Today we are going to talk about studio lighting. North light is great if you paint from natural light during the day. But what if you paint in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning? In this post we will touch on both the natural and artificial lighting of your studio,
Natural Light
North Light: Cool and consistent light all day long.
South Light: Warm light that keeps getting brighter as the day progresses.
East Light: Soft, bright light that is slightly warm.
West Light: In the morning it’s pretty meh but it sure warms up over the course of the day.
And last but not least…Overhead Light: I had a wonderful studio that had no windows, only a large skylight It was actually my favorite of all as it was fairly consistent.
Artificial Light
Most folks need artificial light in their studio. You can buy warm, cool, or daylight spectrum lights to supplement your natural light situation. What you choose depends on your temperature preference. Looking for an all-purpose light? Try one with a CRI of 90+ and a color temp of 5000k.
For a really interesting experience, try painting under colored lights. It will really amplify the mood of the piece! You can buy them in various colors or paint your own.
Note: I used to paint under really bright halogen track lights, but found the paintings suffered in natural light settings. They either lost their vibrancy or the values looked way too dark. Now I paint in a neutrally lit setting and the paintings look good no matter where they hang.
I’d love to hear about your lighting challenges and how you’ve overcome them. Please post your experiences in the comment section below. For the latest tips and lessons, please be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel.