molds to press polymer clay eyes that can be used in the oven just fine, and the Lisa Pavelka magic glos for the clear dome is oven-safe as well :)

[@willowloe6917]

I love your voice. good video!

[@Rubychan1000]

what size pearl did you use for the eye? wonderful videos :)

[@LomisPlayground]

For these I used 3mm, but I also have 2mm and 4mm pearls I use for different sizes of eye and different looks. ^^

[@thenar]

nice job Lomi. Thanks

[@chloec5497]

Could you post a list of the materials you used please? And this is very helpful video.

[@LomisPlayground]

Oh goodness! Let me see if I can remember... I use Sculpey for making my bases. Tamiya putty for filling in dents and scratches. 3m sandpaper in 320 and 600 grits for smoothing and polishing. Pure acetone for cleaning the bases. Oomoo silicone for making molds. Amazing Casting Resin in white for the bases, and Amazing Casting Resin in clear for coating and long cure, which I didn't like :) I use acrylics like matte medium and Americana gloss in place of glue, because glue can interfere with the clear resin. The pupils are acrylic half pearls in black. Any sort of acrylic paint will work for painting the bases. Liquitex matte medium might be needed to help it adhere better. I use Jacquard Pearl Ex shimmer powders. Lisa Pavelka Magic Glos for the cornea and clear dome part of the eye in this video, but I have since switched to using Solarez UV cure resin for this instead. I think that's everything...

[@chloec5497]

Oh my thank you for replying! That Is quite a list, I live in the UK and where I live there is no place that does things for this sort of art :( hope you don't mind me saying its art but your work is beyond amazing. I have to order everything, I do OOAK dolls and customs. And painting on eyes, doesn't suit me Id rather make them come to life sort of thing :D And Ive been looking everywhere for a silicone brand thank you! Would these work at all in a alternative, Mr super clear UV cut, 2 part apoxy sculpt, liquitex high gloss varnish? This video is very helpful indeed, thank you :) Also I cannot afford a BJD, do you know of anywhere you can get them some what not so expensive? The ones Ive seen have been £200+ and I simply cannot afford that :(

[@LomisPlayground]

MSC shouldn't be necessary unless you really have trouble getting paints to adhere to the iris, but it'd be a fine thing to use then :). Apoxie sculpt or any other 2-part epoxy should be fine for making bases. I've also used white Milliput for bases for dolls that have unusual eye wells, instead of casting resin eyes for them, and it's worked well. And all Liquitex products should be good as well. I found my Liquitex takes a bit longer to dry than my other paints/glosses/varnishes, but as long as you give them 12 hours or so, they should be fine. If they're still too wet or soft it can interfere with the clear resin, but a day is usually enough to take care of it. As for BJDs, they come in a really wide range of prices! I tend to favor more expensive companies, but if money is tight, your best bet may be joining a group like the BJD Addicts sales group on Facebook and watching for an affordable doll to pop up. There are less expensive companies, Resinsoul is one of the most popular and I had a doll from them I absolutely adored but had to sell due to financial constraints at the time. Not everyone is fond of their aesthetics, though, in which case waiting for a bargain BJD to pop up second-hand is probably a good option :) I do see bodies and even full dolls pop up there for $100 USD or less on a fairly regular basis, so it's always fun to hunt for deals!

[@melisasyahril6570]

Hei if u looking for bjd dolls maybe u can try in aliexpress some of them were under $100, ive purchased one in there soon purchase another dolls. They so pretty

[@sonicjess]

That was exactly my question! thank you for asking, I wanna try!

[@chickenwire88]

Have you made a bjd? I'm making one right now but I need info for casting.

[@LomisPlayground]

I have not, I'm afraid. I made custom hands for one of my dolls, but that's as far as I got.

[@marinaalonso7315]

What is glass paint and where can I find it? Great video btw

[@LomisPlayground]

All my paints for eyes come from stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby. :)

[@freshcherries5386]

thanks so much for this!! i recently tried to make eyes with clay, paper (for the pupil), and two-part resin... and ofc i messed up when mixing the resin so it never cured right :/ but after seeing this, I'm definitely going to just use the UV gel. I don't have a UV lamp, have you tried curing it in the sun? if you have, how long did it take? :) thanks for this video!!

