Magnifier/Light - Important?

[Jesma]

I'm looking for input as to just how much of a difference having a magnifier/light makes. I'm having trouble with fine detail (eyebrows, pupils, etc) and lining because when brush hits mini I can no longer see whats happening (as mini is now obscured by brush). I guess I'm just curious whether the magnifier/light assemblies that seem to be so popular would actually help.

[orcsoul]

They do help once your brain has gotten used to translating the differences in size/distance between what it's seeing and what's actually there.

 

Kind of like performing actions you don't normally do in front of a mirror.. it can take a while before you get your left and right corrected because of what your eyes are telling your brain.

 

Only a magvisor is much easier to train your brain with than the mirror example :P

 

Also note that if you get a lit-visor that they tend to use LED lights with a lot of blue shifting, so don't be surprised if colors don't quite look right under that lighting.

[Shakandara]

I use a 100w GE Reveal bulb in a swing arm lamp and a 2.75x magnification visor, and I would not be able to do any detail work without them. YMMV, of course, but it sounds like you might benefit from the extra light and mangification.

 

~v

[Dr.Bedlam]

I lucked into a jeweler's lamp with ring-shaped fluorescent light surrounding the magnifying lens. It took some getting used to, but my fine detail is far more precise now than it once was. Nowadays, I use a mag visor or the jeweler's lamp.

[vutpakdi]

A good light and a magnifier will both help. Good lighting is probably more important.

 

Stay away from the desklamps that have a magnifier built in: seems like a good idea, but you can't really paint and look through the magnifier at the same time because the paintbrush hits the lens.

 

Ron

[ixminis]

Agree with Ron there. I've got lots of lighting and a magnifier visor that I wear. A magnifier lamp's bulbs are expensive (long term) compared to a one time visor purchase. Also, the when I experimented with one, the light/magnifier needed to be too close to properly maneuver the brush (for me).

 

Rgds,

[demonelf3]

I lucked out, because my girlfriend's dad used to be a surgeon. So I got his surgical glasses with a magnifier attached to each lens. I use a florescent ring shaped light on a big arm, which has a magnifier also. But to use the one attached is not good for my posture. If you have a lump of money to spend, surgical glasses are AWESOME.

[Jesma]

Awesome guys, thanks for the advice. I'm self taught - I've never even MET another mini painter in person so in a lot of ways I'm way behind. There's a lot of things I just have no clue about, so it's good to know the community here is helpful.

[Serenity]

I've tried a magnifying lamp and a couple different visors and I think generally the visors are the better way to go. It depends on the size and focal length of the lamp's lens, but some of them will allow you to paint under them. The lens has to be large enough to see through it with both eyes to work properly. It is hard to tell what will work without trying it out first, though. Usually I use a magnifying lamp for inspection, but not so much for painting.

 

With the visors, if you have bad eyesight, you can wear them over glasses. The Optivisor brand is well-known and commonly used. Some people prefer a pair of reading glasses instead. They're generally cheaper and work pretty well if you don't wear glasses already. I've worn reading glasses over single vision glasses, but I find that less comfortable than a visor. Reading glasses work better with contacts, of course.

[MamaGeek]

A good light is a real must. I have an LED light, which is super bright, and white, not yellow, like incandescents. It is small, and very focused. I bought it online at Amazon.

 

The need for a magnifier depends on your eyes. Your trouble with small details may be more a lack of practice and good lighting than a lack of magnification. Try the light first, and if you need more, you can try one of the suggestions above. I do own a magnifier (it was a gift), but I very rarely use it. I am near-sighted, though, so my close-up vision is very good. That's not the same for everyone.

[Mercius]

A good light is largely important...I tried to use magnification, but I just work better without it.

[dargrin]

I use a microscope.

 

It was funny when I first used it. I totally painted this area up and I couldn't figure out why my paint was so bumpy. I used the scope and found out I was painting over a pendent. I really must have bad eyes I thought.

[72moonglum]

I recently started using a magnifying visor AKA nerd helmet, and it's been of great help. My biggest concern was originally that they would be really expensive, but I found ones at a hardware store for only around six dollars. I've found now that I'm used to the amplification, painting without it is a little difficult, but that's what I get for having 42 year old eyeballs. Plus, as mentioned previously, you can use your glasses under them as well.

[72moonglum]

I recently started using a magnifying visor AKA nerd helmet, and it's been of great help. My biggest concern was originally that they would be really expensive, but I found ones at a hardware store for only around six dollars. I've found now that I'm used to the amplification, painting without it is a little difficult, but that's what I get for having 42 year old eyeballs. Plus, as mentioned previously, you can use your glasses under them as well.

[72moonglum]

I recently started using a magnifying visor AKA nerd helmet, and it's been of great help. My biggest concern was originally that they would be really expensive, but I found ones at a hardware store for only around six dollars. I've found now that I'm used to the amplification, painting without it is a little difficult, but that's what I get for having 42 year old eyeballs. Plus, as mentioned previously, you can use your glasses under them as well.