The lack of eye detail in 1/6 scale

Hey all, hope you enjoy this little rant I've been thinking about for some time. Maybe it's worthy of a sticky?

I've noticed it for a while now and I want to draw people's attention to it. The lack of beauty in 1/6 eyes, or what I like to refer to as the "soul". Maybe it's a production thing, or a scale thing, or maybe nobody cares but me, lol. 1/6 eyes are something I felt lacking compared to other hobby types like ball jointed dolls.




First up we got a Tony Stark sculpt from Hottoys with horrid lighting, but you can clearly get a good picture at those painted on eyes.







Next is a Captain Marvel sculpt also from Hottoys with great lighting, but again you can still make out that the eyes are painted on.







Why do they look flat? They look flat because the sculpt is flat, a perfectly smooth round surface for the light to hit once and bounce away.







This is a human eye, it is not flat.







Not only is it not flat but it's three-dimensional with multiple different angles for light to hit and bounce off.







So the question now is it possible to replicate those angles at a 1/6 scale? Well, let me show you something I found.









These lovely creations are made by someone who goes by the name of wrensfairyrealm and they make amazing 1/6 sculptures (some even with TBLeague bodies) with eyes that have impressed me the most. All custom work from scratch, it's truly amazing.


Eventually, I wanna take what I've learned and apply it to my own projects. I have some ideas such as experimenting with carving out the iris and inserting a pupil, giving the iris a painted texture, and then sealing it up with a type of resin. I have a couple of spare heads to test this out on and I will post updates to the forum if I achieve my desired results.

Anyway, hope someone finds this useful or atleast informative!

Those are indeed gorgeous examples, suchsneak, thanks for sharing!

And no, you’re not the only one who notices about eyes -- there's definitely room for improvement on that score. However, the observable ‘beauty’ of 1/6 scale eyes in general depends on one’s perspective, as well as prior expectations and standards of what a miniature model of a human's eyes should look like. Ball-jointed dolls come with heads that have separate, moveable eyes made of glass or resin. This is a main characteristic of ball-jointed dolls. Not all dolls have this though, some dolls (like Tonner, fashion dolls, etc) have painted eyes, and I’ve seen many beautifully-repainted doll eyes like this, which still manage to capture a bit of ‘soul’ and personality.

While three-dimensional glass eyes can be very striking and have a lot of depth, I don’t think they are inherently better than painted eyes. I like ball-jointed dolls, they can have beautiful aesthetics and high-level of craftsmanship, but they are usually more stylised, and their inset eyes are often just slightly too large, which creates its own ‘uncanny’ vibe. The depth and light-catching ability of glass eyes doesn't fully negate a look of un-reality at times. (Some Bjd eyes can look quite creepy and unsettling in their own right, but maybe that's just me.)

That said, you are absolutely right that factory/mass-produced painted eyes on 1/6 action figures can often be dull and lacking in both dimension and that extra ‘spark’ of personality and character. However, this does not mean painted eyes have no potential. I have seen professional custom painted 1/6 figures with very realistic and expressive eyes. The realism and proportion of the eyes themselves (in comparison to the rest of the head) tends to be moreso the focus with 1/6 action figures, and some artists pull it off better than others, that is true. But I imagine it is very difficult to do mass-produced high quality inset eyes in true 1/6 scale, as they are quite tiny.

So, while I can admire and appreciate bjd-style inset eyes, that is a specific type of doll feature that doesn’t always translate to the action figure side of things. There have been some interesting examples of action figures with inset eyes (like Super Duck and certain HT figures), and it’s definitely worth attempting with your own customs if that is your preference, but I highly doubt this would become a regular feature of factory heads. Part of what characterises action figures for me is the fact that the heads are entirely painted. Those who paint at this scale need to reach a high-level of detail in their work to achieve even semi-realistic eyes, and I think it's a good challenge to have.

Would it be nice to increase both the realism and beautiful aesthetics of 1/6 scale action figure heads further? Yes, it would. I just think that it’s possible to do that with better paint jobs, as well.

