Paint Realistic Creature & LED Robot Eyes

Create Life-Like Characters

FREE LESSON + FREE 7-DAY TRIAL

Make real progress on your character design goals by painting 4 eye styles in real-time with me. Access our entire library of past course broadcasts plus new LIVE courses!


Learn By Doing

Start Now – Watch the First Lesson Free!

From organic creature eyes to tech-inspired robot optics enhanced with LED effects, learn to paint realistic eyes with me for life-like addition to your projects and characters.

I’ll show you how to get incredible results for projects of all kinds like puppets, masks, animatronics and other electronics projects using affordable materials and painting techniques that beginners can pick up quickly, with a few airbrush modifications for more intermediate artists.

$19.99/MONTH + FREE 7-DAY TRIAL!

40% OFF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS

Paint With Me Side-By-Side

Get the Materials

Although you can watch and participate without painting anything, getting hands-on with the process is where the real learning and growth happens.

1″ / 30mm Glass Cabochons
1″ Acrylic Half Spheres
30mm Acrylic Balls
Acrylic Paint Set
Fine Detail Brush Set
Airbrush Set (optional)
Airbrush Paints (optional)

What We’ll Do Together

4 REAL-TIME, PAINT-ALONG LESSONS

Create side-by-side with me as we paint 4 different styles of eyes.

GET PROFESSIONAL RESULTS USING BUDGET-FRIENDLY MATERIALS

From glass cabochons to acrylic hemispheres and full spheres, we’ll turn affordable store-bought options into incredible realistic-looking eyes.

FORWARD & REVERSE LAYER METHODS

Become proficient with painting in layers both in the forward and reverse directions to suit different material surfaces.

EXPLORE AIRBRUSH OPTIONS

Have an airbrush? Add more nuance and subtle detail and compare the difference alongside their hand-painted counterparts.

Course Activity Feed

Explore member projects, post your own, try a community challenge, get personalized feedback and ask me and other members questions. You’re not alone on your creative journey!

How to paint acrylic and glass animal eyes.
How to paint and wire LED animal and robot eyes.

TAKING A COURSE IS JUST THE BEGINNING


Unlike other course platforms, your creative journey doesn’t end after the last lesson. Accelerate your growth with a supportive and inspiring group of peers as a member of our Engineering Artists community.

In addition to this course, members have access to:

COURSES

  • All live and on-demand courses for a more well-rounded skillset.
  • New LIVE lessons with real-time chat every month.
  • All course activity feeds.
  • Updates & revisions to all courses.

BUILD TOGETHER SESSIONS (via ZOOM)

  • LIVE virtual community making sessions where we dedicate time to our projects, share skills, showcase what we’re working on, ask questions and interact with peers.

COMMUNITY

  • A community of supportive and engaged makers who are excited to offer encouragement, accountability, and feedback on your projects (including me).
  • A mobile app to help you stay connected with our community anywhere, anytime.

$19.99/MONTH + FREE 7-DAY TRIAL!

40% OFF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS

Previous Live Recordings

Watch On Demand, Create & Paint in Real-time

How to Paint Glass Eyes

Lesson 1

Painting Eyes on Glass Cabochons (Dome Tiles)

We’re kicking off our course on everything CREATURE PEEPERS with perhaps the most budget-friendly option of all – painting eyes on glass dome cabochons. The flat bottom makes for an easier painting surface and the curved top gives your design believable depth and movement. Cabochons also come in a variety of shapes from round and oval to tear drop.

Lesson Content

  1. Introduction to Materials & Techniques
  2. Prepping and Masking Options
  3. Painting the Pupil
  4. Shadowing the Limbus
  5. Adding Striations to the Iris
  6. Filling in Transparent Areas
  7. Final Layer and Sealing
How to Paint Realistic Animal Eyes

Lesson 2

Painting Eyes on Acrylic Hemispheres

We’ll be getting more practice by painting another style eye using a different color palette. You’re welcome to continue using the glass cabochons from the last lesson, or if you were able to get them, acrylic hemispheres. The higher dome shape of the half spheres give your eyes even more depth and movement than the shallower glass cabochons. Either way, the brush painting techniques are the same. We’re also going to be breaking out the airbrush for even more realism and better shading.

If you don’t have an airbrush, no worries. I’ll show you techniques with your brush to achieve some great results!

How to Paint Animal & Creature Eyes

Lesson 3

Painting Acrylic Spheres with Pupil Reflection

Full sphere eyes are a great option if you want maximum rotation and movement with your eye mechanism. Unlike the cabochons and half spheres where all the artwork has happened in the back of the eyes, we’re now going to paint the entire surface. Another advantage to full spheres is that by masking a pupil shape beforehand so that it’s clear acrylic at the end allows you to look deep into the eye and get a realistic reflective effect inside.

We’ll be using our airbrush to basecoat our spheres black and white but you can also basecoat them with regular spray paint. With cabochons and hemispheres we layered paint from the top to the bottom but now we’ll be going in the reverse order.

How to Paint Cyborg & Robot Eyes with LED lighting

Lesson 4

Robot & Cyborg Eyes with LED Backlight

Up until now we’ve done a variety of animal and creature-themed eyes so it’s time to move towards the other end of the spectrum – from organic to tech. We’ll mask off a more complex pupil and paint mechanical elements on our eye. Then it will be time to wire up an LED, drill a hole at the back of the eye for it and watch the light shine through our pupil!

Grab another roll of tape because this one will be our most masking-intensive eye yet!

FAQs

My Paint Realistic Creature & LED Robot Eyes is designed for beginner and intermediate makers. Beginners can opt to do all the lessons with brushes and acrylic paint while intermediate painters can substitute an airbrush when appropriate. I demonstrate both options so you can use the method that best fits your current skill level.

Although you can take the course without building or coding anything, the real mastery happens at your workbench – making mistakes and knowing how to fix them. In order to paint along with me you’ll need the following:

1″ / 30mm Glass Cabochons
1″ Acrylic Half Spheres
30mm Acrylic Balls
Acrylic Paint Set
Fine Detail Brush Set
Airbrush Set (optional)
Airbrush Paints (optional)

You have access to all courses, live events and replays as long as your membership is active, including revisions and updates we make during that time to any courses.

Courses cannot be downloaded. You can watch any of the courses live or at your own pace as long as your membership is active.

At this time, we only offer a membership model. This provides far greater value and support to you than purchasing any of our courses individually for a one-time fee. But we may consider an additional one-time fee purchase model in the future depending on member feedback.

We believe our community component is a key factor in taking your skills to the next level, achieving your goals and growing as a well-rounded creator. Taking a course is just the beginning of your journey. Most other online learning platforms rely on passive consumption of video content with minimal support once the course is done. Our Engineering Artists community focuses on active creation and community to help you unlock your full creative potential.

We offer a 7-day free trial PLUS the first lesson of every course is free so you can see if our courses, live events and community are right for you. Be sure to cancel before your free trial expires to avoid being charged. You can also cancel anytime during your membership.

You can’t get a refund for any payments made after your free trial ends.

Still have questions? Free free to contact me!

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