Corvus Blackstar, Kiavhar variant. Playing cut-and-shunt with Games Workshop's finest.

[voozet]

8 hours ago, oileanach said:

Next step is varnishing and weathering. Another scary one. I don't have any experience of dirtying up or wearing down anything this big, I'm not sure what'll work.

You have set the bar high for yourself, because weathering black is most difficult IMO. 

Before varnishing, consider highlighting some elements with dark gray (a few tones lighter than black). E.g. single armor plates, especially in places with a lot of light.

[Hunter Rose]

16 hours ago, oileanach said:

I needed a base coat for black, white and pale blue. I could have used grey, but there's something immensely satisfying about painting an aluminium model. Or is that just me? 

 

Ooo sharp! No I know what you mean, after getting a gloss black base down I find airbrushing over alclad metallic VERY satisfying, it does just look cool! Look forward to the weathering

[oileanach]

Hi guys. It's been a while, apologies for the lack of updates. I have made some progress, even managed to take some pics, but my eyesight has been bothering me. I was able to use optics- reading glasses, optivisor, prescription specs- for a while, but it's become harder and harder to operate a computer these past few months. Something just wasn't right. In late July I finally got to the bottom of things- I have cataracts in both eyes. I won't be painting anything any time soon and unfortunately the project is on indefinite hold. 

 

Hopefully I can get an operation sorted out soon. I've talked to various consultants about my options, I'm close to choosing one as we speak. If any of you have gone through lens replacement surgery and feel like offering any advice it would be much appreciated!

 

For those of you unfamiliar with the problem, when your eyes age the crystal protein in your eye lenses hardens. Eventually it becomes stiff, translucent and won't allow your eye to focus. If left untreated the lens will darken to the extent that the eye becomes inoperable- you go blind. I'm close to that stage now. Fortunately there's a solution. The original lens is destroyed using ultrasound, removed and replaced with an artificial one. There are various types, all with advantages and drawbacks. Perfect vision isn't an option, but there are compromises that offer substantial improvement over regular middle aged sight. All are obviously preferable to going blind!

 

At some point I should be able to see again and I just can't wait to pick up my brushes! Until then I'm getting by with some adaptive software to allow me to make out what's on the computer screen. I'm trying to work from home for as long as possible, but I'm getting to the stage that I can't really function, even with the high tech assistance. Editing photographs and posting up the results is just beyond me at the moment.

 

I'll post another update after the op, probably in about the next month and a half to two months. Until then, thanks for all your interest and encouragement, it's really meant a lot to me.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

For what its worth Im sorry to hear this. Take all the time you need as we can wait. 

[voozet]

It is quite scary what you write about, especially since cataracts may appear in all of us with age. I keep my fingers crossed for your recovery (and for returning to hobby too).

[oileanach]

Good news! I've had both my eyes operated on, I can see again!

 

In the end I went with a lens called the IQ Vivity, by AcrySof. It's an extended depth of focus one, pretty much the latest thing. The advantage is it gives pin sharp vision from about arm's length to infinity and 'functional' vision closer in. What that means is I can see my computer screen, the instruments on my dashboard and the World around me perfectly. I can also see pretty well from about sixty centimetres to around forty- good enough to read small print in good light. Inside thirty centimetres things are a bit blurry, but I can live with that. Cheap reading glasses restore pin sharp vision at modelling distance and I can use my optivisor again (result!). 

 

I honestly couldn't be happier with my new eyes! I'm glasses free for most things and I'd be using optics for painting anyway. The operations went way better than I expected, with my tested vision outperforming the manufacturer's claims by quite a margin. I have better than 20/20 vision and I can read books and newspaper print at normal distances- if the light's good I can make out smaller print like the labels on pill bottles and modelling paint pots. Best of all, colours are incredibly bright and vivid, better than I've ever seen them. It's incredible, a real bonus and a terrific boon to someone who likes art and painting.

 

Nothing comes free, there are some down sides. I'm very light sensitive. Strong artificial light, like the type used in supermarkets and in my office, is uncomfortable to the point of being painful. I'm wearing tinted, blue light blocking glasses at work and night driving glasses if I have to drive out of town after dark. They help a lot. My eyes still sting a little from the operations, but regular dry eye drops sort that out. I see small haloes around bright lights, particularly at night, which is an interesting effect. Under normal lighting I don't even notice my new eyes, although I keep my sunglasses close when I'm out and about!

 

Cataracts are something that most people will suffer from at some point. If you do find yourself afflicted by them, try not to worry too much about it, but get yourself booked in for replacement lens surgery as soon as possible. You won't regret it, I certainly don't! 😁

 

I'm pretty rusty, hobby wise, so it'll be a while before I start up on the flyers again. I'm painting up minis to get back into the swing of things. I got as far as starting to weather the Stormhawk. I'll post up some more pics as soon as I've made some progress, until then:

 

 

 

 

[psdavidson]

18 hours ago, oileanach said:

I can see again!

Glad to hear it went well.

My father had lens replacements (not for cataracts though) and it made such a difference to him

 

/P