Ultimately, a lot of this depends on the tastes, expectations, and goals of individual collectors and customisers. And when it comes to inset eyes, I think this is something worth looking into, but I’m also realistic about how tough it likely is to do at this scale on a mass factory manufacturing level. Likewise, I don’t expect that every headsculpt will have the same quality of paint job on the eyes as a custom OOAK repaint would. For me, the uniqueness of customs is  precisely what I like about them, and how people can express their own aesthetic preferences through them. If nothing else, the mass produced 1/6 heads are great to have around as bases for customising. : )

I haven’t received either of my first 2 head sculpts yet, but I know that the rolling eye setup in both my Hoy Toys Joker and Batman figures do indeed look very realistic as they are actually moving around in there. Not anatomically correct in the shape, but pretty lifelike.


Photo when I first go him.


Photo I just took of both with the flash on. (sorry they're kinda dusty right now)

skywalkersaga wrote:Those are indeed gorgeous examples, suchsneak, thanks for sharing!

And no, you’re not the only one who notices about eyes, however, I think one’s verdict on the possible ‘beauty’ of 1/6 scale eyes depends on one’s perspective and standard of what a miniature model’s eyes should look like. Ball-jointed dolls come with heads that have removable (and often moveable) eyes made of glass or resin. This is what I consider a characteristic of a ball-jointed doll. Not all dolls have this though, some dolls have painted eyes, and I’ve seen many beautifully-repainted doll eyes like this, which still manage to capture a bit of ‘soul’ and personality.

While glass eyes can be very striking, I don’t think they are inherently better than painted eyes. I like ball-jointed dolls , they can have beautiful aesthetics, but they are usually more stylised, and the inset eyes are often just slightly too large, which creates its own ‘uncanny’ vibe at times. (some Bjd eyes in fact look quite creepy to me.)

That said, you are right that factory/mass-produced painted eyes on 1/6 action figures can often be dull and lacking in both dimension and that extra ‘spark’ of personality and character. However, this does not mean painted eyes have no potential. I have seen professional custom painted 1/6 figures with very realistic eyes. The realism and realistic proportion of the eyes themselves (in comparison to the rest of the head) tends to be the focus with 1/6 action figures, and some pull it off better than others, that is true. But I imagine it is very difficult to do mass produced high quality inset eyes in true 1/6 scale, as they are quite tiny.

So, I guess what I’m saying is that while I admire and appreciate bjd-style inset eyes, that is a specific doll feature that doesn’t always translate to the action figure side of things. There have been some interesting examples of action figures with inset eyes (like Super Duck and others), and it’s definitely worth attempting with your own customs if that is your preference, but I highly doubt this would become a regular feature of factory heads. Part of what what characterises action figures for me is the fact that the heads are entirely painted.

Would it be nice to increase both the realism and beautiful aesthetics of 1:6 heads further? Yes, it would. I just think that it’s possible to do that with better paint jobs, as well.

Ultimately, a lot of this really just depends on the tastes, expectations, and goals of individual collectors and customisers. And when it comes to inset eyes, I think this is something worth looking into, but I’m also realistic about how tough it likely is to do at this scale, and wouldn’t expect all 1:6 figures to have that feature. Likewise, I don’t expect that every headsculpt will have the same level of paint job on the eyes as a custom ooak repaint would. To me , the uniqueness of customs is what I like about them , and how people can express their own aesthetics preferences through them. If nothing else, the  mass produced 1/6 heads are is great to have around as bases for customising. : )

The Captain Marvel paint sculpt imo looks fantastic even tho I can tell it's flat painted on eyes. No doubt a good paint can go a long way, such as the stuff Facepool is releasing, all paint indeed. I find for my needs if I was to do a close-up photoshoot I want eyes with soul in them, that sparkle and depth. It's a lot of work for something like Hottoys to add to their figures, more rather I was suggesting it's something I want to do in my custom work for sure.

collectorofmany wrote:I haven’t received either of my first 2 head sculpts yet, but I know that the rolling eye setup in both my Hoy Toys Joker and Batman figures do indeed look very realistic as they are actually moving around in there. Not anatomically correct in the shape, but pretty lifelike.


