Anyone with bifocals or progressive lenses? Cataract surgery

[DKDelicious]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone uses bifocals, trifocals, or progressive lenses? I am/was nearsighted, but am in the process of getting cataract surgery. I'm kind of young for a cataract patient at 24, but my cataracts formed very quickly in 4 months. To make a long story short, they developed because the radiation and steroids I was on as a leukemia and stem cell transplant patient for the past 4-5 years.

If you do wear these types of corrective lenses because decreased focusing power (accommodation), how are your work and drawing habits? Was it hard to adjust? Are you able to draw from life?

I was able to do this self-portrait fairly quickly just as the cataracts started to develop. I'm wondering if I still can with the new way my eyes will work with monofocal intraocular lenses that have no focusing power.

Thanks.

[Craig D]

I got progressive lenses just this last week. It has taken a few days to adjust to them, a bit of diziness for a couple of days etc. but they're fine now.

I actually finally got them so I could draw better again. I was trying to do very detailed work and I couldn't any more with just straight glasses.
You'll have no problems with life drawing. At least, not much from your glasses anyway

[Jazz]

Hi!! I have to wear bifocals, and I've worn them all my life. I'm far-sighted, and have some other conditions, but my eyesight got better over the years. When I was little it was pretty bad. Still, even then I was able to draw things well, and I keep getting better!

The thing is, my focus is clear farther away, but everything is too small at some point, so I need to get closer. I had to really get myself making a balance, because I can't look at everything zoomed in using a telescope, and I can't always get the whole picture if I look too closely at it. Right now, my goal is to understand form better. I have to start looking at the broad picture--broad shapes, for instance, before I begin going closer into detail. I'm planning on using clay to help me understand that 3D form, so it'll be in my head for later use.

I'm very good at finding detail BECAUSE I have to look closer up, and the bifocals make things clearer for me then. It's probably a trait that grew with me as I adapted to my ever-changing eyesight.

I think your self-portrait looks great! You will need to figure for yourself whether you can make a self-portrait in a similar way. If you find a new technique that helps you adapt to your vision change, then use it. It may be harder to draw from life if you find a lot of blurred areas, or if people seem out-of-focus. However, if you still have the passion to pick up a pencil and draw whatever you see on paper (and even what you don't), do it!

I've had friends over the years who had cataracts when they were teenagers, and some completely lost their eyesight, but it didn't stop them from doing some awesome stuff in their lives. I have faith in you, that you'll be able to do the same, just have confidence in what you're doing, and don't let your eyesight keep you from trying.

[Wooly ESS]

I wear progressives, and they work fine. I have enjoyed excellent vision for most of my life, but with age, my focussing ability has faded, thus rerquiring the progressives. Glasses are not as good as natural vision, but they are a hell of a lot better than no or poor vision.

The main complaint I have with them is that the various focal lengths are positioned for average use, I find the "sweet spots" are never quite where they should be for painting or drawing and I have to tilt my head to see my work properly. This results in fatique. I suppose a person could have a set made up specially for painting or drawing. All it would take are $$$$. So far, I just tilt my head to find the right spot.

[DKDelicious]

Thanks for all the feedback! As you can imagine eye problems can be a bit of a crisis for an artist. For me it is almost as much of a crisis as some more serious ones I've had in the past.

Jazz, thanks for the compliment on the portrait. After I get my other eye done next week and get new glasses, I'll post another self-portrait with my new vision.

Maybe I can be a good case study for other artists, showing the abrupt change in normal vision to one of someone that most people will be like at an older age. Fortunately, the technology and options keep getting better.

[Wooly ESS]

..... Fortunately, the technology and options keep getting better.

Amen, brother!

[bustthewave]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone uses bifocals, trifocals, or progressive lenses? I am/was nearsighted, but am in the process of getting cataract surgery. I'm kind of young for a cataract patient at 24, but my cataracts formed very quickly in 4 months. To make a long story short, they developed because the radiation and steroids I was on as a leukemia and stem cell transplant patient for the past 4-5 years.

If you do wear these types of corrective lenses because decreased focusing power (accommodation), how are your work and drawing habits? Was it hard to adjust? Are you able to draw from life?

I was able to do this self-portrait fairly quickly just as the cataracts started to develop. I'm wondering if I still can with the new way my eyes will work with monofocal intraocular lenses that have no focusing power.

Thanks.

Hey, I got glasses about a year ago, I'm 24 now. It was REALLY hard to adjust for about two weeks. Everything felt slanted, everything gave me a headache... but let me tell you - the adjustment was worth it.

In terms of art it's been helpful. The glasses don't make the world look 2d, the enhance for me depth and vision making the world more 3d.

Oh, and my dad recently got cataract surgery, he said it wasn't bad at all, and not really even painful.