Blind as a bat

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:00 pm

So I went for my field vision test and eye examination today to be checked out for glaucoma. Good news is I don't have glaucoma... yet. There are some abnormalities, the pressure is high in my eyes and my optic nerve deviates from the norm but the doc said for some people that's perfectly normal. 6 months I go back for another set of tests and then they'll be able to tell if this is the normal state for my eyes or if I'm at risk for glaucoma.

One thing they didn't tell me was during the tests I'd have my pupils super-mage dialated. So I ended up sitting in the student centre at Mac for 2 hours after I was finished my tests waiting for my eyesite to return to normal so I'd be able to safely ride my bike back home.

To pass the time I pulled out a little sketch book and some coloured sketching pens I often have on me for doing quick studies. I wanted to see how well I could draw when I was to blind to be able to read.

Anyways, I did a little pen sketch of Lota-chan which I touched up a wee bit when I got home.

Not too bad considering how blind I was. Makes me really appreciate my eyesite though once I got it back.

Swordsman3003 · Post by **Swordsman3003** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:43 pm

I hate it when the do that shit! I can't drive, I can't go outside (well, lol), can't even look at my PC correctly.

JohnnyTwoEyes · Post by **JohnnyTwoEyes** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:44 pm

Definitely better than what I could do, glad to hear it's not serious (yet).

Aeridus · Post by **Aeridus** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 8:58 pm

Thankfully I only got my eyes dilated once...

It feels very very odd...

Ahridako · Post by **Ahridako** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 10:16 pm

I've got high eyeball pressure too. Sometimes it gives me headaches, usually when i have a sinus infection, it feels like my eyeballz are going to burst.

I'm still a bit young for glaucoma, but I get checked. Also because of my high perscription, (-9.5, -9.0) I'm at higher risk for retinal detachment. Which means the current practices for lazer eye surgery is not a good idea. Not sure if you've got something similar.

Did the doctors tell you that your eyeballs are just slowlying continial growing? that was a bit of a shocker, but apparently, that's not too uncommon... What gets me is how all my eye doctors, and contact guys all wear glasses... Not very encouraging for contacts.

Mr. Ghastly, I like you wearing glasses.

You look like a professor that might ask me to help me after class.

Squidflakes · Post by **Squidflakes** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:45 am

Ahridako wrote: Mr. Ghastly, I like you wearing glasses. You look like a professor that might ask me to help me after class.

Help with a very hard problem he has in his pants.

Ahridako · Post by **Ahridako** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 12:27 pm

squidflakes wrote:
Ahridako wrote: Mr. Ghastly, I like you wearing glasses. You look like a professor that might ask me to help me after class.
Help with a very hard problem he has in his pants.

That's one thing... or help straighting out the office, putting books up on the high shelves, and piles on the ground. Depends on my outfit.

Unholy · Post by **Unholy** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 1:13 pm

That pic is pretty good considering your eyesight at the time. Actually no, that would be an insult, its a pretty good pic. How did you learn to draw? Got any tips or resources you think would be helpful?

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:21 pm

Unholy wrote:How did you learn to draw? Got any tips or resources you think would be helpful?

About 6 years ago couldn't draw at all. Decided I wanted to be able to draw. Grabbed pencil and paper and started drawing. Absolutely sucked ass for the first 5 or so years.

Tip #1) Don't sit around wishing you could draw, start drawing.
Tip #2) Share your work on the internet, listen to the constructive criticism of your fellow artists
Tip #3) Examine other people's artwork, disect the elements you really like. Deconstruct them and discover how they accomplished that. Practice doing it yourself.
Tip#4) Draw everyday. Keep art supplies with you whenever possible. Nothing fancy. You can keep a small hard cover sketch book and a pencil in backpack or laptop bag or whatever you use to cart your stuff about with you. You might even get one that will fit in your pocket. When you have a moment, draw.
Tip #5) Never settle, never be satisfied with a work, don't take short cuts that compromise the quality of a work, always strive to outdo yourself.

My own personal improvement tip I started using when I decided to start improving the artwork of the strip is what I call Uncle Ghastly's 1-2-3 Rule.

