Shrek fly step by step

[Traditionalist]

Am having trouble getting images in the right order, as my numbers don?t agree with the attachment numbers, and this is a bit mind-bending!

So on to the next bit of fun.

Place your sequins on your sheet as before and take your bottle of clear acrylic, and carefully place a small drop on each sequin.


[attachimg=1]

Now take your tweezers, and select a glass bead of the colour and size you fancy (OK, I know I did not mention the glass beads before but don?t worry you have plenty of time to do this) and place this carefully on the centre of the sequin, pressing it down into the acrylic. The hole in the bead should be pointing up - and there is a reason for this!

[attachimg=2]

When the acrylic is dry, ( please remember that necessity may be the mother of invention, but carelessness and impatience are the fathers of all abortions!) once again place a small amount of the black acrylic in a little puddle on your working sheet and then, using your pin, place a small drop of the stuff on the hole in the bead.

You should end up with something like the photo.

[attachimg=3]

You may have to do this again at a later stage, as the black acrylic runs into the hole in the bead, and fills it up. This is great! It looks more realistic if the pupil has a "root", and it also anchors the bead very firmly to the sequin and the clear acrylic already on it.

Great! We have just made some "googly" eyes. Depending on the sequin and the bead you use, you can obtain a large number of effects. I especially like the holographic gold with a transparent red glass bead. This is almost a perfect imitation of a herring eye!

But we are not finished yet! You want even more google? Well, then simply dispense with the sequins. Carefully place drops of the clear acrylic, spaced around your working sheet.

Take the beads of your choice and place them in the drops. Take care that one side of the bead hole is pointing upwards, or you may well end up with cross-eyed baitfish. When dry, once again place drops of the black acrylic in the bead hole.


I chose some silly colours here, merely to illustrate the effect. It is better to wait for one stage to dry before continuing. Also, the eyes will not go completely clear until the acrylic has set.The actual operations only take a few minutes for a whole sheet of eyes.


The stuff is non-toxic, no fumes, water based, extremely tough, waterproof when set, and extremely easy to use. I have a couple of flies with eyes, and also "epoxied" with the stuff sitting in a glass of saltwater on my windowsill, where they have been for three weeks, and there is no sign of any deterioration. The stuff does not yellow or fade.

I use it to stick the eyes on as well! If you do this, then let the stuff on the fly set a little before you place the eyes; if the stuff is still semi-liquid they may fall off and make a mess.

You can of course use anything at all for a base. For large pike flies and similar, buttons are good, but you can also simply use punched out holographic paper.

Oh dear! I nearly forgot the beads again! I bought this packet of beads at the local supermarket for 0.99 Euro. I have already used hundreds of them. (Sorting them is a bit of a pain; do this before you start!).
[attachimg=4]

TL
MC

[Traditionalist]

Trying to get these attachments right is driving me nuts!

How can I upload multiple attachments in one go Fred?  There must be a way?

TL
MC

[Wildfisher]

Mike, in additional options next to the attachment box choose button there  is a link 
"more attachments" just click that and it will add another  box and choose button, you can do a max of 10 in any one post.

[Traditionalist]

Mike, in additional options next to the attachment box choose button there  is a link 
"more attachments" just click that and it will add another  box and choose button, you can do a max of 10 in any one post.

OK Thanks Fred. My software was once again blocking the creation of more than one box!  Have it sorted noe.

TL
MC

[Traditionalist]

Hi Guys,
            Thanks for that  Mike , great explanation.

This is a technique I have used for the past three years . I got it from an American website I think .

Col , buy  sequins  in bulk from haberdashery shops ,  Flashy eyes work great.

The milkiness in the drying eye is because of solvent evaporation, Epoxy solvent or worse (Mike?), so only in a well ventilated place.

It does not matter that it is sold as water soluble.

Take care with these things .

Paul.

According to the "blurb" on a number of bottles of window colour I have, it has no toxic fumes. Some may have however, so it is better to read the instructions first on all these things.

Epoxy, super-glue, varnish and various other things do give off toxic fumes however, and should be used with caution, in a well ventilated place.

TL
MC

[rabbitangler]

Having obtained(aka pinched ) some stick on eyes from a friend it struck me they were flat & white so I made up a copy on the computer and printed a load out. Then put superglue on top & bottom and allowed to dry, thus sealing the paper. Then clear epoxy in a dome shape put on top. Result was almost indistinguishable from the bought one.