The Short Version
If you’re not concerned with the technical jibber-jabber and just want to know what kind of light bulbs to get for your studio, here are the basics:
Color Temperature – Measured in Kelvins or K. 5000K will give you a nice white light.
Brightness – For a medium sized room, a total of 7000-8000 lumens is plenty. With a compact fluorescent bulb (not incandescent), that is usually about 110-125 Watts.
CRI Rating – The higher the better. Anything over 80 CRI is good.
Type - Go with compact fluorescent (CFL)
topbulb.com and 1000Bulbs.com are great suppliers of bulbs. You can get the bulbs specified above from them. They have a large selection of CFL’s and the pricing is very competitive. When choosing a bulb, make sure that you keep in mind the things I listed above.
And now for the technical stuff…
Color Temperature
The color temperature of the light bulb is extremely important. The color of the light that illuminates the painting and the palette changes the visible hue, value and chroma of the paint. Painting with a standard incandescent light bulb is like looking through a yellow filter. It shifts all the paint colors towards yellow. Scientifically, color temperature is commonly measured using the Kelvin scale.
Kelvin Scale
The color temperature of light is measured by comparing it to the color emitted by a black-body radiator heated to a specific temperature. A black-body radiator is a perfect emitter and absorber of radiation that emits a different color when heated to different temperatures. For example when carbon is heated to 10,000 degrees Kelvin it emits a blue color. When it is heated to 1800 degrees Kelvin, it emits a red color. This red color is equivalent to the color of candlelight. Thus, candlelight is assigned a color temperature of 1800K.
 6500K is commonly accepted as the purest white light. It is equivalent to sunlight passing through a cloud which scatters the wavelengths to make white light. Some consider 6500K to have a slightly bluish hue. I prefer to paint under a 5000K bulbbecause it’s still white, but a bit closer to the yellow bulbs usually used in galleries.A north lit studio is popular among many artists, but I think with today’s technology supplementing the north light with some artificial light is better. North light is cooler, about 10,000K, and odds are your gallery won’t be lighting your artwork with such a cool bulb. Transferring a painting from a room lit by north light to a room light by incandescent light changes its colors dramatically.
If you’re painting in a room with south facing windows, i recommend closing those windows and adding artificial light (even though the color temperature of sun + sky is a nice white) because you don’t want any direct sunlight. I explain more of this in How to Setup a Painting Studio. |
Brightness
The amount of light emitted is measured in lumens. For example a candle emits 12 lumens and a 32 Watt Compact Fluorescent bulb emits 2000 lumens. CFL bulbs are much more efficient in light output than incandescent bulbs. A 42 Watt CFL is equivalent to a 200 Watt Incandescent bulb.
For a medium sized room, a total of 7000-8000 lumens is plenty. With a CFL, that is usually about 110-125 Watts. It might be a good idea to get 2 or 3 bulbs totalling 7000 lumens and spread them around.
CRI
The Color Rendering Index measures how much of an effect the light has on the perceived color of an object. The scale ranges from 1 to 100. A higher rating makes colors look natural and vibrant while a low rating can completely change the hue of objects. A high CRI alone does not mean colors will be accurate if the color temperature is extreme. Incandescent bulbs for example have a perfect CRI of 100, but the extreme yellow light will shift the colors.
When buying compact fluorescent bulbs look for a bulb with an 80 CRI value or higher.
Type
 Incandescent Bulbs – Incandescent bulbs are too yellow and use up a lot of energy. |
 Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) – Compact fluorescent bulbs have many advantages. They come in a large range of color temperatures, they use less energy, they are brighter, and last longer. These bulbs are eco-friendly and you end up saving money in energy costs. Their only disadvantage is they take a few minutes to fully light up, but the benefits are worth it. |
To me, the choice is obvious. Compact Fluorescnt is cheaper, longer lasting, brighter, and has better color control. If you haven’t made the switch yet, I’ve done some research and topbulb.com and 1000Bulbs.com are great suppliers of all kinds of bulbs including CFLs.
Compatibility
Some sockets don’t support bulbs over a certain wattage. Double check to make sure the bulb you choose is compatible with the socket. The great thing about Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFL) is that they have very low wattage but are very bright. They are extremely energy efficient. A 42W CFL is as bright as a 200W Incandescent bulb.
Light bulbs also come in a variety of screw in and plug in bases. Make sure to get the right kind for your socket.
Just bought 6 of item #FC40-S50OD for my studio. I double checked my wattages and found out that they are a little bit low.
JS
Jason, are you sure they’re too low? You must have a really big studio. With 6 of those bulbs, you’ll have a total of 240 Watts (equivalent to 900 Watts Incandescent) and 16,200 Lumens!
Of course that would be the case. Lol! well I don’t intend to use them all at the same time and in the same location. I have a lamp with 5 bulbs, with options for turning on one, three, or five. There are cases which might call for all 5 operating simultaneously, since this one lamp is lighting my whole garage. Don’t worry man!!
(Also, I would have bought 5, but 6 was cheaper due to their price break at 6 bulbs.)
I’m a artist and I need the best bulb I can buy for over my model stand
Charles – I’m not sure what you mean by ‘best’. It depends on what you want. Do you want a bright bulb or more muted? Warm or cool? Let me know what your looking for and I can recommend a specific bulb for you.
Wow, thank you so much for this article. Feel I have become very clear on the lighting details and options for my new studio space.
Called 1000Bulbs.com after becoming familiar with their site and they were helpful!
Thanks again,
Evelyn
Hello Stanislav,
(One of my favorite people Stanislav Grof)
New Studio space is aprox. 7′x8′ corner of building 2nd floor – divided between 4 artists. Mine being the south-east corner of the room. Ceilings are at least 20′ high and the eastern windows and south facing wall make up my corner. There are windows all along the North – Eastern corner of the room. I will have the Northern light diffused from the other end of the room 10′ distance from my painting space.
My thought is to purchase a Verilux Heritage Deluxe Floor Lamps
27watts — What are you recommendations for this space? Over head track lighting is also a possibility I have considered as well. May have someone who is knowledgeable to install them, do you think a track of three would be efficient for my space? Will be painting mostly during daytime hours, however would like to keep light consistent, ellimianting glare and reflection.
Also, on a different note, was thinking to purchase a 4 panel divider to for my shyness. However I was thinking that If I purchase a white one 6′ high (moveable, Marupa 3-panel screen w/adjustable shutter blinds) ?This may help contain my source of light from the floor lamp ~ although it could block some of my Northern light too?? It may cut the direct light out as I would be getting plenty from above with the extemely high ceilings??
What are you thoughts and thank you
Evelyn
Evelyn,
First, I don’t think the 27 Watts lamp will be nearly enough. If you paint during the day, the lamp probably won’t even make a difference. I would go with the track lighting. 3 compact flourescnet bulbs of 40 watts (150W Equal) is enough in case you paint into the early evening.
Which way will your easel be facing? If you face it towards the north wall, you will need a divider to prevent glare from the north windows (unless the windows are above eye-level. are they?). maybe this will do the job: http://tinyurl.com/yhywoak .
Thank you
hi
i have low ceilings and have a ridiculous glare problem (i’m working in a garage) i’ve tried all sorts of arrangements as far as shuffling the lights around, and I have 5000k bulbs
any suggestions?
russ, are you using an easel or a tabletop?
i installed some gallery style walls – so I’m using those
russ – not sure what you mean.. I was wondering if you used an easel or tabletop to hold the painting.
what do you use the gallery walls for?
if you’re using a table then you shouldn’t have any lights above you. If you’re using an easel, then the lights should be above your painting. Maybe try directing the lights towards the walls to create more bounce light and less direct light.
Let us know what you end up doing!
I have three lamps on my art desk. Two florescent and one natural light incandescent. But I still can’t get the hard shadows from around my clear triangle ruler.
http://sweattshop-graphic-artist.blogspot.com
I have a studion about 12×12 with 5 track lights that use R30 bulbs. I notice that on some paintings when I take them outside the painting seems washed out or lacking in color, in the studion it looks fine. what do you recommend?. There is a Chromalux Full Spectrum bulbs that I can purchase from Jerrysartarama.com, I have never used them. At present I am using GE Reveal 65 indoor floodlight. It is suppose to be a daylight spectrum light.
Thanks….Hernie Vann
Hi Stanislav,
I thought I was on my own – I have two 55w fluorescent tubes in my studio and tried the ’6500k ‘daylight’ and found them WAY too blue. I settled on 5400k and found them near perfect.
I also bought a Professional Easel Lamp which comes with a 6500k 18w CFL tube as standard – again I found it too blue and substituted with a 5400k 18w tube. Contacted the manufacturer and I’m the only one who has commented on that.
Would be interested to hear anyone else’s thoughts.
Regards,
Peter
very informative
It is a very good site. I am struggling with space, because I am forced to paint in my cramped bedroom. I have a studio at the side of the house, but because I live in the tropics, I am forced to relocate when the strong rains and winds arrive. Your info on north light and artificial lighting will help me in the long run . Thanks!
Hey Stan!
I will be building a new studio soon and came across your lighting info. JUST what I was looking for! Is this still the latest greatest info for studio lighting? I will be able to have northern light and coming from above-ish. I am so ready, as you are exactly right about the glare from any other light affecting the painting.
Thanks and hope all is good!,
Sharona
I am about to try to set up a studo in a room 8×10 with a window in the middle of the east facing wall but now much light comes thru the window because of bushes ousidel.. Ceilingi only about 8,- 81/2 high. i work on large eael but also o the floor Franenthaer style. What lighting would yu sugget. would like to use track lights but where should they be place in relation to the easel and the area of the floor i will use // thank you.
I am about to try to set up a studo in a room 8×10 with a window in the middle of the east facing wall but not much light comes thru the window because of bushes ousidel.. Ceilingis only about 8,- 81/2 high. i work on large easel but also on the floor Frankenthaler style. What lighting would yu suggest. would like to use track lights but where should they be place in relation to the easel and the area of the floor i will use // thank you.
I need some help picking out lighting for my easel. I like the info on the bulbs but what is a good lighting fixture that would be portable? I just finished setting up my studio and can’t believe everything is in one place. Thaaaanks for the help, K
Hello, Thanks so much for your very helpful site.
I use a stand-alone lamp that I bought at Daniel Smith’s with a Chromulux 150W, 120V, but I often find that the light is a bit glaring from this. I end up switching between overhead and this lamp off and on and moving my paintings around the room (basement w/ southern exposure) and upstairs to see them in different lighting. … I have turned my canvas away from the windows as you’ve suggested here, but don’t believe I have yet found optimum lighting for working. I haven’t yet tried the CFL’s in the overhead recessed lighting. Wondering if the CFL’s will work in recessed can overhead lighting fixtures. I believe their maximum wattage is 60. Do you recommend the 40W CFLs for these?
Arni, “For a medium sized room, a total of 7000-8000 lumens is plenty. With a compact fluorescent bulb (not incandescent), that is usually about 110-125 Watts.” That means a total of 110-125 watts, weather you do that with 1 bulb or split it between 5 smaller ones. Depends on what your fixtures can handle/fit.
CFL bulbs go beyond 60w. Check out this post:
http://www.stanprokopenko.com/blog/2009/07/105-watt-cfl/
thank you. Great site!
