S CULPTING

T HE E YE
A Tutorial by Deb Wood
Created for
International Art Doll Registry

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For this tutorial, I will be sculpting just one eye, large in scale so you can see the steps and de-
tail with better clarity. I am using a manufactured eye, by Glastique, for this process. Begin by
inserting the eye into the clay, so just the surface of the cornea is level with the profile the face.
Open the area on each side of the eye. I use a knitting needle, probably about #7 for this but for
a tiny eye I would use a very tiny knitting needle, about as big as a toothpick in diameter.

Here you can see the knitting needle, and I use it to open the tear duct areas on each side of
the eye. The inside corner is pulled down a bit more than the outer eyelid area. Notice the
small ball of clay that is added to the inside corner of the eye. The upper brow area is starting
to take shape and the lower lid area is pushed up against the eyeball.

This illustration is huge compared to what you will be doing, the lids are tiny little pieces of
clay—-but this shows the shape of the lids. I place the lower lid in first, and then add the up-
per lid over that so it slightly overlaps at the corners.

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After the lid pieces are in place, again using the knitting needle to smooth, work the lids in
around the eyeball. Work gently here– you will be just slightly touching the edges of the lid
pieces onto the face. Tuck the corners of the lids in so they don’t protrude at all. In the last
photo above, see the indent that is placed in the inside corner of the eye.

Next I raise the ‘tissue’ over the eye to get that indent above the inside corner of the eye.
(Photo 1) I sort of square this area off a bit…. Then also put an indent in the inside, next to
where the bridge of the nose would be. Finally, (Photo 3) I use my fingers to put an indent just
below the outside edge of the eye. Note the taper to the lids in the inner corner of the eye.

Now I add an additional pad of clay for the brow bone. Again, using that handy knitting needle,
roll the edges of the clay onto the forehead and brow. By rolling the clay, you don’t risk distorting
the face as much as you might if you tried to smooth this with your fingers.

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Continue smoothing that clay onto the face. In the second photo, I’m using the end of a paint
brush to indent at the corners of the eye. (This is more apparent in the photos directly below.)
Also, use the bristle end of the paintbrush to smooth the lids and make them curve gracefully
over the eyeball.

See the nice curves around the eye– and the indents in the corners of the eye. The lids taper
down to almost flush, don’t have extra clay sticking out at the corners. Detail can be added now,
creases in the lids, both lower and upper. Also, notice how the highest point of the upper lid is
directly above the pupil. The lid naturally follows the contour of the eyeball to protect it, yet allows

us to be able to see! So the highest point is just above the iris and pupil. In these photos, I am
just fine tuning the creases and indents I’ve already put in place. In the last photo, I am starting to
sculpt in the brow and eyebrow area.

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You can see the eyebrow starting to take shape in the first photo. This also helps to accentuate
the bone that is under the eyebrow. (Photo 1) Using a dental tool to make creases, more detail is
added to the upper lid. **If you plan to add an eyelash strip, now is a good time to run a needle
between the lid and the eyeball, making a slight gap. This allows room for the eyelash strip later.

Depending on your preference, you may wish to sculpt in the hairs of the eyebrow. Even if I am
painting the eyebrows on later, I still do this to add texture to this area so the brush stokes are
more feathered. You could also add small pieces of fiber over this are to fill in for eyebrows af-
ter baking.

The finished product! Taking these photos in artificial lighting helped to show the contours of
the eye. I quickly worked in the bridge where the nose would be to show the depth and set of
the eyeball. **Remember, the eyeball is almost completely protected within the skull. Keep that
in mind as you sculpt, get the eyeballs set into the head deep enough to recreate this.