[@LomisPlayground]

I sure have! It just rains a lot here, so it's not always an option for me. :) It has to be cured outdoors in direct sunlight since it requires full-spectrum UV, so sitting it on a sunny windowsill won't work. It takes the same amount of time to cure in sunlight as with a UV lamp, but if it gets cut short, don't worry--once the curing process is activated by UV exposure it will continue to harden, it just takes longer. 15 minutes in the sun should be plenty for a full cure, though.

[@tempertantrum8082]

Lomi's Playground

[@Jai_Lopez]

thanks for the pointers tho do you have a list somewhere of items used and where to buy ? "shopping list"

[@simprussgirl999]

What kind of clay or varnish do you use as a filing for eyes? :D

[@LomisPlayground]

Here's a full list of the materials I used for this: I use Sculpey for making my bases. Tamiya putty for filling in dents and scratches. 3m sandpaper in 320 and 600 grits for smoothing and polishing. Pure acetone for cleaning the bases. Oomoo silicone for making molds. Amazing Casting Resin in white for the bases, and Amazing Casting Resin in clear for coating and long cure, which I didn't like :) I use acrylics like matte medium and Americana gloss in place of glue, because glue can interfere with the clear resin. The pupils are acrylic half pearls in black. Any sort of acrylic paint will work for painting the bases. Liquitex matte medium might be needed to help it adhere better. I use Jacquard Pearl Ex shimmer powders. Lisa Pavelka Magic Glos for the cornea and clear dome part of the eye in this video, but I have since switched to using Solarez UV cure resin for this instead.

[@simprussgirl999]

O, thank you very much :D

[@modelinlps5473]

Beautiful

[@MsCrimzen]

Hello, I see you used the Lisa Pavelka magic glos uv resin. I was wondering if you did anything to the painted surface before adding the resin? Also did you get any that appeared to fracture from the resin lifting away from paint or coming out completely? I make realistic eyes myself and normally use Gel Du Soleil but is it expensive for a very small amount and hard to find in my country so I got the magic glos and every eye I have made has set looking fine but within an hour it looks like the eye has fractured which I later realised was the resin lifting away from the polymer/paint iris/pupil. I have tried setting under uv light for short (5 min) and long (10 min) periods of time, on just polymer clay and over acrylic painted polymer clay all having the same results.

[@LomisPlayground]

Yes, this is a common issue with the Magic Glos and I actually spoke to the company themselves about the issue while I was working on overcoming the problem. The issue is because acrylics are still somewhat water soluble even after fully curing. They absorb liquid from the Magic Glos resin, which then causes a negative chemical reaction causing the broken or silvered effect where the resin separates from the surface. Sometimes you get lucky and it won't happen, but to prevent it completely, the acrylics can be coated with something waterproof or at least highly water resistant. I've had great results with clear nail enamel, or clear hobby lacquers from companies like Testors. Most of the time now I use a different UV resin as the base, though, because it allows me to finish the eyes faster. I have been doing a thin coating of Solarez resin over the acrylics, then Magic Glos on top, and it works perfectly every time. :) Hope that helps!

[@MsCrimzen]

Thank you so much for replying and so soon. I contacted the company as well and have had no response. I even sent a bunch of photos of the outcome. Now I know it needs to be sealed, I will get myself some clear nail polish and get back to making eyes for my figures =) One more curious question..... how does it go being baked after its set with or without the polish? The craft store online I buy my supplies through listed that it can be baked with polymer clay after its set but seeing as no eyes have worked for me yet I have yet to see what happens after I put a finished eye in a raw clay face. Thank you again for the reply, you have helped me greatly and saved me from a lot of wasted time and products =)

[@MsCrimzen]

PS I love the white resin eye base........... I have saved your vid to watch later so I can note down what you used..... making 1 set of eye base for each size I use then casting a mould would save me so much time as I take a lot of time making my eye bases so they are 'just' right before baking lol

[@LomisPlayground]

It took me a while to hear back from them... several weeks. Mostly I just kept nagging until they finally replied, LOL! The resin does seem to yellow just a tiny bit after baking, but I'm not sure there's a way around it... it does that with or without the nail polish, doesn't seem to make much of a difference. Extended exposure to sunlight will take the yellowing back out of clear resins, but it causes the iris to fade and the white part of the eye to yellow instead, so there doesn't seem to be much winning! I don't usually have to bake my eyes since they just fit into ready-made dolls, but I have used the Magic Glos for other projects too so I've gotten to see it in the oven. If you can get away with baking polymer pieces at lower temperatures for longer periods of time, it might be okay--the company said the Magic Glos isn't meant to be baked at temperatures any hotter than 125F, but that's like putting it in the sun on a hot day here. I haven't been able to find a solid workaround for that yet, so mostly I just use air-dry or 2-part self curing clays with it now.

