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SETTING EYES
Once you have beveled and perfected the eye cut in your doll, bisque fired it, china painted and fired it, you may set the eyes.
Supplies:
Seeley part number in parenthases.
Suitable eyes (glass or acrylic)
Eye-setting wax (#EYEWAX)
Plaster (#PLAST)
Tile (#GT6)
Palette Knife (#ST17)
Cup for water
Optional: Eye setting Tool (#ST15)
Optional Denatured alcohol and tooth picks
Temporarily set the eyes in the head with eye wax so that both eyes may be adjusted to look in the same direction. Roll a small ball of eye wax into a coil. Place it on the eye where the eye will contact the bisque. Firmly press the eyes into the sockets, and adjust them so that both eyes focus together. A great way to double check the focus of the eyes is to look at where the reflection rests on the eye. The reflection should be on the same point on both eyes. To avoid the "staring" look, position the eye so that the pupil is not in the center, but turned up just a little. (Remember the example of painted eyes; part of the iris is up under the eyelid.) You can also have the eyes looking to one side. The doll's expression will change with different settings. You may need to use the Eye Setting Tool if you are working on a dome-head doll or a small head where you can't reach the eye sockets. This tool holds the eye, making it easier for insertion into the head.
Place head face-down on a soft towel. Mix plaster and water on a glazed tile with a pallet knife to a thick and wet consistency. Use a palette knife to place plaster on the sides of the eyes and the adjoining bisque surface. Be careful not to let the plaster "run". Allow the head to sit undisturbed until the plaster is dry and hard. Use a toothpick to remove any wax from the front of the eye. Optional: Use alcohol to clean wax off glass eyes and make them shine!
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