1) ONE week after you finish a piece go back and examine it with a critical eye. The week will give you some distance from the infatuation of creation you often experience after completing a work so you'll be able to be much more critical about it.

2) Find TWO things about the work you absolutely love. Two things that really make you go "WOW! I fricken nailed it!" Pay attention to how you accomplished those two things and keep that technique in your bag of tricks.

3) Find THREE things that make you go "WTF was I thinking? God! That SUCKS!". Find three mistakes in your drawing that fill you with a deep crimson shame. Remember these mistakes, be ever vigilant for these mistakes. Pay attention and vow to never repeat those mistakes again.

Keep at that and you'll eventually get better.

Illithid Tentacles · Post by **Illithid Tentacles** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:58 pm

Ghastly wrote:About 6 years ago couldn't draw at all.

Really? >.> http://www.ghastlycomic.com/d/20010610.html

Aeridus · Post by **Aeridus** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 5:39 pm

I can draw, my weak point is that I have to be patient. I've drawn really good stuff just by taking my time.

THE KOOL AID MAN · Post by **THE KOOL AID MAN** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:01 pm

Ghastly, what do you suggest with someone who's got cripplingly bad fine motor skills? I'm not even able to draw a straight line or an accurate circle and my handwriting is atrocious. Did you have pretty good motor skills or have you been able to improve them with time?

Aeridus · Post by **Aeridus** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:33 pm

Drawing a line is not necessary in being a good artist.

It's all about the curves. One thing I do is sketch a series of short lines in the general curve I want and then connect them. *wonders about Ghastly's strategy*

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 4:29 am

THE KOOL AID MAN wrote:Ghastly, what do you suggest with someone who's got cripplingly bad fine motor skills? I'm not even able to draw a straight line or an accurate circle and my handwriting is atrocious. Did you have pretty good motor skills or have you been able to improve them with time?

Practice the same drawing exercises they use for teaching handwriting skills.

RantinAn · Post by **RantinAn** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:06 pm

Ghastly wrote:
THE KOOL AID MAN wrote:Ghastly, what do you suggest with someone who's got cripplingly bad fine motor skills? I'm not even able to draw a straight line or an accurate circle and my handwriting is atrocious. Did you have pretty good motor skills or have you been able to improve them with time?
Practice the same drawing exercises they use for teaching handwriting skills.

Snerk. ASns when you've gotten as far as oyu can with those and stil lcant improve, then give up and create angry stick figure phart in ms paint.... like me

Infinity-Iz-Blue · Post by **Infinity-Iz-Blue** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:50 am

Sometimes being a total arse through the medium of stick figures is fun.

Personally, when I get the compulsion to draw I spend a long time slowly adjusting my work until I'm satisfied. I know many actual artists would hang for me for using an eraser, but I find it invaluable.

Dog Breath · Post by **Dog Breath** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 5:44 am

The upside is, you might be able to find a doctor whom will prescribe medical marajuana to keep the glaucoma in check.

Pot beats Prozac hands DOWN! Drug testing at work really puts a damper on my entertainment options.

That's good advice on learning to draw. Of course there are lots of creative options to explore, you might already be good at something! Earwax sculpture is a very underdeveloped artform.

I like your use of highlights, it really is the life of your art IMHO.

Kite-san · Post by **Kite-san** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 8:43 pm

i drew 60 pages of comic once over the course of 2 and a half years. now away from the "squee, i have created' i have to admit they all sucked without exception, even if some of the jokes were cute. stick-figures for all!!

Gengar003 · Post by **Gengar003** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:20 pm

Hmm.. I cannot easily draw straight lines, either, despite my best efforts. I go over everything with Flash (a la Macromedia Flash)'s line tool, letting it get the mathematically perfectly straight lines, and just using my horrible squiggly wigglies as the guide...

And Ghastly... only two hours? Consider yourself lucky! Mine eyes are the kind that stay dilated for FIVE DAYS, to the eye doctor's "well... it was just a normal dosage... I guess he must be extra-sensitive"

WangyJohn · Post by **WangyJohn** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:41 am

I've got some talent when it comes to drawing, but I lack the motivation, so the daily exersize is way too much for me (not to mention the acute lack of drawing paper). I also suck at drawing people, and coming up with ideas.