Suggestions for my tiger eyes...

I just can't seem to get the orange tiger eyes to look right, I like my rainbow tiger, but the orange one looks weird, what am I doing wrong? I think I need to add yellow to the center of the face too. It needs more dimension...Please any suggestions would be appreciated!

I use Ocher yellow from snaz and blend it into the orange, usually use snaz sparkle orange or paradise orange, but I make my orange tigers with ears. I do my rainbow tiger with a fore head like yours. Here is mine.

I personally prefer the pearl/metallic tigers. I'd suggest adding dots and focusing on the flow of the lines around the eyes. You want it to feel like everything is heading towards the corner of the eyes.

I sponge the white areas 1st & then (mostly using pearl/metallic colors) double or triple load a sponge.
Example would be: yellow/orange/copper
I also like to paint white down the forehead & down the nose & then fan out the colors on either side.
Here's some pics of different types of tigers I do:

Hi...That is a nice tiger..I think to improve it .I would make it yellow and then sponge orange highlights on the forehead and cheek..dont run the white up the nose...highlight the nose with a swish of orange and your good to go.

Wow, I'm overwhelmed with all the great advice! Looks like I need to invest in some metallic/pearl colors, and practice alot! Great photos everyone! @ psalmbook, I really love the pink/purple one and the metallic orange & yellow one, cute kids! I agree that I put too many stripes and I have to focus on directing the lines to the eyes. I just tried another one, but it was before I read all the advise, but it turned out better just by adding more yellow and not as many stripes.

whobwhate... I actually really like the shape of your tiger. It looks really clean. I think you're right. All you need is to add some yellow. The only thing I would say is that you don't really need the stripes on the chin. It looks cleaner without them. Also... your linework is nice and clean, but I would try using a bigger brush. I use a number 7 so that I can start VERY VERY thin... get quite thick... then back to thin again. I can see you are doing that, but an even more dramatic contrast would look really nice.
Metalic colors are pretty. I tried a metalic tiger (using a "brilliant bring" rainbow cake from Silly Farm), but I actually went back to bright yellow and orange. I think it pops more next to the black. I just recently watched a Mark Reid tutorial, and his tigers are actually kinda a-symetrical when he does them on women. A little more "artsy" like wmevents from above. One cool trick he showed was to actually start the tiger stripes up in the hairline. It looks like the tiger stripes are actually part of the person. I haven't tried it yet, but his looked amazing. here are my two tigers. One in orange.. and one in a copper cake. (I use this for Cheetahs)



I've changed the shape of my tigers. This is a more recent one.

My personal suggestion would be to simply not extend the eye whites so far beyond the eyes...I tend to go just above the outside of the natural eye, gives it some definition on it's on...I don't have any recent cat pics...but this leopard one will iyou the idea I think..


I do use the full face and forehead and do the same shape for the eyes on my tigers. Hope this helps.

Just found a more recent tiger on a child who just turned 4,her first full face ever! She was cute, but wouldn't smile for pictures! LOL Sorry for the foggy screen, I keep putting my fingerprints on my phone camera lense.

On an older child, I do get closer and line the eyes, makes a HUGE difference. It's hard to see but these were done with copper and dark gold colours and yellow. Looked nice in real life, I'll use those colours more often.

That's super cute gamezgirl!

One thing I noticed is that the line width is varied more on the rainbow one. I like to see a big variation on the width of the tiger stripes (very thin to fairly thick.)

@ kat, I think you're right, a bigger brush would be best, yours are all beautiful! Love how you do the eyes! And also how you don't paint the chin, I always feel though if they are paying for a full face that they will want the "whole" face done, I do think I will try it your way next time, thanks for the advise!

@ gamezgirl, I think that is great advise about the eyes, that is what I was most unhappy about. Nice leapard and love that last tiger too! And the girl with the mask is beautiful! What color did you use on her?