Painting eyes on miniatures made easy - Warhammer!

👑👑 I'm in the midst of releasing my dream miniature brush as well as some wonderfully sculpted miniature busts. It's something I'm really proud of and been working on for the better part of the last year. Late pledges from the Kickstarter are up and You can check it out here: www.squidmar.com/latepledge 👑👑
Painting eyes is secretly easy with this tool! Emil & Squidmar Miniatures dives deep in to the knowlege of painting eyes on miniatures of different sizes. Anything you might want to know about painting eyes on scale miniatures, warhammer, space marines, lord of the rings, painting busts etc.
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Amazon Affiliate Links to stuff i use(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases you do after following this link - at no cost to you):
Micron Pen 003 (0.15mm):
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UK: amzn.to/39u25gx
CANADA: amzn.to/39vAVG8
GERMANY: amzn.to/2Qg1Z4K
The brush i use - Raphael 8404.
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GERMANY: amzn.to/2S8pCM0
UK: amzn.to/2xR7Svj
CANADA: amzn.to/2G6JdqN
FRANCE: amzn.to/2k9CDrP
SPAIN: amzn.to/2k9IOfs
Anycubic i3 Mega (the 3D printer i use)
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UK: amzn.to/2xu0Hsz
DEUTSCHLAND: amzn.to/2JdquvX
CANADA: amzn.to/2YA95CW
HARDER STEENBECK EVOLUTION SILVERLINE (the Airbrush I use)
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UK amzn.to/2Ll5LGm
GERMANY amzn.to/2LmurOD
CANADA amzn.to/2NGv3S2
Anycubic Photon (the Resin printer I use):
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CANADA: amzn.to/2ZJ13Hq
GERMANY: amzn.to/2Lsgxue
UK: amzn.to/2Lh5qpf
FRANCE: amzn.to/32JxgjI
Emil On
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Painting miniatures for your warhammer & d&d games. Age of sigmar and warhammer 40k. Space Marines, Space Wolves, Stormcast Eternals, beastclaw raiders, ogor mawtribes, cities of sigmar, chaos space marines, painting scale models, miniature busts! How to paint NMM. How to paint warhammer, how to paint d&D figures.

[@JJJacey]

Also worth mentioning, if your character doesn't have red blood instead of using the reddish brown for the area around the eyeball you could use the color of their blood mixed with their base flesh tone.

[@AristeidisKypriotis]

Micron pens of various sizes are also a decent hack for "painting" text on purity seals and similar areas if you have trouble doing it with a brush

[@angelobatista7005]

Aristeidis Kypriotis why was I reading micro penis lol

[@MrBizteck]

Ive used them for tattoos too.

[@fatboymisk]

Angelo Batista me too, i came to check comments to make sure i wasn’t the only one!

[@carlinvoker2532]

Cat whiskers work well too. Don't pluck them, just collect the ones that fall out. Or ask a friend to collect them if you don't have a cat.

[@Karina-Loves-Andreas]

@@angelobatista7005 Micro penises are fairly worthless, but enthusiasm, humor, and kindness helps compensate...

[@willthorson4543]

Another tip that works really well, whatever your strength is in painting left or right paint the eye like normal, your weak side, turn the head upside down and paint it. It actually works really well. I paint 1/35 and 1/16figure eyes that way.

[@bg5886]

I use a toothpick, cut the end off which gives it a nice circular look. Dip it in paint and gives me a perfect iris every time.

[@rickbruins6562]

If you have an old micron pen you can also use it to dip the tip in paint . I use one for the white. I also have a small metal toothpick which i use for really small spots. Just dip it in the paint.

[@redhotswing]

I've been working on a beholder for a few days, and was a little daunted by the eyes. Someone on r/minipainting linked this video this morning, and I put the technique to use right away.. many times on the same model lol. Worked a treat! Thanks Emil :-)

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

Those eyes look so good, and that micron pen tip...amazing! I'm gonna try this. Thanks, Emil!

[@martinw.8842]

I can only agree! Every Video helps me getting better at painting and gives me new ideas. Thanks alot Emil!

[@JulianSloman]

Agreed, the white dot on top didn't work though (since it was bigger than the pupil! :D )

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

This is a bit nicer looking than my usual technique of using a bent cheap brush to fill the eye recess with dark wash. Not sure. Official Squidmar wife reveal.

[@ElijahRhyne]

What is this? A crossover episode?

[@johnrichardwilliams]

Michael Gallimore He’s obviously revealing himself as Squidmar’s wife.

[@tacticalgamer7777]

Black magic craft Hi dude!

[@jackwhorton6826]

A tip that helped me for basic eye painting is once you've painted the white/off white of the eye ball, paint a dark line down the middle. When you then finish the skin around the eye that will sort out any over run and with the size that eyes are in warhammer, looks pretty good. Not as good as Emil's methods but a useful stepping stone nonetheless!