Photo when I first go him.


Photo I just took of both with the flash on. (sorry they're kinda dusty right now)

Those look really good, I'd need a closer look to see if they were painted or not, but even painted can look very very convincing. As I was saying above this quest of mine is more something I want in my own custom work for super closeup photoshoots.

Suchsneak wrote:
Those look really good, I'd need a closer look to see if they were painted or not, but even painted can look very very convincing. As I was saying above this quest of mine is more something I want in my own custom work for super closeup photoshoots.

For what it's worth, here's a couple close-ups...

collectorofmany wrote:

Suchsneak wrote:
Those look really good, I'd need a closer look to see if they were painted or not, but even painted can look very very convincing. As I was saying above this quest of mine is more something I want in my own custom work for super closeup photoshoots.

For what it's worth, here's a couple close-ups...

The painted detail is pretty impressive. Still looks weird to me without the multiple depths that are present in 3d eyes, but it's really hard to notice if you're not super close like these pictures. Thanks for the close ups!

It’s an admirable quest, suchsneak, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with. I love how innovative people can be on this hobby. ^.^

And that’s a really neat feature, collectorofmany!

Great Thread, i LOVE that gloss effect in the figures Eyes and i try to catch this in every pic i made. That brings them to live, i think.

And many thanks for that Faery Pictures !

Here You can see the Horizon in her eyes. You can see what she sees....

guess you got me there, i'm one of those that never paid any attention to the level of detail in a characters eyes. though i gotta admit seeing the obvious difference in quality shown above it would be a nice thing to have in future figures.

then again certain head sculpts are quite pricey as they are right now and since i put my figures in larger dioramas, often facing away or towards a certain spot of action, i couldn't tell the difference from 2 meters away.

still thats a huge leap in quality and if you focus on a singular figure on a shelf maybe, definately a game changer.

That's a gorgeous figure, Ephiane! Which headsculpt is it, do you remember?

Ephiane wrote:Great Thread, i LOVE that gloss effect in the figures Eyes and i try to catch this in every pic i made. That brings them to live, i think.

And many thanks for that Faery Pictures !

Here You can see the Horizon in her eyes. You can see what she sees....

Lovely picture!

Tjolnir wrote:guess you got me there, i'm one of those that never paid any attention to the level of detail in a characters eyes. though i gotta admit seeing the obvious difference in quality shown above it would be a nice thing to have in future figures.

then again certain head sculpts are quite pricey as they are right now and since i put my figures in larger dioramas, often facing away or towards a certain spot of action, i couldn't tell the difference from 2 meters away.

still thats a huge leap in quality and if you focus on a singular figure on a shelf maybe, definately a game changer.

It's something that's really hard to notice if your not super close, but yeah if you really wanna go that extra step for closeups I think it's something that adds that spark to the character.

Suchsneak wrote:It's something that's really hard to notice if your not super close, but yeah if you really wanna go that extra step for closeups I think it's something that adds that spark to the character.

Yeah -- this is the difference between an action figure and an art doll, imo. Painted eyes are always going to look like painted eyes, even the best ones. But that's not an automatic downside unless one is expecting them to look like something else entirely. ;p

Hope I don't sound like I'm dismissing this topic, I just happen to adore both action figures AND art dolls, and I think there can be some amazing crossover between the two aesthetically, but I also don't mind them each having their own distinctive features, as well.

Speaking of crossovers... you mentioned wanting to try inserting eyes. Have you looked at any of the existing 1/6 headsculpts that already have 'moveable' eyes? (There are several by Super Duck and at least one by Wondery, and no doubt more that I'm not familiar with.) I'm thinking that you could try replacing the plastic eyes with glass ones, for that extra light-catching effect.

I'm also a sucker for realistic heads and eyes. I wonder if you could add a droplet of...resin or sth similar on top of the painted eyes to make it more curved and 3D-y and have better reflections?
I like it when the heads look as real as possible for photography. I always wanted to be better in painting heads and eyes, but so far never had the time to do it.