[@MsCrimzen]

*sigh* i really thought I found a better product with better value for money and was advertised as bakeable at polymer clay temps, but now Im thinking Im just going to have to buy the smaller amount for twice the price of the other product I used before - Gel Du Soleil - that never yellowed after baking and some times I will bake a figure multiple ties as I work on each section (though I try to only bake the head/face max 2 times) I have never used ready made dolls.... I hand sculpted fairies and other things like animals or my recent project a baby groot (and my reason for buying the msgic gloss as the gel du soleil wasnt available and I was out) I ended up just doing plain clay eyes and painted them when it was finished =( But I shall try the nail polish at least and bake it and see what happens... Thank you again for the replies, I really appreciate your tips and advice regarding the products. =) happy crafting =)

[@calabiyou]

That was a really nice tute.

[@LomisPlayground]

Thank you

[@Susmitha0369]

Thank you very much for this video

[@NancyMiami]

After the eye is complete can it be cured in a polymer face?

[@LomisPlayground]

It will depend on the resin you use. Some resins are more resistant to heat than others. I am not sure about the Alumilite resins for oven curing, but they are more resistant to boiling, which can also be used to cure polymer. The Lisa Pavelka Magic Glos is designed to use with polymer and safe to cure normally, but very long bake times can cause it to yellow just slightly. Hope that helps!

[@lux_iao]

Can you use a nail curing uv lamp to cure the uv gel?

[@LomisPlayground]

Yes, definitely :D

[@lux_iao]

Lomi's Playground ty 🙏

[@gaojingifts]

It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul and that a very important part of human expression and emotion lies in the eyes. As dolls are an important part of the lives of children and their mothers, the eyes of the dolls must be carefully chosen to give them the best make-up, the most beautiful clothes and the most suitable eyes.

[@karoloconnell6375]

Thank you

[@elsaperales7239]

muy buen tutorial

[@ferdousara5250]

are you bake the clay in oven?!

[@LomisPlayground]

Yes, the clay must be baked before you can sand it! :)

[@mayrakopjansen2814]

Awesome

[@user-cz1mu6kk3k]

ポッキー！！こんなところで会えるなんて！

[@zeynepkorkmaz2420]

What is the name of this gel ?

[@LomisPlayground]

Lisa Pavelka Magic Glos ^^

[@trubhaskar]

Oh

[@mmcgartland2095]

Thanks

[@noahvintageweedkiller3154]

Im getting a premade eye kit, the eyeball itself and the cornea/pupil are seperated from it so I can color the Iris myself, but I'm not sure how to put the cornea onto the eye, does anyone have any tips?

[@LomisPlayground]

I have a video about using that sort of eye kit here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3fOgo15nLtkrrM

[@noahvintageweedkiller3154]

@@LomisPlayground oh thank you so much!! I can always trust you for my bjd woes Lomi haha !

[@matosoone]

you deserve more like ; )

[@LomisPlayground]

Aw, thanks!

[@payno7432]

I didn't understand what that substance was that you put under the UV light

[@LomisPlayground]

It is UV cure clear resin. When I made this video, I used a kind called Lisa Pavelka Magic Glos, which was made to retain a droplet or dome shape instead of being runny. However, as far as I know, Magic Glos is no longer in production. There are other types available now, you just want a thick formula UV resin that will hold its shape!

[@franciscocornejo8327]

Nice

[@jamesandchante]

I love this! Thank you for making this video and sharing it. This is awesome! :)

[@nadiaginacandradewi5739]

Dagus sekali

[@ThisOLmaan]

how many drops of white pigment did you add to ur Resin to cast the eyes? 5:30

[@LomisPlayground]

I don't--I use resin that cures white

[@ThisOLmaan]

@@LomisPlayground : did you buy the resin ready made white? where can I find it ? and thank you for responding.

