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Anyone who sets up their own studio to devote themselves entirely to painting, whether as a hobby or for commercial purposes, cannot ignore the subject of lighting. In almost nothing else does colour play such an important role as in painting. The colour compositions must be coherent and not distorted by light.
Therefore, lamps must meet special requirements. This is an area that many artists rely ondaylight fixtures with a colour temperature of 6,500 Kelvin. However, this depends very much on the person, because the perception of a certain light temperature is very subjective: some artists find that daylight lamps are too dazzling for them. That is why they use lamps with a maximum of 4,000 Kelvin, which produces a warmer light colour.
Tips: painting lighting
To perfectly set up the studio lighting, the following points must be met:
- It must be bright, i.e. have a high luminous intensity (lumen - lm).
- The light source must have a high colour rendering index (ra)have
- The light must have a neutral to daylight white light colour
- The lighting must not dazzle or cast shadows
- The light sources must be evenly distributed throughout the room
- Separate work lighting is recommended above the desk or workplace.
Hang the painting in the right light
You also need to consider where you want your photo to look best. In a bright room with a large window at the front or in a rather dimly lit room inside the house. Photo lights can provide flexibility here.
Another indicator of natural colour rendering is the colour rendering index. In this case, the actual daylight takes the maximum value of 100. LED lamps and fluorescent lamps come close to this value, but can also be far below it, depending on the manufacture. You should therefore pay attention to these values when purchasing your lamps.
Full spectrum lamps are installedparticularly high on this index. They represent the spectrum of natural light very accurately.
The space where you paint the painting
Spatial conditions also play an important role. Large windows let natural light into the room and greatly facilitate work. Artificial light sources are also essential during the dark months of the year. Here you need to pay attention to the placement so as not to cast shadows on your artwork.
Diffuse light from ceiling fixtures or floor lamps helps to spread the light. Also make sure you don't have just one lamp in the roomto spread the light even more and thus minimize the shadows cast. Special easel lamps bring the light directly onto the painting without getting in the way. These are attached to the top of the easel with a clamp.