[@svenscholz3412]

After over 15 years you brought me back to Warhammer.. got pretty much no time for playing it rn. but just some painting after a stressful day at work or universty is just so relieving. Thanks for that! :')

[@SquidmarMiniatures]

👑👑 I'm in the midst of releasing my dream miniature brush as well as some wonderfully sculpted miniature busts. It's something I'm really proud of and been working on for the better part of the last year. Late pledges from the Kickstarter are up and You can check it out here: www.squidmar.com/latepledge 👑👑

[@TeeVeesGreatest]

well done bud! nice video. I also dip a pin into white to get the light relect spot on the eye. It works well and guards against over painting on the eye by accident. All the best!

[@chrispatty8953]

Just want to say thank you for sharing all your tips and talent. Thanks to you and other great artist I have seen my painting greatly improve over two years.

[@ashclayton3273]

I actually bought a pack of those exact micron pens about a week ago for doing the purity seals and scrolls on the new sisters... how did I not even think to use them for this aswell!! Thanks for the tip :)

[@peteoconnor6388]

Btw, make sure to include some sort of image of the killer in any dead eyes you do.

[@AllyKazaamm]

Thanks for the micron pen tip! I have a buttload laying around from before I switched to digital art and now I can put them to good use!

[@grimgar3048]

Happy new year Emil, looking forward to more great vids & tips 'n' tricks this year

[@DustyTheKitty]

Having no depth perception, trying to paint eyes has been the absolute bane of my mini painting hobby. Just ordered some 0.03mm pens off Amazon, looking forward to trying them out, cheers Squidmar!

[@DustyTheKitty]

Just a follow up after finally getting a batch of archers ready for detailing. These 0.3mm pens are superb, it's turned the worst part of something I love into something i can do far more easily, thank you so much

[@alexrenxa7700]

This makes me feel so much better on getting the eyes done on my space wolves. Hope you feel better, Emil!!!!

[@Karina-Loves-Andreas]

Wow. These eyes are AMAZING!!!

[@RageBadgerGaming]

Definitely very helpful. Honestly your technique of just taking apart the eye and figuring out what it's made of, what colors to use and not just comic book black/white was worth noting.

[@dead2ritesCrosshairs]

Just a little tip I have come up with in answer to how especially Warhammer minis seem to always have their hair or hoods in a way that partially covers one eye. Or it's great if you just don't feel like painting 2 eyes. Find a bit that is rounded and roughly a little bigger than the eye socket and cut a small chunk off (I like using scope ends). Then just cut around the eye enough to fit it and you get one of those cyborg looking lense-type optics. It has come in handy on more than several occasions.

[@ZadyBankZ]

The micropens is such a great hack!! Thank you!!! I already have those pens for my other drawing/sketching, and never thought of using that.

[@thomasshrum4006]

I watched you paint those eyes and yet somehow I still don't understand how you made them look so amazing! I'm going to have to try this myself. Great video!!

[@sebastianklapdor1492]

Big thanks for this tutorial! The technique worked right away and makes the most daunting task on my miniatures so much easier! Also bought the pens you linked and they are terrific!

[@28russ]

I find when doing tiny areas like eyes sometimes it's hard to tell exactly where the brush tip is going to contact the mini....But I find if I look at the brushes shadow I can tell where the brush tip and the shadow will meet and more easily judge exactly where the brush tip will contact the mini.....Anyway .....That's my little tip for eyes.....And the micro sharpies are great....I just used one for doing the netting on a Predator mini I'm painting......It was damn near impossible with a brush and my shitty skills lol :-)

[@quimninja]

I support my hand and fingers across the model with my index finger and thumb with brush...doing the motion of painting the tiny area..and move closer and closer....only way i can do it...my eyes arnt what they used to be

[@TheMartinChronicles]

The brush and shadow meeting point is an excellent tip. Thank you!

[@prisk1970]

Thanks for the eye painting tips :)

[@alejandromengualdiana9531]

el mejor vídeo sobre pintar ojos que he encontrado... con mucha diferencia! Gacias!!

[@andrespestchanker3443]

Wow Emil!!!!! That's totally spectacular!!!!!!

[@juliowissing3382]

Great Video as always, Emil! Keep up the good work.

[@malabor_paints]

Once again, the SquidKing nails it with another great tutorial video. Thanks for all that you do!!

[@Chemclskinz]

Hope you feel better soon dude! Thanks for the awesome tips, love your vids!

[@ryancarter6876]

wow looks great

[@docwex]

Brilliant! Thanks!

[@wesleybrooks6882]

thanks so much, i am keen to give eyes a try now.

[@iamphL]

your painting skill is beyond amazing! really great and informative stuff you put out there! :) thanks!

