Painting with glasses? rant alert.

[Dan]

 I've just had my eyes tested as I'm struggling with close up work both in my job and hobby. I bought two pairs; one for work for long vision and reading books, the other for close up work and long vision which stay on my desk.
 Problem is I'm frustrated with both as I cannot get used to moving my eyes to the correct part of the lense rather than just being free to roam around like normal. My normal vision is actually better from about half a metre to about 1.5 metres and for looking a computer screens.
 I'm really struggling to paint as when I move to my eyes to the water pot or paint its out of focus. When I look at where my figures are waiting to be picked up they are out of focus. When I look at my screens I have to look over the glasses to see properly. They are good for using Greenstuff as you only have to look at the figure most of the time. I've not used my work glasses at all!
I cannot handle wearing either when I look at the figures on my gaming table.

I'm thinking I should have spent $20 on hobby glasses rather than getting sucked into buying proper ones.

Anyone else been through this?

[Big Sexy]

I got checked out before because my eyes were bothering when I was painting.  The said I didn't really need glasses and that my eyes were just getting tired.  He had me do some exercises to strengthen my eyes.  It seems to have helped plus I take more breaks when doing close up work. 
Are your glasses bi-foculs? 

[Bugsda]

It takes about five or six weeks to get used to it, I was the same when I first got an optivisor, stick at it.

[zemjw]

I need glasses for close up work as well now 

I don't try to focus closely on the figures when I'm reaching for them, so I don't really notice that problem so much. If I need to pay attention to something that is blurred with the glasses on, I just look over the top, or bottom, of the glasses. I also take them off at every opportunity, to rest my eyes.

As Bugsda said, it takes a few weeks, then it'll seem as if you've always worn them 

I do have a couple of pairs of cheap (£1.50) reading glasses, but I hardly ever use them. They're just for the times when the optivisor (in addition to the glasses!!!) gets in the way of my brush and I need the x3 magnification.

This getting old thing gets old real fast 

[Tom Reed]

As everyone else has said, it just takes time to get used to it. At some point it will be second nature.

[psyberwyche]

When I first had my lenses with a prism in them, I could barely walk out of the optician's in a straight line :-)

Now I wear em all the time, no problems - your eyes/ brain will adjust over time.

[FramFramson]

Yes, it will take some time to adapt.

Interestingly, I have very poor eyesight and normally go around with a huge pair of coke-bottle glasses (we're talking lenses that are about 1cm thick at the rims), but my focal length is very short. So I have very clear vision at about a 2 inch distance from my eye.

When I paint figures, I often take my glasses off and just hold the figure really close - which gives me much better vision than I get with my glasses on. This amuses me to no end, because I normally never take my glasses off except to sleep.

[Bugsda]

...... my focal length is very short. So I have very clear vision at about a 2 inch distance from my eye.

An Optivisor is supposed to extend your focul length, have you ever tried one?

[fastolfrus]

We recently bought a daylight lamp with lots of LED lights, designed for embroidery use, so it doesn't get hot when you work under it. Found that the improved lighting works almost better than glasses, and with glasses is amazing.

[FramFramson]

An Optivisor is supposed to extend your focul length, have you ever tried one?

Wouldn't do much considering how hilariously myopic I am.

I actually don't mind working without my glasses though, so even if an Optivisor were to help, it's a bit redundant. Might as well save a few dollars and avoid wearing a large hat. 

[Silent Invader]

Up until recently I wore contact lenses or glasses to correct my shortsightedness, removing them (or peaking under) when painting to take advantage of my excellent 'really close up' vision.

Now that longsightedness has crept up on me (the age thing) I have to wear bifocals for work and leisure, though I still paint without glasses.  It took me about a month to get used to the bifocals and the switch from in focus to out.

[Dan]

Hi guys thanks for the tips. I have got bi-focals but the two sets of glasses are a different prescription. I think I have worked out that by lowering my desk height and chair it helps a bit. Better angle maybe?
It looks like I will just have to stick at it. I used to be able to focus at about 100mm and was able to paint for hours without a break so am feeling very frustrated just at the moment. I do like what I have managed to paint though.

[Galland]

We recently bought a daylight lamp with lots of LED lights, designed for embroidery use, so it doesn't get hot when you work under it. Found that the improved lighting works almost better than glasses, and with glasses is amazing.

This ^^ and the Optivisor that Bugsda sounds really interesting. I am suffering from the same issues here, as the OP, and I am using rather strong reading glasses to be able to paint (I cant see any details what so ever, or even focus on the miniature). With this in mind, I am thinking of trying the above stuff first, daytime lamp and the Optivisor (what is that? Please help me here hehe), before bying the glasses, since they are $$$$$ here in Sweden.

[zemjw]

As a picture is worth a thousand words  Optivisor at Amazon

I use mine for all detail work, although since I bought a new lamp recently, I've not had to use it quite so much. Definitely something to be said for looking at your lighting setup

[6milPhil]

Sadly you're not the only one. I've had glasses for decades but my aging eyes mean I paint without them now but it's not perfect. Had to give up painting 6mm figures because I can't manage that level of detail consistantly. A bit once and again on larger figures.

We're getting old, lucky we're still handsome eh?