Very helpful article… I’m in the process of getting a new studio finished, it has a large north light opening (sliding glass door) a regular sized east window and small south and west windows, I was planning on blocking the south window and maybe the west… so this was helpful, what do you think? I’ve been using an Ott light in my present studio along with 2 full spectrum tubular florescent lights… I really like the CFL Ott lights and was planning on using more in the new studio, what do you think?… My big question is how do you suggest lighting my paintings there (for openings etc.) ? So far the galleries I’ve checked with use Halogen (the higher wattage ones) or what they called “regular ones”
PS my studio is approximately 14′ x 24′ and from back to front (the 14′ measurement) the ceiling starts at 7′ and ends up at about 10′ high… the higher ceiling is on the north side.
Thanks for a very interesting and useful article. I’ve just completed my studio and the lighting has been a nightmare. I’m extremely busy and often work beyond daylight hours. Although, I have windows facing north, I shutter the windows and use artificial light so that I can have consistency from start to finish. After reading this article I’ve gained a lot more insight into lighting and I’m currently using 6 5000k cfl’s which seem not only comfortable on the eye but also and most importantly, when I take my work out of the studio, the colours look OK in every room situation.
The problem which I have yet to solve is the perceived false reading of opacity in artificial light. For example, when I paint larger areas (in oils) the coverage appears OK in the studio, however when I look at those areas in different light types, especially natural, it is often the case that the paint has not covered as well as I thought and that a second coat is required. Any help on this problem would be welcomed.
Hey……. your chart is pretty far off on the Kelvin colors…….I have a Degree in Lighting and photography and our company has some very great” hands on experience” in Lighting many art Galleries in La Jolla and San Diego……. for art Galleries or anywhere you want Neutral White light you are going to want a 4200 K Light……. 5000 K actually apprears Blue to 99.9 percent of people…..6500 K is very blue 3800 and below starts getting soft white then down to residential yellowish soft……… its very noticeable in an all white gallery the company i work for carries a wide selection of LED perfect Neutral Lights specifically for Galleries including par 20 par 30 par 38 Mr16 and even Gu10 gu24;s all in WW or Neutral white and soft white…. there really is no reason anymore for anyone to want the God aweful CFL or blueish white lights now that nex gen LED is available in Neutral white let me know if i can help and good luck
Thank you, the info I was looking for. With a day job, I find, I can only really work on my art at weekends because of lighting.
Many of us artists have seen the green glow of the hardware store CFL, and wince. What we should be asking is, “What is this doing to my artwork?”
My wife’s an artist and illustrator. One night several years ago, she was up late working on a contest submission. To help her work at night, I gave her a “full-spectrum” Ott-Lite. “Just paint with this. It’ll be like sunlight!” After working through the night, Lorna woke up the next morning to find that the painting that had looked good under that light looked quite pink in the light of day. Like many CFL-based sources, this “full-spectrum” light had accentuated the greens in her paint, and she’d managed to compensate by mixing her paint in the opposite direction, a sort of orange/pink color.
For many color-sensitive jobs, CFLs, LEDs, and other new light sources are proving difficult to work with. And for others they just don’t look right. For the past few years, we wondered how do we do this right? How do we pick the right color temperature? How do we find full-spectrum lights that are actually good enough? And why do even 90CRI lights look a little strange sometimes?
While you might think that a 2700K incandescent light causes color distortions, it does so in a consistent way, which your eye can compensate for. Why do “whites” look about the same at different times of day, even though the actual colors vary quite a lot? The “von Kries hypothesis” explains this, suggesting that the three receptors in the eye can change their “gain” in different environments in order to compensate for different lighting conditions. CFL’s and other sources distort colors in a way that your eye doesn’t easily fix, for instance by creating “spikes” of extra green that distort particular colors.
Apart from natural sunlight, the best light source available for painting or viewing art today are from SoLux, which is just a halogen incandescent with a unique coating formulation. These bulbs have a 98 CRI at 5000K CCT.
There do exist some fluorescent tubes that actually are full spectrum, such as “truelite full spectrum” spectrum brand. But you have to be cautious: most of the fluorescent tubes that claim to be “full spectrum” are really not, and are likely to mess up your artwork if subtle color differences are important.
