Panda Pupils

Figuring out the eye position on the giant panda sculpture.

I sculpted Violet’s pupils with epoxy clay over a foam ball, then painted with four coats of Payne’s Grey Golden fluid acrylic. I find the pupil looks better if it’s not pure black, an inky blue-black shade looks more realistic.

Another trick is to use a toothpick with a styrofoam ball to form a handle. This helps avoid a flat spot or finger marks on the pupil. I poke this toothpick into a cardboard box to allow the pupil to dry during sculpting and painting.

At the START of a sculpt ask, “How do I hold and manage this project while working and when it’s time to dry?”