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Does anyone know a good method of painting/coloring plastic mesh for eyes? After hearing rumors of buckram potentially warping and weakening over time, I decided to look into something more sturdy/stable for our eyes. And since we'd like to start experimenting more with 3D eyes, I thought it would be an even better idea since the see-through area would be much larger (and thus, more prone to possibly being damaged later on).
I recently bought some plastic mesh that works just as well as buckram as far as visibility is concerned, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what to color it with. I tried markers, but the end result could only be described as "pixelated" and the marker would start to come off if rubbed. I tried acrylics, but the paint clogged the pores of the mesh and seemed to peel off pretty easily once it dried.
I've considered trying to spray something on the mesh to make the surface area more workable, but I haven't tried that yet and worry about how well that would work in the long term.
Any tips or advice from those of you who use plastic mesh for your eyes would be greatly appreciated! :D
June 9 2011, 15:54:13 UTC 11 months ago
June 9 2011, 17:52:54 UTC 11 months ago
Thanks for the suggestion, I'm definitely going to try this out! c:
June 9 2011, 19:26:06 UTC 11 months ago
June 9 2011, 20:05:49 UTC 11 months ago
June 9 2011, 16:09:34 UTC 11 months ago
June 9 2011, 17:56:48 UTC 11 months ago
Thank you for the suggestion, though! If I can't figure this out, I may consider fabric materials other than buckram like the ones you mentioned. :D
June 9 2011, 21:38:32 UTC 11 months ago
June 9 2011, 16:17:55 UTC 11 months ago
I still use acrylics on my buckram eyes, again, sealing lightly with acrylic varnish. Paint markers also work, I suggest stocking up ona afew basic colors including white for highlights :)
June 9 2011, 18:00:48 UTC 11 months ago
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely have to grab a can of sealer regardless of what I use! c:
June 9 2011, 16:46:01 UTC 11 months ago
Protip: Make your stencils out of contact paper, or even packing tape stuck down to wax paper, for super-clean lines.
June 9 2011, 18:03:57 UTC 11 months ago
June 9 2011, 17:24:08 UTC 11 months ago
June 9 2011, 18:07:07 UTC 11 months ago
June 28 2011, 19:11:14 UTC 11 months ago
June 9 2011, 17:55:41 UTC 11 months ago
I am curious to find out where you've heard about buckram weakening, though. I still own a costume I made in 06, with buckram for the eye mesh, and it has not warped or lost any quality at all; the only "problem" is that the colors on the eye have faded/blurred with age. Otherwise the strength is just as good as when I first made the suit.
I think a lot of it depends on the quality of buckram you use, the method(s) in which it is attached, and how the costumer treats the head. I'm sure that, if the buckram were to be saturated every time the head got disinfected, that could cause it to warp or break down over time, but with proper care it really shouldn't be an issue.
June 9 2011, 18:23:28 UTC 11 months ago
Someone on FA posted a suit up that they said they had to replace the eyes in because the buckram had warped (I can't remember which suit it was, but I think they made it themselves). They said they believed the reason was from their breathing and the heat messing with the buckram and wrinkling it. D: It was very strange and something I hadn't heard of happening before, but still made me concerned, especially since we focus a lot on durability with our heads and never know what the commissoner/owner may put it through. D: That person had 3D eyes, though.
We use an awesome buckram that was bought years ago from Joecifur. From what I've seen, it holds up just fine, but I'm paranoid about how well it will work in 3D eyes when it's covering a larger area (so there's less support to keep it from possibly warping). It's just a precaution right now and might not be something I pursue in all of our future fursuit heads, since I do like the ease of using prismas on buckram.
Also, just from the experiments I did last night, I noticed that the color of the eyes turns out much, much brighter on plastic opposed to buckram. I had a side-by-side comparison of the same eye design on both materials and there was a HUGE difference (some good, some bad). The buckram eye was much softer and blended, but looked more faded/dull, while the plastic mesh eye was really bold and clear, but had a more pixelly-look since the pores from the mesh were more defined. Pros and cons that need to be weighed, I suppose! I really liked that bolder look though. c:
June 9 2011, 19:35:43 UTC 11 months ago
Though I must say plastic mesh in the back of a 3D eye would be a better idea if you're getting brighter colors in comparison, since I've found that the definition of color can be a little harder to see in the recessed portion of 3D eyes.
I'd love to hear your follow-ups on testing that you do and what you come up with! Definitely a good idea to have a variety of options. :)
June 9 2011, 20:04:51 UTC 11 months ago
And yeah, that's what I was thinking too about the plastic mesh offering brighter eyes, since I noticed a lot of 3D eyes are often shadowed because they are recessed in the head. I think it may make a big difference in the clarity of them, but I have to figure out a way to successfully paint them and have them withstand the test of time. If I have time, I'll see if I can snap a quick picture of the buckram eye test I did next to the plastic mesh eye, just so you can see the difference. :D
I haven't bought buckram in forever since I got a yard or so of it from Joecifur years ago, so I had no idea they were trying to phase it out. :o If my test don't work out, I will most definitely check into crinoline! I've not heard of or used it before, but it sounds like a decent alternative for sure. Thanks for the tip!
June 9 2011, 21:57:27 UTC 11 months ago
I have no idea if buckram's being phased out all over the place, but my local Joann's isn't really going to carry it. I had originally asked one of the younger girls at the cutting counter, and she had no clue what it even was, so she had to ask the other lady to even find it in the first place. X)
But yeah, crinoline's basically the same thing, except without the starchy clumps you sometimes find on the buckram. I've been using it on probably my last 4 suits or so with no problems, it works pretty much the same, including the ability to use prismas to color it. ;)
June 9 2011, 19:40:20 UTC 11 months ago
Since buckram is made to be wetted and then pulled over a form to change its shape, that would explain why it might warp when there's too much sweat/moisture inside the head, and over time. Crinoline's properties are different - the fabric is similar enough to buckram but without the down side of chiffon and other sheer fabrics, which show the wearer inside a costume when the flash is used on a camera.
Perhaps experiment with a bit of crinoline, it's quite affordable (especially considering how little you'd actually need for doing eyes) and see how that works for you, too. :)