"Eyesight degeneration from painting figures?" Topic

I just wanted to ask you all,

Is there any evidence to suggest that continual painting of small figures by painters causes gradual eye sight degeneration?

I paint figures as a hobby and have done so for about 30 years, my eye sight has decreased over these years. I put it down to growing older but some suggest that it is because I have painted so many little toy soldiers. Several doctors refute this claim but I also at times come across evidence to the contrary, so what do you think or have been told or know about the subject?

Shane

Make sure you have adequate light when painting and when your eyes start getting tired (I know when mine are as I cannot focus on fine details) it's time to quit for the night.

Damon.

I'm not sure I understand your concept her. You've talked to doctors about this, and you're coming to TMP for a 2nd opinion? That seems to me to be some kind of FAIL.

I left the hobby for about 20 years. My eyesight still went downhill.

Genetics. It is about the same as my father's was at the same age.

Lots of people's eyes go into their forties. Nothing related to painting minis since most lose it and few paint them.

The most common cause of age related visual degeneration I was informed is a gradual loss of the ability of the muscles that control focusing to work effectively.
This happens in most people naturally as the constant use of the muscles causes strain particularly if the eyes are forced to operate in less than adequate light conditions although some lucky individuals seem to have no such effects.
So I guess years of painting in poor light conditions might speed up this process- but its really just a natural by-product of getting older.
People who have never painted a figure experience it

I was great until about 2 years ago,I'm 44 now. I use a magnifier to paint and have trouble with very small print.

BUT, I'm painting more and more 6mm figures it seems! LOL! Go figure!

Bob

I just painted about 125 – 28mm Austrians (Shako). It took me about a month to complete. My left eye is completely blood red, like I took a hit, on the side of the head. I can see fine, but have an appointment with my Doctor tomorrow.

This happens every time I paint in volumn. My Doctor also says painting is not the cause. He says it is just an eye infection.

jeez guy did you post everywhere? There is a DON'T CROSSPOST button too.

Invest in good light and reading glasses, painting gets easy again.

If you do anything to access you will suffer for it, that goes for painting miniatures and everything else in life.

The advise I was given was that I should spend time outdoors in clear areas to counter the effect of refining my vision to a narrow focus. So far this advise has been dead on target. After taking my kids out to fly a kite and spending the evening relaxing I find the following day my focus is better, and my eyesight stronger.

jeez guy did you post everywhere? There is a DON'T CROSSPOST button too.

mate, the whole reason the cross post button is there is to grow your audience….is it not?

If you look at the forums I have included they are all "painting" forums so that as many people as possible can be involved to help discuss this issue. If you do not like it, simply click your back button and read other threads….simple as that. I do not have to justify to you why I used the tool given to us by the owner of this site.

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I am very interested in what others have to say about this and want to generate some kind of consensus of opinion regarding this topic which for many painters I think is a real problem or concern. So sharing their experiences is my goal here.

Shane

The advise I was given was that I should spend time outdoors in clear areas to counter the effect of refining my vision to a narrow focus. So far this advise has been dead on target. After taking my kids out to fly a kite and spending the evening relaxing I find the following day my focus is better, and my eyesight stronger.

Bingo !! this is what I am after, this seems like very sound advice, I also felt that going out after painting and looking at things at an extreme distance might counter the effects of training my eyes to focus close when painting. Thank you Paintbeast, I will take this on board.

Shane

AFIAK the idea that concentrating on something small, reading in low light, computer screens, etc can cause eye damage is a common urban myth.

One point to bear in mind is that the people most likely to notice a weakening in their sight are those using it most keenly.

That said it is well worth increasing the ambient light in which you work and take regular breaks to maximise the 'quality' of your vision… of course we should all do that. :)

I found my eyesight became a bit worse not due to painting per se, but dealing more with computers at the job and getting on into my 40s and now 50s. I think it's more related to aging and dealing more with computers for hours on end at work. Best advice is to change your point of focus from time to time, as well painting in good light. Don't worry if you have to use magna-visors and such -- just part of getting a bit older.

It wasn't the painting that caused my eyesight to worsen, it was the reading about history.

If you look at the forums I have included they are all "painting" forums so that as many people as possible can be involved to help discuss this issue. If you do not like it, simply click your back button and read other threads….simple as that. I do not have to justify to you why I used the tool given to us by the owner of this site.

yeah clogging up 17 other message boards, like trying to avoid a plague…..mate.

If that was the case I suspect over 1/2 of TMP'ers would be blind . I can't stop so I will be blind too . I see painting as excerise for the eyes , keeps them in shape

My eyes are much worse than they used to be, but that's due to the day job of staring into a computer screen for 8-10 hours per day.

