Fishnut1 Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 Anyone care to share some methods for painting fish eyes? I'm working with bass/walleye size cranks. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basseducer Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 Fishnut, The easiest way I have found to paint on eye is with wooden dowels. Take a dowel the size you want for the eye and dip the tip in the paint (red, silver etc.) and dab it on the lure where you want it and let it dry. Then take a smaller dowel, dip it in black paint and dab it somewhere in the first color depending on what look you want. You can even shape the end of the dowel to match the contours of the bait. Some guys cut holes in stencil material and spray through them. TJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemmy Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 Yes, the shaped ones (like a rogue) are usually through a stencil. doting with dowels: a lot of people use the back end of drill bits, but any round cylinder will work really. It helps to just let the paint droplet touch the bait instead of actually pressing the dowel onto the bait in order to make a nice circle. Clemmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quick20xd Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 One thing you may want to do is put a thin coat of clear over your paint job before painting the eyes. That way, if you mess up. Just wipe it off and start over and you don't sacrifice your paint job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassguy Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 I like to use a brand new pencil eraser on a typical #2 pencil. For the iris, I use the eraser shaped to the size I need. Razor knife and sandpaper works great to shape the eraser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirkfan Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 I like to use various sized nails inserted into the end of a piece of dowel or a pin vise. If the nail head isn't perfectly round, chuck it in a drill and hold against a grinding stone for a second while spinning up to speed. The trick, as described above with dowels is to not actually press the nail head against the lure, but to touch a hanging drop to the lure and press down without actually touching the lure. This flattens the drop out around the head of the nail and surface tension rounds up the drop. (don't immerse the whole nail head in the paint, just touch the lower surface of the head to the paint when loading up) With practice it's very quick, and the nails clean up quickly with a paper towel. For the black pupil, I like to use the head of a sewing pin in the same way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoodaddy Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 I use a stick that I got out of a carmel apple. It has a larger diameter on one end and of course a smaller one on the other. UUUMMMMM Carmel Apples . Aint no wonder I'm FAT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lure--Prof Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 I use stencils cut with various size hole punches--been using the same ones for a long time--I like clear stencils so I can see exactly where i'm shooting--I just wipe 'em off after each spray with a damp towel. I would have done like Cuz Hoodaddy, but he wouldn't share his yummy-lookin carmel apples:angry: --but I managed to get fat anyway! Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJ Smith Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 A Q-Tip........ works on flat sided cranks as well as curved ones. For the pupil I either use a dot maker purchased from Stamina or a makeup cotton swab...... It is much like a Q-Tip but made to a sharp point...... Hope this helps.......... BJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snax Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Paint pens work great but I usually use a combination of hole templates and free handing. My particular style of eye painting is closer to taxidermy eyes than just a couple of dots. I really try to nail the reflections and shadows that make a painted eye look like it's three dimensional. Takes some time to master but the results are really lifelike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoneCoal Tackle Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Snax, that is one good looking painted eye man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snax Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Thanks! Much appreciated. What I try to do is paint "what you see" which are the words of custom painter Mike Lavalee. Look at the light and dark of an object and really try to break down what makes something look like it's three dimensional rather than just the simple forms. It's amazing what a little highlighting and shading can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Snax, I agree. The eye, and the whole paint job and lure, are beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
