Dear Margo ,I do hope you can find some solution to your eye problem.I hate to say such an indeliacte to a lady but maybe its just a \"getting older \" problem.As for the block I have known lots of guys in the military modelling world who got \"modellers menopause\"(as we call it). A break is usually the best solution.
To get back to things I find a good film or book inspires me,and maybe a slightly bigger mini would also take the physical & mental pressure away. GOD bless ..........VINCENTI
Margo we found something for you to do while you take a painting break
Your new job
Hope it turns out well for you
(ps I am too scared to get my eyes checked but I know I am near sighted as well)
Hey Margo!
Painters block happens to everyone I\'m sure. I certainly suffer from it - especially after a big project such as a GD entry, and worrying about it definiteky makes it worse. What you probably need to do is get your husband into prepping minis for you ;)
Joking aside, I think a larger scale mini might well be a good change to make. 54mm just isnt different enough scale to the super-sized 32mm stuff that is currently popular - maybe try a 70/90mm Pegaso mini :drool:
Another big thing people forget is the reduced blink rate when painting (and using a VDU). That dries your eyes out big time and can make them tired very quickly. I went to the optician recently worried about my eyes and thats what they came up with as all of the tests were nigh on perfect!
Chin up Margo - we\'ll all be here waiting for your triumphant return! Its a shame we wont see you at GD though - maybe next year!
Take care
So that\'s why we so rarely get to see any minis by Tooshy... You have her sitting prepping your minis!! :o lolOriginally posted by Avicenna
What you probably need to do is get your husband into prepping minis for you ;)
Give up painting! Buy a bike and ride in the hills. That\'ll get you fit and show you what a grand planet this is. Hooray!
Once again, thanks a lot for support, guys!
@frenchkid: yep glasses can be cool, if they\'re shades :) Otherwise, I end up looking like a corporate bitch, to say the least. But it\'s not really about that, I get really annoyed when I look sideways, or up, or down and see both the frame and the difference in the picture. So, I guess, no glasses for me, I\'m so happy I tried lens!
@Ritual: my doctor told me the opposite :( She said straining the eyes makes it worse :( It\'s all so confusing! But I never paint with glasses or lens on, though, and I don\'t feel like I need optical correction on such small distances. Oh, and there is no way I can stop worrying about my manicure, really lol
@vincenti: yes, you\'re right, motivation+deadline formula works magic on me. Hmm, I should think about that, thank you!
@Ogrebane: go check your eyes, NOW!! :twisted:
@Avicenna: thanks for advise! My husband is, in fact, prepping minis for me every once in a while, but when it comes to converting, I need to do it on my own.
And I still have some hopes about making it to GD UK this year. I\'ll find out in September, I guess.
Believe it or not, it actually does sound appealing to me right now!Originally posted by reverend
Give up painting!
I googled myopia and found this (I can\'t say I did any thorough investigation, though... :innocent: ):
http://www.eyesite.ca/english/public...ons/myopia.htm
I would think painting minis would be comparable to \"reading too much\". :)Causes
It is an inherited condition usually detected in children between the ages of eight and twelve. Few factors outside of heredity affect this condition. Using dim light, reading too much or nutritional deficiencies do not seem to impact it one way or the other.
Paint large figures. In fact, go to museums after hours and paint the classic sculptures they have on show. lol
I say do something else, find new things which you actually feel like doing and enjoy them. If you get the urge to paint again one day, paint, if not, you\'ll have a new hobby you enjoy!
Sure people say you need to suffer for your art...but since we decided mini painting isn\'t art, then why suffer? I\'ve never heard someone say you need to suffer for your hobby...that just sounds silly.
I\'ve definately had varrying degrees of painters block (most of 2006), and other than pieces I\'ve promised to do, I am just going to worry much about it. I have some projects that keep bringing me back to the painting table, and I figure when I feel like it, I\'ll be back.
EricJ - I have to disagree. After seeing both yours and Margo\'s paintjobs, I would definitely call it art.
Margo - I hope things get better, one way or another. I\'m sorry I can\'t offer any more than that, as I\'ve been in a painter\'s block for years now.
I\'d say give it a break. One week, one month, well, the time it takes... It\'ll come back :). I don\'t think it wise to do something that you don\'t feel like doing... The result might well be that you\'d totally give up.
Now, get a RC helicopter, and learn how to make it fly. This works for me :D. I don\'t know how to make it fly yet, but I sure have gotten back to my painting table. :D
Up (down) to -2.5 myself, though seems to have stopped at least. (Never suffered from eye strain that I know of though, got it from my mother\'s side) Not so fond on painting with contacts, find things aren\'t so clear/crisp generally, less so with glasses.
As for painters block, I just switch to another passtime for a while, reading, drawing, walking or some such relaxing thing and forget about miniatures entirely. (usually put the workstation away as well)... mind you last time I did so I didn\'t lift a brush for three, near four, years. Exception, not the rule. ;)
Or has been said above paint something wildly different, though that seems to help me more often when painting in blocks (eg same scheme x5 or 10 for a group)
Hi Margo, sorry to hear about your painting block :(
You have received many useful advices so I\'ll toss my 5 EuroCent too...
I\'m wearing glasses since the age of 6 (I\'m 42 now) and I have painted in every way, with glasses, without glasses (I just have problem on long distance) and with lens:
- lens: for me is not the right solution, I can see very well your miniature but after about 30 min the lens dry up and I cannot see well. (If I wear lens in normal conditions I can use them for all the day)
- without lens or glasses: good solution for the short distance but after some time my eyes start hurting because I\'m forcing them everytime I look for someting at more than 50cm
- with glasses: the perfect solution, I\'m painting since 1984 and I have changed only 2 times my lenses so I dont think that painting miniatures is so bad :)
About the painting block, I\'m just trying to exit from one of them so relax, try painting something easy and dont worry if you need 2 week to put some color on a snotling.. just pait it when you like.
The suggestion to change and get some bigger miiature is really good, try some 54mm from Spyglass or the hobbit from Enigma miniatures, all these are one-piece miniatures so you dont need to assemble them and they almost dont have visible mold lines.
If you cant finish something for the UK GD just aim for the Italian GD in December... is not the same thing but you can have a couple of free drinks (one from me and another from Tony) and good food :)
Hi Margo,
Ive been dealing with the whole vision issue my whole life and in the last couple years my close up vision has been really declineing. Im 41 now and Id kill for eyes 10 years younger. I use a Opti-Visor a lot now in my sculpting and painting work.
As for the glasses making you look like a corporate Bitch..Mmmmm lol
As for the feeling like not painting.. Im in that rut right now too. Im coming over for the paris show and then GD UK in September and I cant seem to bring myself to paint things to compete with.. I can paint to have fun..do game stuff no problem but to try for a demon Ive got no intrest at the moment and I know I should. So I guess we will see what I come over with. If not at least Ill get to enjoy some good beer! :beer:
ok, something just occured to me, what difference would it make painting a bigger mini? It doesn\'t seem like there is any difference whatsoever on eyestrain, the brushstrokes are still similar and in some cases the detail even finer...
Margo,
What I don\'t do is worry about it---
If I lose the motivation to paint, I just go with it and take a break for awhile. Not a break from painting, mind you, just a break from the way I\'ve been painting.
I\'m bad to paint long hours without breaks, sometimes to the tune of 50-60 hours per week (in addition to my full-time job)----needless to say I go through periods of burnout.
What I\'ll do is *not* paint at my table. I go to a local hobby store and teach a lesson or two, look at other folks models, browse pewter for some piece that just *screams* at me to be painted----I do this until I get motivated again.
I\'ve found that if I take this kind of break and just wait until something moves me to paint, that I ease back into the process just as fast as I eased out of it.
Good luck,
Kev
Mmmm, the thing is, I am doing \'something else\' all the time! It barely leaves time for mini painting, really.
Lots of great advise, thank you so much! Also, I\'m really frustrated at my progressing myopia, I used to see things really well just about two years ago, and I simply cannot get used to not seeing as well as I used to. So thanks a lot for support concerning that issue, too.
Hmm, perhaps I\'ll go and work on that miniature I\'m trying to assemble some more.
sorry for the late reply but hey..... heres what i show every one that has this problem.... now simply imagine u at the desk and thats me behind you....
Margo: I\'ve got to admit I\'ve damaged my eyes over the years, plus of course old age has added to the wear and tear.
Do I regret the damage, not really! I chose to paint, photograph and do lots of things.
While I understand that the feeling of something not working right in your body can be disturbing, it is part of living. We learn to adapt, Ok in my case a little more slowly than others, but we all adapt.
I can\'t tell you to keep painting, that is entirely your choice, but it would be our loss if you gave up as you are a mighty fine painter (paintress).
As to having to wear glasses, I started to wear glasses about the same age as you are now and hey guess what they aren\'t beer glass bottoms yet. :D
If you need to wear them fine, I can see you as looking Corporate yes, but bitch, Nah!
I hope you will be able to get to Gamesday., cos lets see, Year one you needed camera batteries, Year two was headache tablets, What would year three bring.......:D lol
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