[@sableandscalpel1139]

Hope you feel better! Awesome video and super helpful. I've always had trouble with eyes. I've heard of the pen trick, but never looked into it. Definitely going to try it on my next mini. Keep making the videos!

[@Talon0524]

That’s freaking awesome. 👍👍

[@davidanddragons5339]

I never realized you could use a pen for the eyes! Before watching this video I was using a brush to brush on white and than this tiny brush to put a black dot on and wow those eyes were rough. I can't wait to try this. Also that micropen was incredibly affordable. 5 dollars right now due to a sale so I got it with your link. This video was super helpful thanks

[@johnleach8553]

Great video thanks for the tips. Got paints and some minis for Christmas. Be painting my first soon. Your tips will be a big help. Thank you

[@FAQComputers]

Thank you for this video. My eyes have always looked so generic. I am nowhere near as good, but these techniques have help a lot in the 3 models I have tried it on. Thanks! Keep up the great videos!

[@Apophis150]

Excellent video! Love your work man!

[@Brendnpatric]

Thank you!

[@playaway69ify]

Thanks for the really helpful tips, great video! - Just thought you might like to know that the micro pen you used actually has a 0.15mm tip, the '003' is the pens number in their range (I think!).

[@BrausamM]

Awesome Video. Great Job on the Orc 👌

[@AaronAlcaraz]

At last! The long awaited eyes video!!! Thank you!

[@WIZERD51]

Awesome trick

[@HeadPhones80]

holy squidmar your a god damn genius using a micron pen to dot eyes definitely gonna try that out on my new sisters love your stuff man

[@stuartmees7822]

I've been painting dwarves and doing the eyes justice has been killing me 👍👍👍 Great work thanks

[@justanothercaptain6566]

OMG that was an amazing cheat! Thank you Sir! I hope you feel better soon. Cheers

[@GTXanatos13]

Love that hack, going to try with the pen.

[@teritras41]

Nice tutorial Emil ! Keep up the good work !

[@benoit7935]

Thx for sharing !!

[@Accia121]

For dotting tiny blobs into awkward crevices, you can try using a pin, paint won't stay dry long but you really dont need it if it's just for dotting, you could use this for the light reflections too

[@capidano6248]

Happy New Year! Hope ya get healthy soon, and super solid video to start the new year.. I never looked at painting eyes this way, and have learned a TONNE!

[@capidano6248]

I also used your idea of larger brush with a very fine tip and it works MUCH easier then a very small brush, this alone I think has helped me the most with doing eyes now!

[@Tastylettuce12]

Is it worth mentioning that your eyes are stunning? legit like an oil painting

[@shadowshandbro]

I just subscribed as I love your style. Began painting back in February, and hope to improve my talent as time goes on.

[@adrianfurlow5498]

Thanks for another great tutorial, especially like the pen trick since I already have some

[@viktorwestermark7405]

Great tutorial! Looking forward to paint some eyes now :)

[@bartdevuyst]

Excellent video. As a graphic designer, I loved the Photoshop part a lot!

[@Ralcons1]

Great tips! Thanks!

[@mxpxdude]

Fun to watch, very educational

[@deadlotus4445]

LOL "I'm high as a kite....LET'S LEARN SOMETHING!" Awesome!!

[@R0yalGambit]

Great tip, wish I'd known about it sooner.

[@jurekzavadil6965]

Haha, I am using nail dotting tool for eyes. I have like tons of these micro pens at home and never even think about using them :D Thank you so much for this idea

[@aletaliente716]

Tanks... a lot for your tutorial

[@ericbilles2306]

Happy new year !

[@gregmccormack5709]

Oh man those Micron pens work sweet for eyes! just got one totally worth if you find pupils with a brush frustrating. (make sure you grab the smallest pen size) Thank you Squidmar!!!

[@cristobalcid4160]

Thank you very much!

[@StMansur]

Thanks. I have a few other ways, but thanks for new ideas!

[@saryonn]

Awesome

[@elfhighmage8240]

That's crazy good. What I have done for my 28mm Reapers is that I start from the inside out. First I coat the face with the skin tone. Next I paint a dab of black right where the iris should be. From there, I paint around the iris with the select pupil color, then the eye, the eyeliner (default is usually brown or black). Perhaps I've been doing it wrong...

[@justinhuber5371]

Your eyes ARE beautiful! Great tutorial!

[@dh1676]

Thank you for this video, all of your excellent tips. I have subscribed to your channel.

[@davidharms9775]

Good tip! Thanks!

[@TheDigitalThreat]

I dont have a lot of mini painting experience but what I have worked on, for me at least - just using micro pens with colored inks (depending on the mini) is much easier than with a brush, in regards to actually painting them. Your points on the shapes is spot on as its actually a subject of a few lectures I had to sit through in the late 90's while in art school. Thing is I dont see it fitting in the scale of minis. With minis so far I've only needed one dot. I wont even bother with whites like I would if I was making a cartoon or portrait because if we are using true scale we shouldn't be able to see them, even with the mini in our hand. At most you would see just a tint of grey/blur as the whites and one dot to represent both iris and pupil (if its human like eyes).

