Advice for an old guy getting back in.

[CaelynTek]

Greetings everyone.

So I used to be a pretty good mini painter and modeler. Back in the early 90\'s I was doing well in local painting competitions, winning a lot if 1st places in Amateur, then 2nd placing a lot in Masters category. I once placed 3rd at Gen Con in the then new GW category.

Well that was long ago. At some point in the 95/96 time frame I stopped... stopped painting, stopped playing RPGs and Tabletop games.

Well now it\'s over 10 years later and I\'ve gotten the taste for it again, and just got all new paints and tools, and have taken up a Witch Hunter army to get myself going again.

The first miniature I\'ve painted in a LONG time is in my gallery here (currently it\'s still waiting in the que) It\'s a Sisters of Battle Canoness and while I think it would look great on a tabletop, I didn\'t really like how well it came out.

In the many years past, I\'ve had several physical ailments that detract from my ability to paint as well as I used to. My eyes are full of floaters and I\'ve gotten VERY color blind. My hands often shake (only slightly) either from nerves or blood pressure problems. I\'ve tried a few methods to deal with the shaky hands but I was wondering....

I can\'t be the only older guy here that has to deal with these kinds of issues. Can any of you give me some advice on methods, techniques etc to help deal with the effects of aging on painting quality?

I\'m sure I\'ll get better again with practice, but the eyes and shaking hands aren\'t helping.

I already use a magnifying lamp and rest my hands on the edge of the desk... but that isn\'t always helping.

 

[freakinacage]

i was gonna suggest rest your hands on something! can;t think of what else would help

the cannoness aint bad. shes neat for a start. however i would suggest thinning your paint more so highlights build up slower
pics:

also start a wip thread and people will give you advice

welcome fella
btw how old are you? you look young enough in your photo

 

[Anatora]

I feel your pain. Age is great except for the eyes and knees. Reflecting light from sources other than your painting lamps worsen floaters. Floaters can be helped in several ways. First, use good lighting. As we age, we see the world through a yellow tinge, so switching to cool blue daylite bulbs, you can remove that yellow tinge and give your eyes a restful light. Paint on a neutral surface, like gray. Make sure you have no light reflecting in your eyes from lamps, computer screen, or white surfaces. Using a dedicated cabinet for your painting helps to remove ambient lighting. The doors form a barrier on each side of you and cuts down on reflecting light from walls, room lighting, etc.

As for shaking hands, try using a wrist brace or ACE bandage wrapped around the wrist for support. Rest your hand on the painting surface at the wrist, since you are probably using your finger movements to move the brush instead of moving the wrist and arm like a fine artist does when painting on a large canvas. At this scale it is wasted energy to use more than finger movements to paint a mini. Rest your hand often. Leave the tiny details alone until you feel you have some control over your fingers during a painting session. Your hand may shake less at the beginning or the middle of a painting session so learn to identify these times for painting eyes, jewels, and other details. As a last resort, either see if your doctor can give you something if the shaking is really bad, or go to painting 54mm or large minis.

Accept that we older ones cannot compete with the younger whippersnappers in many areas, but can make a fair showing by taking more time and adjusting to our own levels.
:cussing::cussing:

 

[CaelynTek]

Thanks for the replies guys... and +1 to freak for finding my photos on photobucket

I do have a daylight lamp that I use, helps me take better pictures too.

I\'ll probably take your advice about the neutral surface, that will be an improvement for sure.

Thanks again.

 

[CaelynTek]

welcome fella
btw how old are you? you look young enough in your photo

I missed this question last time.

I\'m 38, but I have the body of someone much older due to being a type 1 diabetic since the age of 12. Plus, the photo on my profile was taken in the Mexican Yucatan.... I look and feel a lot younger when I\'m there... heh.

 

[Sand Rat]

First, Welcome Back.

Second, a couple of things I have found useful (being 43, having bad eyes, and hands that dont work properly due to an being adventuresome youth (although my wife would argue I still have the adventure seeker in me))

1. All of the above is good advice.
2. Paint in short sessions, not marathons - I find it is easier to work on something for 15 minutes to half an hour then take a short break and come back to it, rather than paint for hours at a time.
3. Enjoy what you do - I paint for myself, not for anyone else (well except the occasional piece for the wife), and therefore the only person I have to please is me - if I think it looks good on the table, then it does.

 

[freakinacage]

Originally posted by CaelynTek
Thanks for the replies guys... and +1 to freak for finding my photos on photobucket

hehe its not as creepy as you may think! i just looked at the blog in your profile and they were there - no need to panic!

 

[gohkm]

All of this is great advice. I\'ve got arthritis, so it makes painting somewhat difficult. The best thing so far is definitely painting in spurts. If you\'re shaking, take a break and perhaps have something soothing to drink, say, camomile tea or something. I\'ve got a mate who swears that a sip of whisky before painting is what does it for him, but hey, different things for different people, eh?

Having soothing scents around may also alleviate the shaking, perhaps lavender incense or something. Never worked for me, though.

 

[Kester]

I too took avery long break from the hobby. I used to be pretty good back in the day. Then I started up again, found this place and made the hardest discovery of my life. Painting had moved on a great deal in my absence. I had to forget eveything that I knew and start again from scratch. There are some great articles on here, and lots of friendly advice to be had if you ask for it. Posting WIPs is a good idea. Your painting is very neat. That is a good starting point but you need to thin your paints and apply multiple thin layers rather than just one thick one straight out of the pot. Also pick yourself up some of the Citadel washes, if you don\'t want to get them all, get Badab Black, Devlan Mud and Levaithan Purple (yes , purple, try it on your flesh tones and you will never look back).

As the others have said, Good lighting but I would also add a comfortable chair.

Welcome back to the hobby.

Kes

 

[CaelynTek]

Thanks everyone. Yes I am seeing that there are a lot more techniques these days than there used to be.... or at least more people using a lot more techniques.

I can\'t wait to try NMM... probably try that one on my Celestine Saint mini.... but not for a while, I need to get my gaming minis done first.

Thanks again.

Caelyn