[@LomisPlayground]

@@ThisOLmaan Yes. It's Alumilite Amazing Casting Resin. It is clear when mixed but cures white.

[@ThisOLmaan]

@@LomisPlayground : the Laverder Colored Box or Purple? , cuz i bought a Box the blue box and that one Cures Blue, but thank you , I looked it up and it cast white, 👍🏼

[@mariaviebrantz1505]

Adprei

[@kennyclark1602]

XD this looks so hard an testing ig i jsut know it will turn out not like yours thats very cool how you can do stuff like this i mean its awesome my art teacher can do it im on my dads account)

[@flora_san3491]

Strawberry pockys... My favorite.

[@LomisPlayground]

Mine, too!

[@fanvampire943]

I love video

[@Pp.lolita.dollie]

I’m way to lazy and impatient. This is basically impossible for me 😅🌸💗

[@LomisPlayground]

I don't blame you XD It definitely tested my patience, too.

[@bi.fruitsalad]

Same 🥺😂

[@Maria-db9yb]

“Make sure you use a respirator...” Ah, the days where you could just buy respirators from any hardware store. Now we’re all going to keep a stack whenever they become available again for the next pandemic...

[@LomisPlayground]

Isn't that the truth :/ I'm glad I ordered a box of replacement cartridges for mine around Christmas. I should be stocked for the rest of the year.

[@alkohallick2901]

Hi! Would you make a set of eyes for me?

[@porkchop1184]

Beautiful🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀

[@trubhaskar]

Cat hai kya

[@MrGoatflakes]

So I hesitate to ask, but what's a BJD? :v

[@LomisPlayground]

It's an abbreviation short for Ball-Jointed Doll :)

[@MrGoatflakes]

oh lol thanks :)

[@snookwitham2404]

This is the ballz!

[@carolallison9685]

And now i really want pocky sticks

[@LomisPlayground]

My favorite snack!

[@dbseamz]

See, the thing is... Which costs more? Buying premade eyes from a BJD website? Or buying all these materials?

[@LomisPlayground]

Oh, buying the stuff to make your own definitely costs more. It's not for everyone, but it does open the door for eyes you'd have difficulty getting elsewhere. If I want another pair of cat-pupil, small-iris, metallic glow-in-the-dark eyes for my doll Rune... I won't be able to get those from a BJD site or even eBay. So if you want regular eyes, buying pre-made eyes is probably a better idea :) But if you've got an off-the-wall idea, it can be tons of fun to try doing it yourself!

[@SuperMonaLisaBros]

Shipping, me lad.

[@snazzy8823]

Your voice iS so cute

[@darksagalla1069]

Hatice yazıyı okuduysan aferin sana okumadım sen yazdıklarını zaten böyle bir şey olacağını gittik kadınca bizim alamıyoruz ya sen bize bak böyle şeylerle hiç uğraşma bak yoksa ben gelir mi kadına ölürüm senin garibanın alıyoruz ki göreyim seni

[@trubhaskar]

Please mujhe bhi baat karo aap ko kya lagata hai ki aap english bolte hai main bhi english,spanish,chinese likh or bol sak ti hu. Ha ha ha

[@trubhaskar]

Reply dena

[@tracynail4432]

did you enjoy your pocky? I would've

[@LomisPlayground]

Oh yes! I love Pocky. My husband used to live in Japan, so he used to send me different flavors of Pocky to try. Now I almost always have some around for a snack.

[@tracynail4432]

Lomi's Playground Pocky is truly delicious. I've been playing around with some I ordered off of Amazon, trying to come up with a good pocky milkshake. So far no success, sadly

[@mystyleart3493]

good video! you talked so fast 😂

[@LomisPlayground]

Haha, it's funny because I slow down for my videos so I don't get tongue-tied XD Apparently nobody would be able to understand me if I talked full speed. Thank you!

[@normagonzalez9739]

my life every single day

[@darksagalla1069]

Güzel şey söyleyim çok çirkin yapıyorsun sonra başkalarınamadığı zamantıkları izletildi kıskanıyor ki dedi ama sana yaptığını görüyor deymez aradım ne yapıyor ikiden sonra bak işte böyle şeyler çık yeter git dükkanı aç abicim yapamıyor mu KZbin atıyorsun

[@leijiang5858]

too fast, cant see well