[@RPRsChannel]

I have always used needles to paint: the eye color, a smaller one for the iris and a super fine point for the reflection. The results have amazed people for decades, I have even won a competition where the eyes were especially mentioned.

[@cyberbum9688]

RPKsChannel Wow I need to try that trick! Never thought of using a needle, I have a bunch of sewing needles

[@RPRsChannel]

@@cyberbum9688 Also....what are they called again.....lead in mechanical pencils? They type you refill wil these thin rods? You know what I mean? They were the perfect pupil size, but they come in many sizes, look at a bookstore that also sells supplies, I'm sure you used one in math class.

[@cyberbum9688]

@@RPRsChannel Finally the micron pen didn't work (I have a very fine 005) because the mini's eye is recessed in its socket and the pen tip didn't fit. I tried with a needle but that was also hard because the paint would dry so fast on the tip. And the paint had a tendency to bunch up around the pin head, instead of directly underneath it. In the end I painted the socket white, and for the pupil I drew a straight vertical line. Then I cleaned up the top and bottoms as much has possible.

[@matthewsnyder66]

What size sewing needles were you using for each effect?

[@insanemang9983]

Thankyou for answering my wishes!

[@chad2687]

that pen tip is amazing lol my mom has that exact pen so Im definitely gonna borrow it. thanks for the the vid squidmar. Loved the lil theory bit aswell.

[@chad2687]

Also get well soon!

[@Rogelio_007]

This was an excellent tutorial. Especially considering you were not feeling well. Thanks

[@mandersson1979]

Great tutorial! I'm a novice when it comes to painting miniatures but armed with this knowledge I think I can paint some decent eyes at least :-)

[@cthonia]

God painter you got mad talent

[@danielalfaro6516]

Thanks a Lot for share this Information, Painting eyes is the most difficult thing to do in 1/35 figures.

[@TheFryPo]

Great idea to show the process of painting in photoshop, way easier to understand what exactly you're doing.

[@user-qp1ig1zt3s]

never thought of the pen for eyes . ive just had to leave them till now great tip

[@7BigLB7]

Thank you squidmore, I learn to Day how i can painted es. Thanks

[@8halfnhalf8]

Hey Squidmar! love ur vid, just wanted to say that painting eyes on these busts are incredibly easy compared to on a small warhammer or equivalent infantry unit where you need a 3/000 brush lol

[@HamboneWilson]

Way to hang in there while you were sick. Ironically it ended up being one of your most helpful technical videos imho

[@stephenstanton4936]

Impressive

[@jonatan2969]

Thanks for this video just tried it on a larger mini and it looks amazing. 2 questions 1: Im wondering whether i should give the eye some Ardcoat or similar thing to make them shiny, would you recommend that or keep them as is? 2: Any chance you could make a video on animalistic eyes, like cat eyes or reptile eyes?

[@thedabblingwarlock]

@4:00 Your iris is also concave. The top part actually faces down. So part of it is the lid, but it's also the shape of the iris.r

[@mst3kpimp]

thanks for the guide very helpful on my project

[@SquidmarMiniatures]

Thx for the love mate :D

[@WettX]

Amazing, helt sjukt snyggt

[@ScottyMcLagan]

(apologies if someone already made this joke). Steadying your hand again the desk or your arm is all well and good; so too is using brush/pen hydbrids. But what you really gotta do is make like Snake in Metal Gear Solid when he fights Sniper Wolf i.e. take some Valium/diazepam. That'll steady your hand perfectly, according to to that game (a great scholarly source, of course....)

[@plumfun6750]

Ahhh...the old "technical pen" trick. I never learned this. I discovered it on my own back in 1987-88 when "Warhammer 40000 Rogue Trader" was published (well, I guess it was a few years later..call it 1990'ish). Painted a Blood Angels space marine but gave him a 'spiderman' motif. I drew on the webbing, spider, and wording ("Spider-Man"; indicating this particular marines 'nickname'). It worked out amazingly well! .. Not sure who came up with the idea of using a technical pen (nowadays called "fineliners" or "multiliners" in the art/comic drawing community), but I never read about anyone doing/using them in any books or magazines. It is a great technique though! Highly recommend it! :)

[@Matteogambitta]

f***ing PERFECT

[@cmckinley22272]

Good idea to use the micron pen!

[@cwj138]

I like your jumper. This video is good.

[@lordshadow3822]

I got that pen! Awesome, thank you. Yeah eyes are the bane of my models as they're the size if pin hoop lol

[@boardsandstuff5008]

I use the tool used by nail technicians to make dots or circles. Cool