Eyes
Ball jointed dolls have interchangeable eyes, unless they have a closed eyes face (sleeping faceplate for example). BJD eyes are usually sold in pairs. Some sellers are willing to do “odd eyes”, which is when the eyes have the same size, but different colors. Single eyes are harder to come by.
Eyes come in every color you can imagine. The classic look is human eye. White sclera, colored iris, black round pupil. However, you can buy black sclera, blue sclera, red sclera, clear sclera. You can buy any color pupil and also dragon or cat pupil. Steampunk, dried flowers, stone, rhinestones etc. It is all possible. You can make them yourself or have them custom made. It all depends on your wishes and budget.
Below: black sclera, yellow iris, black pupil. Glass eyes.
Eye Shapes: Eyes can come in various shapes: (1) Hollow half dome. (2) Half dome. (3) Round ball. (4) Oval. (5) Round ball with stem. (1) Hollow half dome / acrylic / low dome:
(2) Half dome / glass / high dome:
(3) Round ball / glass / high dome:
(5) Round ball with stem / glass / high dome:
Domes: High Dome: this gives the eye the appearance of more depth. The iris and pupil are protruding from the sclera (eye white). This casts a shadow, giving the eyes depth. These eyes are prone to the “following eyes” effect. High domes can result in making your doll look like it has keratoconus. Dolls with dreaming eyes might not be able to accomodate high domes. Low dome: the eyes still have the apperearance of depth, thanks to the shadow being cast, but the dome is lower, allowing for the eye to fit closer to the eye well. Smaller eye sizes are usually only available in low dome.
No dome: this allows the eyes to fit closely to the eye well. Perfect for dolls with dreaming eyes, who are so narrow they can’t even handle low domes.
Below: no dome polymer resin and high dome glass. Both have half dome shape.
Eye Materials:
Beads: small dolls, like micro dolls or some anthro’s, have such small eyes, that finding bjd eyes is next to impossible. It is not uncommon for people to use beads as eyes instead. Acrylic: these eyes are usually the cheapest. Some bjds come with a free set of eyes. Often times, these are acrylic. Acrylic is a kind of plastic. They are available in almost all shapes and domes. There is a big quality difference among acrylics. The free ones are usually cloudy, reflective. More expensive ones are more crisp. Acrylics are sturdy. No panic should you drop them by accident. Acrylics can mellow over time, also depending on the type of eye putty you use. Because it’s plastic, it can’t handle all types of putty.
Below: “cheap” brown acrylics, also shown in doll. Orange “expensive” Souldoll acrylics + shown in doll. Blue eyes are also Souldoll acrylics.
Polymer Resin: these eyes are half domes, without a dome. They are available in a variety of colors and custom orders are also possible. To the best of my knowledge, Candykittensemporium is the only one who makes these kinds of eyes. They are affordable and require white eye putty / poster tack.
Below: Three sets of eyes. The tan doll is wearing goblet of fire. Both dragons are wearing 18mm custom made ones.
Glass: these are also affordable. Prices range from “cheap” to more expensive, depending on the maker and quality. These come in all shapes. They can come with low dome or high dome. Cheaper ones will often have high domes. Some companies will provide you with free glass eyes when ordering a doll. Glass eyes do not change color, but they are more fragile.
Below: group of dolls with glass eyes. The grey doll is wearing his default or free eyes. The anthro is wearing the most expensive ones.
Silicone: these are ideal for dolls with difficult eye wells, because you can gently squeeze them in place, minimizing gaps. They are soft and attract a lot of dust. These eyes are high maintenance and more expensive than “cheap” glass and acrylics. Soom uses them a lot.
Urethane: the most expensive type of eyes. They resemble high quality glass. Urethanes can be custom made and allows more options than glass, suchs as use of shells, stone, glitter, dried flowers etc. They are more susceptible to scratches than glass. Some people are still in the learning phase of making urethanes and those eyes can look more cloudy or have more bubbles.
Below: a doll wearing bright blue eyes. First Souldoll acrylics, next Dollshe urethanes. Also shown: Mehi Art eyes with rhinestones and dried flowers, purple shimmery Mako Eyes.
Eye size:
Measuring: eyes are measured in millimeters (mm). The diameter or width of the eye is measured. The width of the iris can also be different. Some sellers will offer small iris eyes for smaller dolls / to give the doll a more mature look / more realistic look. Dolls can usually wear more than one eye size. If you choose larger eyes, you see less sclera (eye white) and the doll looks more doe eyes or child like. If you choose smaller eyes, you see more sclera and the doll looks more realistic and / or mature.
Range: regular eye range is 8-20mm, but some sellers might be able to make you smaller / bigger size eyes. Half sizes are very unusual and need to be requested. Eye sizes tend to skip two numbers: 8, 10, 12, 14 etc.
Below: pink eyes are 16mm and the green ones are 14mm.
What size do I need: when you buy a doll, the company will often let you know which eye sizes they can wear. You can try to find owner pictures of your doll, to see the difference in eye sizes.
In general: Pukipuki / lati white: 6-8mm. Pukifee / lati yellow / tiny: 8-10mm. YOSD / small headed MSD: 12-14 mm. MSD: 14-16 mm. SD: 16-18mm. Large SD: 18-20mm.
Eye putty:
I personally swear by white poster tack. Other people use eye putty from the company (not always a good idea, Souldoll putty becomes very hard for example). Silicone earplugs are also a populair choice. Ask the seller if you are unsure. Eye putty can be inserted in different ways. I prefer to make a roll and roll it around the eye. I then insert the eye and press the putty against the resin.
My advice:
Just try to find the best ones within your budget. Perhaps you could try some eyes on meets or in stores? When I bought my first doll, I had that opportunity. Owner pics are also a god send. That is how I found the brightest bluest eyes for my Soulkid. I have bought and sold many eyes. It can take a while until you find the right pair. The important thing is, that YOU are happy with the way your doll looks and that you can afford them.
There is no such thing as superior eyes. If it fits your dolls aesthetic, it is the right choice. I will admit, I personally prefer the look of urethanes, but I still have a doll who wears acrylics, and most of them wear glass. It is all about the right feel and only you can feel it.
