Slow going!

I started to paint the India Rifles for my Seaford project. This is the first time (apart from some tests with night goblins) that I've tried painting since my eyes got damaged and subsequently "repaired". Progress was slower than I expected. I also realise that I will need to change my painting style. I got as far as base-coating and a first layer on the 28mm stuff. As usual, I have mitigation (excuses):

• I was still jet lagged from the Miami work trip
• I was using a Citadel brush that turned into a loo brush after 2 minutes
• I was using some awful Foundry paint (or it could be green clay?).
• I initially forgot to put my special new glasses on

Anyway, I still enjoyed myself and found it relaxing. I have a little problem painting mid-to-dark colours on black base coats. Its OK on the bigger 54mm miniatures, but I can't see the detail on 28mm, and I can miss bits out! - hence the green base coat. I may have to start with white base-coats and use heavier pigment colours in future. My optician says it may take a few goes to get used to the glasses, so perhaps all my problems are temporary. If not, I'll adopt my style, perhaps to something more caricature using a 4 colour method (stuff like blending is definitely out for now).

At the end of the day, I'll do whatever I need to as long as I still enjoy it. If it all goes wrong, I'll just train a small monkey to paint the 28mm models, while I concentrate on the 54mm stuff. Hopefully I'll get the first lot of India rifles done this week. In the meantime, my thanks go out to:

• Specsavers
• Virgin Atlantic - for the free upgrade to Upper Class
• Various totally unqualified people who gave advice about eyesight
• Clint, for telling me to watch a film called Minority Report which contained a possible solution for my eye problems (So sick it actually becomes funny)
• Sheila, for telling me about green base coats

Considering that just a couple of months back I was very ill, I think things are going rather well!