Interesting thread

Valiarde wrote:I'm also a sucker for realistic heads and eyes. I wonder if you could add a droplet of...resin or sth similar on top of the painted eyes to make it more curved and 3D-y and have better reflections?

Yes, that seems like a good suggestion. At present, what I tend to do is add a thicker drop of gloss varnish into JUST the middle of the eye, right over the iris. While it may still not be 100% realistic, it does seem to give it a little more dimension than just the factory paint on its own.

I find myself agreeing with Sky in terms of what is practical and expectable. The examples from wrensfairyrealm are absolutely stunning and beautiful, although, understandable for the subject matter, they are not exactly what I would call realistic. But I get the point: a layered, shaped, translucent eye will look more alive, no doubt, especially in a close up. Still, a good gloss job over the eye goes a long way to approximate this. I like Sky's suggestion for just a drop of glossy transparent varnish over the iris. But one should make sure the varnish in question is not very runny, as it would then spread right over the whole eye (the XTC-3D which I use to gloss Star Wars helmets will do exactly that).

I've seen the whole spectrum when it comes to miniature people. Action figures of various sizes, heroes and military sets, barbie to high end fashion dolls, all the way to ball jointed dolls worth thousands. I really like 1/6 because the size feels manageable to me. Enough room to add the details I want but still have the play and functionality as a toy or posable decoration. As much as I love ball jointed dolls it is nearly impossible to find a mature looking 1/6 with the detail of the 1/3 that I wanted, not to mention hundreds of dollars just for the body alone. I was pretty close to building my own but then I learned of Hottoys, Sideshow, and various military themed companies. Then the holy grail of TBLeague seamless and was floored with the possibilities. When it comes to what I want from the heads I'm very impressed by Facepool, and I've seen super ducks moveable eye inserts on their 1/6 heads and it's very close to what I want but I think I can achieve what I'm after with some custom work.



Also, I thought it would be helpful that I drew up a quick guide for how I plan to do the 3d eye modifications to one of my heads.

Sounds like a very well-thought out plan, and I'll be very keen to see the results.

I was briefly into 1/4 scale Tonner dolls (I like custom repaints), but then ended up getting into 1/6 figures as well. There were just so many more possibilities for customising all my fave characters in this scale, it was impossible to resist. :')

GubernatorFan wrote:I find myself agreeing with Sky in terms of what is practical and expectable. The examples from wrensfairyrealm are absolutely stunning and beautiful, although, understandable for the subject matter, they are not exactly what I would call realistic. But I get the point: a layered, shaped, translucent eye will look more alive, no doubt, especially in a close up. Still, a good gloss job over the eye goes a long way to approximate this. I like Sky's suggestion for just a drop of glossy transparent varnish over the iris. But one should make sure the varnish in question is not very runny, as it would then spread right over the whole eye (the XTC-3D which I use to gloss Star Wars helmets will do exactly that).

Thanks... glad it's not just me. I will fully admit that I don't actually find glass inset eyes to be any more realistic than painted ones. To me, it's just a different type of aesthetic and approach. And it really depends on how good of a paint job and finish painted eyes have, and I have seen some very convincing ones. Likewise, there are plenty of unrealistic-looking glass or resin doll eyes out there. When super up close, neither one will ever look 100% realistic ...because they simply aren't the real thing. But of course, I nonethless think it's very admirable to try to blend the two styles. Blending the best of doll and action figure aesthetics has been my own personal goal from the start, as well.

And yeah... when I say a 'drop', I mean a tiny pinprick on the edge of a small brush or even toothpick or something...not a big runny drop straight from the bottle. ;p

skywalkersaga wrote:And yeah... when I say a 'drop', I mean a tiny pinprick on the edge of a small brush or even toothpick or something...not a big runny drop straight from the bottle. ;p

Agreed. Maybe I should experiment with just that using the XTC-3D on a "spare" head.