First class – direct, informative etc Just what I needed!
Thanks, Stan. This information is extremely helpful. I can’t wait to set up my studio.
As i am starting to put together an art studio in my home, I found the lighting info fascinating, and my husband works in the field of lighting so it was fun for a discussion. It was quite helpful!
Thank you for this information! It’s super helpful.
I don’t have a full-on art studio, but I’d like to set up a nice work space in my apartment. It’s going to be along one wall of a 12′ x 9′ish living room. I’m actually hoping to DIY a cage pendant light that I can turn on when I need it for sketching/painting.
What kind of bulb do you think would be sufficient for a smaller area like this?
you need exactly what I described above. Here’s a link. 1 is probably enough, 2 would be better:
http://1000bulbs.com/category/400-watt-equal-compact-fluorescents-5000K/
Thanks for the post on lighting as this may be one of the most neglected areas of concern to the artist. I have a somewhat particular concern as I am a bit color blind (though not uncommon in males) but also my retinas are a bit damaged through years of working outside, on roofs mostly with sheet metal glare reflecting back to my eyes while welding!!! At any rate, due to this I believe the average fluorescent lighting leaves whites with a pronounced blue tinge and does same to the yellow spectrum as well. Deep blue mass tones could be green or deep brown for all I know. I have found that a very high quality incandescent is what works for me. The Chromalux 3 way frosted 100watt is my choice now. I would say that for those who are trying to find good lighting options to look online or in specialized lighting catalogs as what is sold in box stores like Home Depot and Wall Mart won’t do. The “full spectrum” advertised bulbs, if you look at the stats, don’t reflect a full spectrum at all and are generally only 80 at most though usually less. Even if it cost a bit more I would suggest paying a higher premium/shipping fee for a quality light bulb..concern for eye fatigue alone is reason enough to seek out good lighting.
That’s my rant/info. Thanks for the blog info and drawing vids Stan.
I have put my art room in the basement. I am wondering what kind of lighting to get . The room measures 118″ by 20’9″ ,6’10″ ,high , with one short south (high) window. I will be glad to hear any of your ideas. Jane
The same setup with artificial lights that I described in the article will be fine. You can setup on one end of the room. The other end might need more lights of you really need the whole room lit..
Thank you Mark. The Chromalux bulbs got some pretty bad reviews. I haven’t tried them myself but others say the color is yellow, they get way too hot, and they’re too dim. Have you experienced the same issues?
Thanks for sharing your experience. I am researching solutions to upgrade my lighting and will try the CFL’s only I’m going to try the flood which comes in 5000K. I did find that buying the bulbs via Amazon is the same price but cheaper shipping. And it appears that if you buy 6 (instead of 1-4) at the same time the shipping is reduced by half.
I’m trying to light a 9′ x 10′ basement space. I do have south facing windows which get late afternoon sun in the winter but direct light is masked by vegetation the rest of the year. How many lights will I need?
I’m working on biological illustrations (animals & plants) and I need colours to be accurate. I’ve been strugling with the bulb issue for ages, as under natural daylight the work I’ve been doing during the previous night seems to have colours that are a bit too bright. I work on a table with a desk lamp just hanging above my work. I use guache and watercolours. What kind of bulb would you advice? I’m based in the UK. Great webpage! Many thanks in advance.
How many depends on the brightness of each. With your size room you can get exactly what I described in this post
Hi – Thank you for this article. It is the clearest explanation of lighting I have found on the internet. I do have a question – I am looking for a lamp to go over my art desk/table. I don’t need lighting for an entire studio. What do you recommend?
I would get a table lamp that allows you to screw in a 35 Watt CFL (with same specs as I described above)
Hi Stan!
First of all, I am very impressed with your knowledge and art work. Thank you for offering advise on lighting. I do agree that lighting is very important for artists.
