"Is it the miniatures' fault?" Topic

Hi guy's, I wonder if anyone can comment on this problem. I recently retired from work and so I have a lot more time to spend painting miniatures, mainly 10 and 15 mm. However I have now noticed that I do seem to be suffering from an unusual amount of headaches. I do not wear specs for everyday activities but I do for reading and painting. Could that fact that I am painting small scale figures be the cause of the headaches or could it be that I am just spending more time painting than I used to do. Would upscaling to 28mm be of any help. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Well, I am the opposite – wear glasses for everyday activities and not for reading and painting.

Having noted that, I have no problems after spending up to a couple of hours painting 15mms at night. And usually a couple of more reading.

But then nearsighted vs farsighted…

If you think its the painting, don't change scales, just get yourself a good angle poise magnifier with a light and you'll find the old eyes have years of painting left in them. I would also suggest a visit to the opticians just to set your mind at ease.

Something like this made a huge difference for me:
link

DBDD

I'd second freerangeegg's suggestions. I found that an led lamp made painting easier. Well worth getting your eyes checked by an optician – at my last visit (I go every two years) my optician found that one of my lenses was a bit strong for me, which explained occasional eye strain which has gone with the new glasses.

I wouldn't change scale unless you want to. I stopped painting 6mm when I went into varifocals because I thought I couldn't do them any more – ten years later I decided to paint some units to finish a couple of armies and found to my pleasure that I could still do them to a reasonable standard.

Your eyes have a combination of close range and long range muscles. When you are painting you are tiring out the close range group.

Take break every twenty minutes and go somewhere where the long range group get exercised. Five minutes would suffice then go back and do some more painting.

Both Freerangeegg and JimDuncanUK have excellent
suggestions.

I used to frequently look up from painting to an
area 15 or so feet from the painting area to exercise
the far distance vision.

Frequent breaks and good lighting are key. I also have a mobile paint-station, so I can paint in areas other than my hobby room.

I like to paint outside in the summer, and also frequently have a movie playing when painting in the house. Both afford me opportunities to take a break and focus on things in the distance, rather than staring at close-up details for hours.

Yup – I live on the 14th floor so I have a view.

But I have changed my painting habits completely the last few years. My painting desk is in the den, and I have a roller cart full of supplies. So I have a convenient place to paint.

But now, instead of painting occasionally for 2 hours, I paint every day in 5-20 minute bursts. Coffee on the boil? Do one color on my musketeers. Bread in the oven? 30 minutes is long enough to get a lot of progress on my 1/300 trucks.

By doing it this way I am getting far, far more painting now than I ever did.

I bought a good quality jewellers optical visor. Best hobby accessory I ever spent money on.

Of course it's the miniatures fault. The little beggars conspire amongst themselves. They plot at night doncha know. Alone in their little boxes or cubbyholes

As above, I have bursts of painting rotating through my brushes, not least to keep my attention going. Then I'll look at the laptop for e-mail fo which there seems to be a never ending stream (Chairman of Council), and then back to a rulebook to work out what game/scenario to play, then back to paint something different. (Somehow painting several foots worth of 28mm library in one go does not appeal)

Hi Guys, thank you all for some very useful and informative feedback, I fully intend to try all the suggestions. Thanks again.

I'm getting close behind you in age, been reading more on my tablet and can't say headache but if reading a long time and go out driving it's hard to focus. I use magnifier to paint 15mm but think that's ok.

It might be the miniatures but then again maybe not. Please see a doctor because increasing headaches could be caused by something else.

There is also a chance that it could be the angle your holding your neck on rather than your eyesight, again frequent breaks would help and perhaps a higher desk and or lower chair.

Robert

I take a break from looking through my reading glasses and glance over them to look at the TV. Doing that I seem to have less problems with headaches these days.

I have no suggestion not already offered, but I would recommend going about it as many ways as possible all at one time: increase the light, take breaks and improve magnification. This is not a science class, and you will be awarded no points for discovering which was most important. Hit the problem as hard as possible.

For what it's worth, I'll be 66 in a few months, but I'm still painting 5mm H&R and Irregular 2mm--well, to my satisfaction, at least.

I concur with the suggestions of more light, an optivisor, and consultation with an appropriate eye care professional.

I would add consideration of the paint and ventilation. Oil-based paints and especially thinnners for them release gases that will give you a headache. So make sure you have good ventilation.

If you're using acrylic paints, ventilation isn't much of an issue.

I found using too bright a light gave me headaches I still use a light but not such a bright one.