WOW! What a difference the Optivisor makes! Thanks to all that recommended them in my earlier post. I put those bad boys on and went back and looked at a 54mm resin figure I thought I had cleaned up and lo! I had missed a very nasty spot on the coat! Could have been quite an embarrassment later, I'm sure.
The Optivisor is comfortable to wear and after a little getting used to vision-wise (like remembering to move the visor up & down when you want to see normally sos ya don't knock something over) I can see my work so much better! It's made my paint work a real pleasure.
I also added a hundred-watt bulb to my lamp...which didn't hurt either! :lol:
--linda

Now the only thing to be careful of Linda, is over blending. I had to learn this painful point when I first started wearing optivisors a few years back. Every so often, lift your visors up and look at the figure under the light with just your eyes. It'll help prevent overblending.

HTH,
Jim Patrick

They're great but I had to flip down the second lens this week. Oh well , At least I have the loop left.

You know, I had a 100 W incandescent bulb in my lamp at first. It dried the enamel and acrylic paint before it got to the figure. :lol:

Not kidding...

Keith

I try not to use it too much. The more I use one the longer it takes my eyes to re-adjust. I can see the eyeballs but then everything else is a blur!

well indeed it helps a lot and i do adore them . but u have to take breaks for your eyes relax and to see the overall impression of the figure. BUt its still a goood tool to have , as we growing older ...

Two absurdly naive questions for anybody who's been doing this longer than me -

1) Is an Optivisor regarded as essential for figure sizes 75mm and larger? Haven't bought or made anything smaller and don't intend to.

2) Is anybody else using a "DaylightTM" bench or desk light? My father-in-law (a commercial and fine artist) recommended it because the bulb used is similar to natural light. Not exactly - not the same wavelengths, etc., but similar. Anyway, I think it is helpful because colors under this light seem somewhat the same as in bright sunlight on a sunny day.

All the best,
Dan

Dan--I think there is actually a BULB being made now that simulates the natural light--by Phillips, I think. I'll get more info & let you know.
Also, I only intend to use the Optivisor for the details like eyes, buckles, faces--if it get to the point I can't see legs, arms or torsos, I'm packin' it in!
--linda :lol:

The lights I use are the GE Reveal bulbs which give off a more natural light. Quite a difference from the older bulbs.

I guess I'm not asking my question about the Optivisor precisely enough. Sure, I knew you'd only need it for eyes, buckles, small parts, etc.

Here's my question -

For figures of 75mm and larger, do most figure painters use an Optivisor for detail painting? Is it regarded as "essential equipment"? Does pretty much everybody use one?

Frankly, I tried one (admittedly for a short time) and didn't like it. Maybe I didn't work with it long enough to get thoroughly used to it, I don't know.

All the best,
Dan

I had an optivisor years ago and gave it away. I push my glasses down and look at what I am painting over the top of my glasses. Works for me!!

Dan, I don't use any vision aid for painting or sculpting even in the smaller scales like 1/35 and the variations on '54mm' but I can see that I'll probably have to at some point as I get older for fine details. For 75mm and above I think you could easily do without one unless you need to paint something incredibly intricate like hairs on the legs (although you can do that without an Optivisor if your natural close-up vision is good).

As far as lighting goes the best you'll be able to find is almost certainly going to be an Ott Lite, they have a much better CRI (colour rendering index) than most other full-spectrum bulbs and tubes that you might get in a typical lighting store; I don't have the link but I looked this up at some point and their readings sometimes aren't even in the same ballpark as Otts. You want a CRI above 95 if you can get it but anything over 90 is good, a colour temperature of 5000K-5500K is what to aim for if you can find this detail out; together this is a good simulation of bright, white daylight.

That said your figures won't generally be viewed in daylight so there is something to be said for just painting under a brighter version of what they would normally be seen in. I use a mix of incandescent room light and fluorescent task light and it's decent enough, particularly if you use a 'cool' tube to help balance the orange cast from the tungsten bulb.

Einion

Using an Optivisor has more to do with age and failing vision for me. I never used any type of magnifier until I turned 43. Painted everything with the naked eye. I now use the Optivisor for everything; including clean-up and assembly. I think I paint better with it and wish I had started painting with it sooner. It did take a while to get used to it. The visor blocks some of the lighting and gave me headaches after long painting sessions.
Every painter has his own preference for lighting. I like lots of lights and very bright lights. I paint under a 150watt halogen and a 60 watt high intensity reading lamp. I also have a flourescent reading lamp that I check colors under. I tried an Ott light and hated it, easy on the eye but not bright enough for me. Also, very expensive. I was loaned one by the manufacturer/distributor and sent it back after one painting session.

I tried an optivisor a few years ago and I had a hard time adjusting to it. Like Phil, my eyes went south after I turned 40. I ended up using a pair of store-bought +3.25 magnification reading glasses. These work very well, but I expect Santa to bring me a Sharper Image desktop magnifier (I know because I bought this for Santa - i.e., my wife Heather - to give me!) this year to help with the finest painting details.

I don't use nearly as much light as most do. I use a single 2-step halogent lamp, and that's it. I like a strong single light source as it helps to more clearly define shadow areas on 54mm figures. Too much light tends to wash out the subtleties in the sculpture when I am placing highlight and shadow colors.

Bill

I had been using an opti. On a whim, I bought one of those non presciption magnifying pair that Bill mentions below. I find that these store boughts reduce eye strain AND not block the lighting the way my opti does. So, I have switched over to that at least for the 100mm piece I am finishing off.

Like some of the others mentioned, I have a ceiling mounted flourescent and one 60W reveal incandescent. This works well for me as I take my pics in the same set up.

Keith

Many thanks for the info! That's kinda what I thought - it's a mixed bag. Some use only natural light & some use both natural and artificial light. There are those who swear by the Optivisor and those who swear at it.

Since apparently I don't need to invest in an Optivisor, more $ for figures! Woo hoo! :lol:

All the best,
Dan

There are probably as many magnifier solutions and lighting combinations as there are people who paint. I have a special pair of painting glasses with my reading prescription and a clip-on 1.5x magnifier on top of that. I use an Opti Visor with a #5 or #10 lense and even the loop on occasion for tiny.

For lighting - I like a lot! Westinghouse makes a full-spectrum, 6500K, daylight bulb. You just screw it into your regular lamp. It's flourescent and screw shaped, but it gives the 100W equivalent of a nice balanced light. You can find it at any light specialty store. I think I paid about $25 for it. I also check colors under an (intentionally!) green fourescent bulb, since many shows have these as lighting. Since I usually paint at night, I have to wait until morning to check the colors in daylight.

Happy Painting!