Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Cataracts...

In the last eight years or so my left eye has developed cataracts, and although my right eye seems to be free of them so far, and can still read without corrective lenses, painting figures has become a real problem, especially in the last twelve-month.  Then, about eight weeks ago, my glasses broke.  Already having to be repaired once, they had to be replaced, no question.

 So off to the local optometrist, eyes tested, renew prescription, and it seemed that something - not a lot admittedly - might help with the bung eye.  Well, vastly expensive as it was (my lenses are the progressive type, photo chromatic, but not polarised) they do make quite a bit of difference, even for reading.  I've been checking my 3D vision with my Magic Eye book, and the finer 'grained' pictures had been lost to me. Though it has not totally been recovered, the improvement was noticeable.

And painting: I feel a bit more like the effort these days.  Pictured are some of my Napoleonic project: A Highland Regiment (bought a couple of weeks ago on Trade Me, and a couple of Russians.  The latter are more 'Revolutionary Wars' but they''ll do for Napoleonics as well.   At this point I'm perhaps about 2/3 of the way through the painting - plenty to do yet, but I just wanted to see what they looked like as my first detailed paint job with new specs.

The Highlander battalion is a little bit of historic licence on my part, being the 73rd (Perthshire) Infantry.  This unit had indeed been Highlander, but recruitment problems had in 1809 led to its being opened up to a wider intake, with a consequent loss, not only of its Highlander status, but also of the Highlander regalia from its uniform.  Too bad: I wanted  Highlander unit in my army, and this was the only candidate.  The reason is that, although mine is intended as a Peninsular War army, it comprises Waterloo battalions.  It was much easier that way to get the appropriate flags on line. 

21 comments:

  1. Nice wok on these Ion, and good to see (unintended pun) you painting again.

    I must get my eyesight checked out soon as well. Getting old sucks.

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    1. Yep: everything starts to malfunction, fall off or cease to function properly. Actually, I'm in pretty good health, considering my lack of anything you would call 'fitness.'

      Thanks for your comment. I might actually get a game in one day...

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  2. Being poorly sighted myself- so much so I'm classed as visually impared- and can't for instance drive I understand the frustrations- and the cost of specs- I didn't get much change out of a Grand for my last lot .

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    1. I guess you're talking pounds. The grand in NZ dollar terms was a moderately distant spec in the rearview mirror - not that I'm complaining you understand. I think that would still have been well shoort of a grand sterling. The $4,500+ for my hearing aids earlier in the year - now that stung! My wife calls me 'low maintenance'. I think she went too far in tempting Providence, meself...

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  3. I too have been using specs for the last few years for painting! Need to get the eyes redone as I find I am having to adjust things now to keep the figure in focus!!! Nice work on the laddies Ion!

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    1. Thanks rodger. I think the up close photos do show up certain flaws, but at ordinary viewing distance they look fine to me. I really wanted to see how the tartan (correct for the 73rd) came out. I kind of cartooned it a bit since the area to be painted was so tiny. So instead of two rows of blue squares, I made it one. The concept seemed to work quite well, I thought.

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  4. Glad to hear there's improvement and the juices are flowing again, the eyes are the worst sense to deteriorate especially in our hobby, good work sir.

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    1. Yep... For some time now I've been moderately concerned I might have to go back to chess...

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  5. And there was me thinking this post would be about Parthian heavy cavalry... I've had glasses since I was six so know the importance of getting my eyes checked regularly!

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    1. I do have some Byzantine chappies - they even swept away Norman cavallarii I gather. You wouldn't want them to fall on you from a great height... 15mm: not sure what their fate will be...

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  6. Oh yes the eyes (ayes) don't have it any more! I tried progressives several time and had so much trouble adapting I finally gave them up in favour of 2 separate pairs of glasses, 1 fr driving & movies, 1 for reading etc About 1/3 rd the cost and each pair does its job better.

    Your highlanders look pretty good though when all's said and done.

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    1. I'm a bit lucky there. My wife could never get the hang of progressives either, but I've never had any trouble. It's possible that because my eyesight, though requiring correctives since I was 14 (I was getting massive headaches) my eyesight was never all that bad. So my progressives are probably less abrupt (?) than they would be for most.

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    2. The highlanders will do I think. I hope to finish them over this weekend.

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  7. Crikey - best of luck with the new spec Archduke.

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    1. We'll just have to spec kerlate how well I can inspec the spec per spec with my spec, I ek spec. :-)

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  8. Ion,

    Sorry to hear about your eye problems, but it sounds as if you are getting things sorted out.

    I am very impressed by your Highlanders ... and I like the idea of using Waterloo troops to refight the Peninsulat War.

    All the best,

    Bob

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    1. ;-) The eye problems could have been a whole lot worse. But it was affecting my painting, I have to admit. The waterloo troops for the Peninsula was solely due to the best source of downloadable Napoleonic flags. More on this later.
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  9. Hope the new specs continue to provide impressive results. Impressive army in the making with the Napoleonics.

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    1. Actually that unit just about rounds off my Napoleonic British. Expect a posting about them sometime shortly...
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  10. Glad the new glasses seem to be helping- great figures too!

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  11. I have always rather liked the 3rd generation 25mm Minifigs Napoleonics - easy to paint, smooth lines. I'll be posting pics the finished unit shortly.

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