For sculpted 3D eye models, the best manual rigging combines joint-based rigs (for basic directional movement like left/right gaze) and blend shapes (morph targets) for subtle expressions like squinting or iris dilation.
Joint rigs handle broad, natural eye movement—critical for animations, games, or VFX where eyes need to follow targets smoothly.
Blend shapes add fine details: they let you adjust lid shape, pupil size, or eye narrowing to convey realistic emotions (e.g., curiosity, fatigue).
If you’re new, start simple: build a basic joint rig first, then add 2-3 blend shapes (e.g., squint, wide eye) to keep the process manageable and effective.