If you are anything like me… you have an absurd amount of antiquated CD’s lying around. Below is a creative art project that repurposes those CD’s into a surreal eyeball artwork! This could be a great project to explore using found objects to create art, tie into a halloween/spooky theme, or connect to the art movement of Surrealism. Some of the key concepts explored in this project include: one point perspective, 3 dimensional form, value, and contrast.
This blog post features step by step directions, materials list, video tutorial (coming soon!), and finished examples to inspire your art making process! Enjoy!
Materials list:
For this project, you will need:
- An old CD
- Sandpaper (optional)
- White gesso or primer
- Acrylic paint
- Pencil
- Ruler
- 10″ x 12″ White drawing paper (recommended)
- Hot glue gun or strong glue
- Tools to color with (such as colored pencil, marker, etc).
How to repurpose a CD into an eyeball!
Step 1- (Optional) Lightly sand the shiny side of a CD.
Step 2- Add a coat of white gesso or paint primer.
Step 3- Use pencil to sketch the iris ring of the eyeball. You may want to trace a circular object. The pupil will be the inner ridge of the CD.
Step 4- Paint the pupil black. Paint the white of the eye with a light grey that gradually blends to a dark grey to show 3 dimensional form.
Step 5- Paint the colorful iris of the eye. Strive for a gradient of a dark outer ring to a lighter color closer to the pupil.
Step 6- Add bright white highlights on the eyeball.
Now, let’s add your CD eyeball to a creative composition!
For this step, we will be creating a fun tiled floor using 1 point perspective techniques.
Step 1- On a 10″ x 12″ paper (recommended), draw a horizon line on the upper third of the paper.
Step 2- Use a ruler to make 1″ marks along the horizon line. On the top of the paper draw a vanishing point.
Step 3- Using 1 point perspective techniques, draw lines that converge to the vanishing point. Each 1″ mark will angle towards the vanishing point. Once all converging lines are drawn, add horizontal lines that run parallel to the horizon line. They will be closer together and gradually get more spaced out as it moves towards the bottom of the paper.
Step 4- Use a tool of your choice (i.e. colored pencils, markers, paint) to add color to the tiles. Consider how the color you choose can either coordinate or contrast with the color of the iris on your CD eyeball.
Step 5- Position your CD eyeball onto the composition. Explore the placement (left side, right side, central). Use hot glue to adhere to the paper.
Next, lightly sketch the cast shadow. *IMPORTANT* This will be on the side OPPOSITE from the highlight.
Step 6- Fill in your shadow to create a sense of form to your drawing and to unify the CD eyeball with the tiled floor. Consider adding shadows to the horizon as well.
Add some creative details!
Here is my teacher example I provided to my students. It’s super wacky and surreal, and I totally had fun creating it! I got creative with the additional space on my page and added another eyeball growing legs. I’m odd like that (lol!)
Student work samples
My advanced 8th grade middle school class rocked this project! I love the variety of colors in their final works.
Thanks for checking out this blog post. I would love to see your creation if you use these steps to make a CD eyeball artwork of your own. Feel free to tag me on Instagram and possibly get featured in this site! Also, please follow Make a Mark Studios on Facebook to keep up with the latest posts! Thanks in advance!
-Stephanie Villiotis, creator of Make a Mark Studios