I would like to have an art studio in my home’s garage. There is no other lighting but the one provided by two 100 Watt incandescent bulbs on the ceiling. If the garage door is up, the light comes from the south.
What are your suggestions for adequate lighting?
The walls are 10′ tall.
I would like to use the space for teaching art lessons (drawing, painting, design) to students.
What kind of light bulbs/track light would give proper lighting? How far away would you recommend to have the light bulbs installed from the wall? Should it be more centered or more toward one side of the garage (the other wall is storage space)?
I’m looking forward to your advice! Thank you.
Anelize
Anelize, if its just you in the garage then add a lamp with bulbs as I described in this tutorial. If its a classroom, you’d need more bulbs and have them spread around the room so all the students get light. How much, is hard to say. If in doubt, get more bulbs..
Stan,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I found your web site last night and didn’t get to read everything you posted.
I am going to read your tutorial now. If I have any more questions, I hope you won’t mind me asking.
Thank you,
Anelize
Stan, I’m reading your other tutorial, the “How to setup a painting studio” tutorial. I think I might have more questions.
1) Where did you purchase your tripod lamp? I think having two of those, for the beginning, would provide very good lighting in my garage art studio.
My home’s garage square footage is 340.345 sqft. It’s length is 21.5 ft and it’s width is 15.83 ft. The walls are 9.79 in height.
I would like to have a couple of easels and a couple of tables. 2) From where do you buy your art supplies?
I would also like to have a stand for a computer and for a power point player. That the power point screen would be mounted on the north facing wall.
3) How many bulbs and of what color temperature, brightness and CRI?
4) Can I replace those 100 watt incandescent bulbs with the CFL bulbs? 5) Should I leave them where they are to have a variation in light brightness and spectrum?
6) What do you think about the Philips TL-D 90 Graphica Pro Triphosphor 4′ T8 36 Watt Fluorescent Tube 36W ?
7) Are you suggesting there is no need to use the track lighting?
Many thanks for finding time to respond.
Anelize
Stan,
You don’t have to answer question number 1). I found your answer to it. Thank you.
Anelize
Thank you very much for the above information. I have been searching all over to find what lighting to put in my art studio. I teach children and adults to paint and my lighting isn’t strong enough. I want brighter, “happier” light. I now know where to start. I thank you very much.
Wattage does not really have much to do with quality of light. CFLs and LEDs are both low wattage light sources and they are great. (about 50-75 lumens/watt)
Hi Stan,
I just wanted to thank you for this wonderfully helpful article! I am about to finish building my new studio and looking for proper lighting was beginning to drive me crazy until I found your piece. Thank you very much!
Best, Miroslav
P.S. Any thoughts on best places to buy the lights and fixtures at?
I get lighting equipment at these 3 websites:
amazon.com
bhphotovideo.com
1000bulbs.com
It’s a lot of useful info in your site. However, I can’t find an objective answer for my above question. Any suggestions?
Many thanks.
Rafael
This is wonderful information about lighting, but I’m confused.
I am seeking a ceiling fixture (replacing one 60W incandescent fixture) for north facing studio, one window, wall design and flat table design (fabric and watercolor) in 9′ x 10′ studio.
If a 13W CFL bulb equals the standard 60W incandescent bulb, the CFL equals 2700K (Kelvin) and 800L (Lumen). Even with two or three CFL bulbs, the Kelvin is good but the Lumens are not high enough to match the suggested information (7000-8000 Lumens).
I have only looked at CFL flush mount fluorescent fixtures.
Any suggestion as to the type of fixture that would give me the suggested Kelvin and Lumen?
Thank you for your time.
Best,
Caroline
A few 13w CFLs will be dim. Perfect for a bedroom but not for a studio. I like my studio brightly lit to see everything better and prevent straining my eyes. I suggest getting a few 40W CFLs.
