Studio Lighting

[TASmith]

Okay, so my architect says by Thursday I should have some idea of how I want lighting in my studio. I remember something about different kinds of bulbs to get a facsimile of natural light, and track lighting is an option. I've already got skylights on one side. So, any suggestions? What do I need to tell these folks?

[Qitsune]

I have researched this topic in the past and found very little info, which led me to start a thread on the topic. Light set-up for studio painting


One thing to consider is that the temperature color of the light (and not the temperature of the bulb itself) is measured in kelvins. It's easy to find tables on the internet of different light temperatures in different conditions, then you can but lights that match that temperature. Cheap bulbs might not have a k rating but clerks in photography stores tend to be knowledgeable in this question and they sell bulbs that recreate a variety of conditions.

[Noah Bradley]

Check out James Gurney's explanation of how he lights his studio.

[fukifino]

Here's a blog post from one of my teachers about lighting his studio that you might find helpful:

http://www.stanprokopenko.com/blog/2...lb-art-studio/

[Oddmind]

What was Flynts solution? The link to his website seems to be 404 now.

[TASmith]

Damn I love this site! Thank you all!

[dpaint]

I'm using full spectrum fluorescents with a CRI of 96, the bulbs are called Lumichrome and are more expensive than other bulbs, but I think they are worth the price. Get the 1xc or 1xx, they are a little different the 1xc is closer to sunlight spectrum curve than the 1xx but the 1xx has a higher rating, 98 compared to 96

[TASmith]

are those bulbs you can stick in any standard light socket? Or are those flourescant bars that need an industrial light fixture? a link to pics would be great.

[dpaint]

They are fluorescent tubes like you would have in an office or garage.
Here is the link
http://www.mmlights.com/Lumichrome.html


I did mine myself ; my studio is here
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...=94410&page=16

[timpaatkins]

FLuorescent tubes i got. make sure they say 960 on them. (the 60 is the temp, 6000k,)

[TASmith]

Okay, so you guys recommend long flourescants over track lighting? What about if I ever use the studio space as a gallery to showcase finished work? Also, how should I situate the flourescants, considering the studio is fairly small and narrow. Just stick one in the middle? Or get two of them?

[timpaatkins]

No stick in the middle! unless you work in the middle! Ive done that before, and then put my workspace in, and always get shadows over it, from my self . Put it directly over where you work.

Preferably, get a solution that will allow you to move the armature about, like have it on chains. Then you could easily and discreetly have places all around to hook it up in case you want to move it. I just installed spotlight for my art work, went with them instead of tubes because i don't want it to look like a hospital in there.

They were dirt cheap, 10 bucks for a track of three, look ok, and i could hook them up so i don't have to have 11 plugs (since i have 11 racks) 50 W halogen bulbs. Have warm light in the gallery, as most peoples homes have it. all about the presentation. It also gives a cosy feel and "frames the frames" The tubes for the studio light should cost no more than 10 bucks.

[Sepulverture]

This thread is turning out to be quite useful, I am going to link to this thread from a materials discussion thread in the tuts tips and tricks forum.

Thanks everyone for posting this useful info.

[TASmith]

Okay, quick update question. My studio is about 3x6 meters, and the ceiling's set up for one large central light fixture. So, Which model lumichrome light should I order, and what all's involved with it? I need two tubes and the fixture for it? Do you recommend the:

1XC 5000K
1XZ 5700K
or the
1XX

[dpaint]

TA,

I'm not trying to be vague, but many things determine your choice. I picked the IXX but it is a little hot which I like because I have blue carpet. My fixture holds four 4 ft. bulbs.

To start you will need a fixture that matches the bulb size. Flourescents come in different diameters and lengths now and that designation is T5 to T12 bulbs with the smaller numbers more energy efficient( use less power). The Lumichromes are only T8 or T12, I think and 36 in or 48 inch lengths. Most flourescents give you 24,000 hrs of bulb life.

Here is some info I wrote about it awhile back.

Studio Lighting

Flourescent bulbs are probably the next best thing indoors to north light for most artists. They are relatively cheap and efficient and have good but not great color indexes. They tend to spike in the blue green range of the spectrum and drop off too dramatically in the red violet range so do your homework.


Some terms you will run into when looking for lights

K: stands for Kelvin, which for our purposes is referring to color temperature
CRI: Color Rendering Index
CCT: Correlated Color Temperature
CIE: Comission Internationale de l'Eclairage (International Commission on Illumination) They designed #51-A which is a “Method for Assessing the Qualityof Daylight Simulators for Colorimetry “

You will see a lot of back and forth discussion in forums about K, CRI, CCT and the CIE ratings.

Get a bulb that has the highest cumulative ratings you can find;
Generally 91 CRI or above is good
CCT range between 5000K and 6500K is usually considered acceptable although this is a matter of personal preference
CIE is the quality grade rating of the light, a CIE #51 determined rating for A or B is what you want. They go down to E with A being the best and E the worst.

Some other things to consider:
Carpet and wall colors affect the light on your canvas. Even the housing the lights are in will affect the light. Stick to neutral colors for your walls and floor. Gray with a reflectivity of no more than 60% is best.


Consider other aspects for your situation like unit cost, energy efficiency and bulb life. I always buy the best I can afford and make do until I'm in a position to upgrade to a better bulb.

When looking at ratings, remember picking your bulbs based on any one rating will not give you as good of an outcome as looking for a combination of higher ratings for the type of bulb you choose.

Chromaticity, color temperature and the quality grade, as determined with CIE 51, is a much better procedure for finding a light close to daylight.

[Qitsune]

Oh and I found this on the Sylvania web site which is a crash course on the numbers you find on light bulbs.
http://www.sylvania.com/LearnLightin...tRelationship/ Be sure to check the links on the left.

[Flake]

Since this was bumped, I'll take the opportunity to pimp "daylight bulbs" to anyone working in traditional media.

I won't get technical since everyone else has, but the difference between that and standrard light is amazing.

You stand in the hallway and one room is casting standard lighting but the bedroom looks like it is a sunny afternoon in there.
It's bizarre but really good.
My first reaction was "wtf! did I really paint that that colour..?"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ecozone-Biob...TF8&s=lighting
Is a good match for a sunny day in Northern Europe, as in stuff looks the same under it as it did on a sunny day outdoors.

You can get all complex and expensive on custom light rigs, but try one domestic bulb first and see.

Try one though, especially if you live in the grim dark North.

[TASmith]

So, Lumichrome lights don't sell the housing itself? Where would be a good place to order it in Europe?

[steve kim]

I have two blog posts about lighting:

The first link is more about the where and what, and the 2nd goes into a little more detail--although the basic gist of it is not to spend money on expensive 'full-spectrum lights/ott-lites/vita-lites' etc and going with something from philips like their tl950 or ge's sunshine bulbs.

http://www.stevekim.com/2010/02/more-lights.html

http://www.stevekim.com/2009/06/lights.html