Painting dragon eyes

[Mongo Mel]

Hi,
I'm working on the bust of the dragon from the movie "Dragonheart" and I need your help. I'm looking for a method to paint the eyes. I want them to look like what you see when you look at a crocodiles eyes. Not sure of the color to use yet either. Megroot gave me the suggestio to use what sounds like a bright yellow form Humbrol. Since I paint with oils, I've substituted Cad Yellow and painted this over the entire eye. I've tried dabbing in dozens of small dots of other colors while wet but they're so small that they disappear when I blend. This picture is of the dragon before I started working on the eyes.
I'd appreciate any advice you can offer me.
Thanks,
Craig

 

[Anders Heintz]

Hole Craig!

Sweet bust! Here are a couple of shots of some Taxadermy Aligator eyes, hopefully they will be of some help!

 

[Anders Heintz]

Here is aligator #2

 

[Anders Heintz]

Or how about a Timber Rattler eyeball?

 

[Anders Heintz]

Or maybe a Copper Head?

 

[Mongo Mel]

Hi Anders,
Thanks for that. Funny thing...before the switch back to this format, I has actually posted the same picture of a crocodile taxidermy eye :lol: .

About the only method I've been able to think of now is to begin adding Lots of small dots on the darker color on top of the yellow after the yellow is dry. then lots of lighter color dots after that. Don't know if that will work or not.
Thanks again Anders,
Craig

 

[Anders Heintz]

Hey Craig!

I would start out with an almost black, painting the entire eyeball, then I would add like you said, a bunch of different lighter colors untop of this in thin layers (acrylics) to get the desired effect. maybe even paint one color, then add a coat of future, then add another and so on, to try to get some depth to it.

I think the key to an eye like this is to paint the eyeball light enough so that you can see the oval or football shaped pupil clearly and also well placed and painted catch lights. Also make sure that you have some clear difference in the colors and be careful not to make it look like a dotted eyeball!

 

[PJ Deluhery]

Craig -

The bust is fantastic. Somehow I missed it in my travels. Who's the manufacturer and where is it available? Gotta have that one, Man!

As for painting the eye, I have used my cat as a model. I would favor brighter colors to contrast with the darker colors of the dragon body and to make the eyes jump out. Depending on the color scheme of the dragon, I'd be favoring either bright yellows or yellow-greens.

Thanks.

 

[Mongo Mel]

Hi Pat,
The dragon is produced by United Empire Miniatures. I got mine from a dealer at the MFCA show in Philadelphia a few years ago.
I'm assuming that it's still available since it's still listed on UEM's site.
Here's a link...
United Empire Miniatures

I'm going to try for the brighter look you mentioned. I want the eyes to grab the viewer. If I can pull it off that is :lol: .

I had posted some info on it but it disappeared in the changeover.
It's resin, comes cast in 10 pieces (head, right arm and 10 horns), it's huge and it weighs a ton!
When it's on the base I'm using it's going to be over 10 inches tall. To support it I used a heavy brass center rod from a lamp. Plus I used my normal brass tubing in the arm as well.
Every one of these I've seen done was mounted with the body straight up and down. I opted to mount mine on an angle so that it looked more casual. Kind of in keeping with the charactor in the movie.
When it's done I plan on it being viewed from the right front quarter. I'm going to try to paint the eyes so that they're looking out of the corner of the eye, directly at the viewer.
Thanks for replying Pat.
Craig
PS: Here's another picture of it, just for fun

 

[Mongo Mel]

Plus one more to show just how big it is...

 

[megroot]

Craig,

I incist that you paint the eyes with fluoresent yellow.
I think that is the only color what you are looking for.
Then make it of with black spots etc. You want that look so for one time in your life use the humbrol paint for this and make the iris fluoresent yellow.

marc

 

[Mongo Mel]

Okay Marc..you win..yellow it is
You've been the consistant poster to my questions on this figure so I guess I have to listen to you :lol:
Thanks,
Craig

 

[megroot]

Hey Craig,

I'm just a novice. But i think that's the only way to achieve the eye's you want.
you can even if you want fluoresent orange. That will do also. It is the freedom of the artist on such a lovely fiction figure.

I hope to see the eyes soon.

Marc

 

[PJ Deluhery]

Hi Craig,

Thanks for the link and the additional info. I'm headed for UEM 's site right now!

Your display ideas are great, and I hope that you will give us a look as you progress on this project.

Happy Painting!

 

[Brad S]

Craig,

Maybe some transparent inks or transparent airbrush acrylics. Iridescent mediums. Florescent. The ideas are endless.

Brad Spelts

 

[John Long]

I'd be inclined to try a mix of yellow ochre, cad yellow, and gold printers ink. After it's dry I'd give it a couple coats of Future or Crystal-Cote. I've never done this, but I think it'd work.

 

[Anders Heintz]

Id stay away from the metallics because it would looks just that, metallic.

If you are painting them yellow, I would also shade and create depth and interest with reds mixed in to make that fiery look of a dragons eyes, unless its a kind dragon.

How about watching the movie where the dragon idea came from and see how Hollywood made the eyes?