They will probably be too large for your ceiling fixture. You’ll need to get a floor lamp. I’ve been using one of these from target:
http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-5-head-floor-lamp-includes-cfl-bulb/-/A-12242007#prodSlot=medium_2_52
I like that the arms can be positioned to point in any direction. So you can point a few at the painting and a few at the palette.
Hey Stan, I appreciate the information. I’ve got a question as I’m a little confused. My entire room won’t be a studio, its just a little corner designated for my easel and my paintings. If I were to buy a floor lamp to have beside the painting, how much wattage would be necessary? I was looking into buying this one but I don’t if it’ll be enough. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Electric-42-Watt-200W-Daylight-Twist-CFL-Light-Bulb-ESL40TN-D/203252142#specifications
You would need a few of those. I like my studio brightly lit to see everything better and prevent straining my eyes.
I’ve been using one of these floor lamps from target that hold many bulbs:
http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-5-head-floor-lamp-includes-cfl-bulb/-/A-12242007#prodSlot=medium_2_52
I like that the arms can be positioned to point in any direction. So you can point a few at the painting and a few at the palette.
Stan – Thank you for sending the link to that 5-Head Floor Lamp from Target. I live in WA and still have close friends in CA. I tracked down the lamp in CA, as WA and OR are out of stock, item not sold online, and they don’t know if it will ever return to the WA and OR stores. The item was purchased yesterday.
And, thank you for creating an awesome web site!
Best,
Caroline
My Drawing table faces a white wall with a N facing 32″wide &52″long size window that is at the end of the table on my right side. To my left where I sit is the beginning of a South window 39″ wide. I have a typical 3 bulb ceiling fan fixture not directly above me. I work at the table, doing watercolor, oil pastel and drawings. I have limited space. What do you suggest? I can turn the table so the window N is behind me and the S window on my right. However it will be a bit cramped.
Thank you,Susan
I suggest getting a floor lamp that holds 3-5 cfl bulbs so that you can add light in addition to the window light. And you can work at night.
What software do you use to overlay the lines and circles that are animated in your videos?
A good post and true that halogen bulbs are much better then the conventional bulbs
Stan, I’m impressed by your art lighting expertise and your helpful blog. I just purchased from Target the light fixture you recommended, the Room Essentials 5-Head Floor Lamp which requires 5 X 40 watt maximum standard bulbs OR 5 X 13 watt maximum CFL bulbs. I bought the 5 thirteen watt bulbs to use with it. Will this be enough light for me to paint at my art desk at night ? Will these bulbs, when used all together, create the optimum 7 to 8000 lumens? If so I’ll keep the lamp.
I see that lighting an art studio is a complex subject. One of your bloggers, Craig, recommended using the SoLux halogen incandescent bulbs used by many of the finest art museums and galleries because they are more like natural daylight. What do you think of them? How do they compare with the CFL bulbs? Then another blogger recommended Nex gen LED bulbs. What do you think of them and how do they compare with the two other types of lighting? I’m stymied and would really appreciate your sage advice. Thanks.
Hi Stan
What light would you put into a models light to light the model in a class room setting?
Do you have a best case set up?
Thank you
Laurel
Laurel, usually incandescent are used to light models in a school since CFL take a few minutes to warm up to their full brightness. Also, you don’t have to use 5000k to light the model unless you want a white light. Typically a warmer bulb will be used to light the model. The light on the model does not have to match the light on your artwork. If you’re painting, the light on your canvas should match the light on your palette, but the subject can be lit however it looks best.
Sue, 5x 13 watts will probably not be enough… If you read those requirements from the lamp instructions, keep in mind its not intended for an art studio, but a living room or bedroom. The brightness the recommend is to get a cozy feeling. But for an art studio you want way more light… I put 5x 40 watt CFL bulbs in mine..
I can’t comment on the SoLux or Next gen LED because I haven’t personally used them. But if museums use them I’m sure they’ll be just fine..
adobe after effects
Questions: I am having a 16′ x 16′studio attached to the house. I paint and make quilts, so I work on a wall (paint and design quilts) and a flat surface (6′X 6.66′).