Aside from the hand-painted versions you presented, it would be virtually impossible for a company to mass-produce realistic eyes. As far as I know, Hot Toys uses proprietary eye-decals to make their eyes, and not hand-painted. Adding a raised area to the eye just to accomplish a more realistic eye surface would be, for the most part, also highly impractical -- since the average viewer isn't looking at these things under a microscope (or necessarily a macro camera lens) so would it be entirely necessary. The biggest problem I see with the way eyes are done on these figures has more to do with the size of the iris and the blank/zombie expressions of 98% of the sculpts -- by pretty much everyone. I think having the eyes look off to one side or the other, or up or down, adds more character than the dead-eye straight ahead look provided by the majority.

Stryker2011 wrote:Aside from the hand-painted versions you presented, it would be virtually impossible for a company to mass-produce realistic eyes. As far as I know, Hot Toys uses proprietary eye-decals to make their eyes, and not hand-painted. Adding a raised area to the eye just to accomplish a more realistic eye surface would be, for the most part, also highly impractical -- since the average viewer isn't looking at these things under a microscope (or necessarily a macro camera lens) so would it be entirely necessary. The biggest problem I see with the way eyes are done on these figures has more to do with the size of the iris and the blank/zombie expressions of 98% of the sculpts -- by pretty much everyone. I think having the eyes look off to one side or the other, or up or down, adds more character than the dead-eye straight ahead look provided by the majority.

That's pretty much my issue, as well. It's not so much the detail that is lacking (it may be on some eyes, but not across the board), but rather the expression of the eyes themselves. This is where I find talented painters can improve sculpts greatly, especially if they are able to give the eyes a bit more expression. And that involves more than just changing the realism of the eyeball -- it also means knowing how to widen or narrow the eyes, how to shape the eyelids, how to make the mouth match the eye expression, etc.

And Hot Toys uses eye decals? Guess that makes me feel better about considering using those at some point, lol.

Stryker2011 wrote:Aside from the hand-painted versions you presented, it would be virtually impossible for a company to mass-produce realistic eyes. As far as I know, Hot Toys uses proprietary eye-decals to make their eyes, and not hand-painted. Adding a raised area to the eye just to accomplish a more realistic eye surface would be, for the most part, also highly impractical -- since the average viewer isn't looking at these things under a microscope (or necessarily a macro camera lens) so would it be entirely necessary. The biggest problem I see with the way eyes are done on these figures has more to do with the size of the iris and the blank/zombie expressions of 98% of the sculpts -- by pretty much everyone. I think having the eyes look off to one side or the other, or up or down, adds more character than the dead-eye straight ahead look provided by the majority.

I agree with all your points. Holding one of my spare heads in hand made me realize just how small we're really talking about. It's definitely a custom artsy thing and not a commercial possibility at the moment. However when it comes to that zombie look most figures have Facepool is definitely ahead of the curve imo. Hottoys, Sideshow, and some TBLeague sculpts are up there as well. It's mostly the standalone sculpts that seem to have this blank emotional stare that I find unsettling, and not even 3D eyes could fix that.

Personally the eyes are not something I look into too much, I pay more attention to the overall shape of the head rather than the eyes which I can easily cover with either a helmet or goggles. Obviously higher detail makes stuff look prettier and more awesome but in most cases and at least for the sort of stuff I do I think it would be overkill.

As for your project I'm quite interested in seeing how you work it out, the sketch you have showed on how to possibly add that effect is very interesting and I think not too hard to accomplish. I would personally stay away from glues and if it where up to me I would use UV resin since you can apply it easily and cure it fast with an UV lamp.

Thank you so much for sharing this artist's incredible custom work. Spent over an hour just scrolling through and in awe. It is so colorful yet gritty, I especially love the post-apocalyptic customs - they are mind-blowingly awesome!!!

Also very interesting concepts for making the eyes 'next level' realism, but one would have to be so skilled and steady-handed to pull off modifying a headsculpt that way. Much respect to those who experiment with this approach, I am intrigued to see some of the results.

AlKelAstra91 wrote:Thank you so much for sharing this artist's incredible custom work. Spent over an hour just scrolling through and in awe. It is so colorful yet gritty, I especially love the post-apocalyptic customs - they are mind-blowingly awesome!!!

That was the perfect way to describe it. I completely agree.