I use a knock-off optivisor & a strong craft light when painting, paint in 60-90 minute shifts, take breaks as needed and have no issues.

Wear boxing gloves at night for a week.

I just got my eyes tested yesterday. My doctor told me to be sure to look up at distant objects for 15 minutes when doing computer work. I had heard, before, that you should look away from the computer for awhile every so often.

Age does steal your sight, though. I have been very near-sighted with a strong astigmatism since I was 9 years old. When I hit 45 years, I moved to bifocals. I needed more and more light to read and my arms had gotten very short.

Now I am 59 years and my near-sightedness is improving a little and I need stronger bifocals. I don't paint figs or do computer work for long enough periods of time to blame either one of those as the cause. I am just getting old and picked my genes unwisely.

Some good advise …

I think that it is just a simple case of getting older. Most people's eyesight degenerates as they age. I've been painting for over 20 years and my eyesight hasn't gotten any worse (and I'm in my 50s) than it was when I started the hobby.

Muscles don't weaken with use. They strengthen. That's why exercise is important.

Eye muscles are no different. They get old, just like your biceps will too. But using them sure doesn't make them worse.

Too much concentration in poor light will give headaches and tension though. The equivalent of over-exercising.

My sight started to go (needed glasses) in my early-mid 40s. It had *nothing* to do with painting minis, because at that stage I hadn't touched one in over 20 years. It's age. There are lots of things you can and should do to slow the natural degenerative process, some of which should be practiced when painting (or, indeed, if you're stamp collecter, for example), but which are necessary whether you paint little metal figures or not.

Hi
I now use glasses.
I notice my eyes starting to fail about 4 years ago (age 41).
I've no idea if painting miniatures had anything to do with it,..
Oh, and Tabletopwarrior,
I agree with the response:
"I do not have to justify to you why I used the tool given to us by the owner of this site".
It''s not a difficult concept to grip. Don't read the thread if it somehow bothers you.

The owner of the site seems to have felt differently:

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27 Mar 2010 8:58 p.m. PST
by the Editor

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Heh.

I've worn glasses since I was knee high to a 25mm figure.

However, the last couple of times I've been to the opticians, I've needed a weaker prescription, so my eysesight is now getting better!

The optician said that this is because many people get more long-sighted with age, so it is indavertantly correcting my short-sight.

People's eyes get bad from aging. My optometrist told me that most people over 40 need glasses. (I just turned 40 and now have them!) I don't think that focusing on small objects has anything to do with it--although you could get eyestrain (basically tired eyes.) Make sure to take breaks when painting and to stare at distant objects for a few secs. Otherwise it's all aging and genetics.

Some fact and some fiction on this thread, so 'll demystify the subject a little if I may. Now the basic thing is painting will not damage your sight. However, as we age, natural changes within our eyes affect our ability to see.
Firstly, as we age, we need more light to see. This is due to a process called myosis, where the pupil in our eye, or the aperture that allows light to enter the eye gets smaller, so we need additional lighting in order to see as much as we used to.
Then there is a process called presbyopia. This is where the lens in our eye gets thicker and less flexible with age. This means it can't change shape to focus on objects closer to us, and becomes apparent between the ages of forty and fifty, and is why most people need to wear glasses at around this age.
I provide therapy for people who have lost their sight. One of the primary myths I hear people coming to terms with serious and permanent sight loss is that they wore out their eyes by looking too hard. This is not true.
However, you can strain your eyes by painting. Again, no permanent damage unless you do something really stupid like stab yourself in the eye!
The best bit of advice I can give is to take regular breaks when you paint, and buy a good task lamp that gives out a White light, not a yellow light. Again, White light is better than yellow light as it improves contrast and doesn't strain your eyes. Also, try to avoid painting under a fluorescent tube as the constant flickering will strain your eyes and give you a headache.
I hope this all helps. Cheers all,

Ace

To echo the comments above, your eyesight deteriorates as you get older, particularly from your mid 40s onwards.

Eye strain can produce horrible headaches, real vomit inducing ones (it does with me).

Bright lights, take breaks, but accept that nature is letting you down too. Reading glasses can help as well.

heh, cheers…..mate.

I am the only person in my family to not wear glasses. If anything,I'd say painting helps eyesight. I am 45,and I've been getting a little far sighted(as was my father),but no othere effects.

I'm registered blind and can still paint!

I suffer from a hereditary genetic condition called retinitas pigmentosa that causes extreme tunnel vision which has gradually got worse as I have got older. I have discussed the effects of painting small little men with my Consultant and he is of the opinion that it hasn't had any effect on my vision. I always paint in good light (using daylight bulbs), use a magnifier and always take plenty of breaks.

Pete

For people who are bothered by crossposting, you sure keep on posting.

Heh!