After reading the lighting information, it seems that two 4′ fluorescent fixtures, with 2 bulbs (40W – 2200 lumins) each, will give me 8800 lumins hung side by side over the flat surface. Home Depot sells Sylvania Full Spectrum fluorescent bulbs online. Is that ample?
As for the wall, a surface no more than 8′tall x 7′ wide, I’m considering track lighting. Do you or anyone else have any suggestions for the lighting fixture and its bulbs for the wall and any additional information for the flat surface?
Thank you, much appreciated
Caroline
Yup that sounds like it would be enough.
Sorry I haven’t worked with track lighting. You should ask some gallery owners.
Hi. I am highly impressed by your work. I will surely recommend your website to my friends for their upcoming wedding.
Very good information. Thanx!
What about florescent ceiling lights (you know, the four-foot tubes)? Looks as though the 4′ Phillips T8 32-Watt Natural (5000K) bulbs would be a good, all-around, choice. What do you think?
Haven’t used it, but it looks like a great bulb
Thank you VERY much for this resource. I am looking for adequate studio lighting, and often end up painting in the living-dining room area of our house instead of in my studio, because the entire outside wall of this area is mostly floor-to ceiling windows. As you noted above, this is hardly ideal for painting. I was at the Portrait Society of America’s conference last weekend and heard Scott Burdick and Susan Lyon talking about “Table top Lighting” where they buy their portable fixtures. I can’t find that source for some reason, but will look at the two websites you mention. My studio is fairly small, and periodically I paint right in client’s homes (mostly portraits), so I need something portable. Thanks again for your information!
Hey, great site. Loads of informative stuff. Thanks for putting so much work into it. What kind of softbox kit do you use for your 85w cfl’s? Thanks! RS
Loved your article. You cut through all the tons of information and simplified it. I’m getting married to an artist and plan to surprise him my turning a bedroom into a studio.
Will you simplify lighting even more? The room is 9 x 12 feet with a northern window. There is no light in the room except for a lamp.
Should I have an electrician install lighting in the ceiling? If so, what type of fixture and how many? Should I get some lamps too or get floor lamps instead of the ceiling? What bulbs should be in each lamp?
I appreciate any help you can provide me. The project will start in two weeks, and I need to get things ready. I’m hoping to do this as a surprise to my future husband.
Michele
Michele, you can have lights installed on the ceiling or use floor lamps. Both options can work. It depends on the artist’s preference. Since it’s a surprise, maybe just do floor lamps and then install ceiling lights if he wants it.
For floor lamps, get one that allows 3-4 bulbs in it. Get the bulb specs that I described in this article
hi wondered if u could help me I have a small room with French doors going out to west view only no more windows.I also have a bigger room with windows looking towards East. Which of the two rooms do u think wound came out better if I buy some bulbs. or is their kind of mirror trick I could do to diffuse light.
They both sounds very similar. I would probably just choose the bigger room and setup lamps to make the light perfect.
Another important part about lighting your studio space is how much light you need. The brightness of a light is measured in lumens. The more lumens, the brighter the bulb.
I was looking for information on Studio Lighting and came across your blog and found it very informative. I’m very interested in the studio lighting. I’ve looked for the floor lamp with extended arm and can’t locate one with a good height and one that bends to vertical. Where did you get yours?
Thank you!
Hi Stan,
Do your recommend LED lights? They seem to have somewhat replaced CFL’s recently, and I’m wondering if they work as well, and if so, which LED’s would you recommend for a studio? Thanks for a great article. I’ve been looking to replace the bulbs in my recently-purchased studio and this has been helpful.
Hi Nancy, it was over a decade ago. I don’t remember!
Ya I’ve been buying mostly LEDs lately. 1000 or 2000 bulb panels that can be adjusted warm to cool such as these: https://amzn.to/2WkdlKD