Magnified or Standard, (daylight) lamps!

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Joined
Apr 8, 2012
Messages
586
Location
London
Can anyone recommend a decent, yet affordable lamp! and answer a basic question of 'Are they worth the actual money'. ?.. as I am beginning to get my little corner organised, and hate the 'Yellow-glow', of a standard lamp. ... but would like to know, how effective these things actually are?

Regards,

Mark
 
Mark, probably not the thing you were waiting for, but I always use a standard lamp when I am painting. I never did see any reason to buy one of these special lamps. But I know that some amongst us always use one.

J;)han
 
Cheers Johan!... Any information as to there worth, and/or, effectiveness, is welcome. It would be interesting to see the, Pro's & Con's !.. before I make a decision.(y)

Mark
 
Mark,
I used a daylight bulb in an anglepoise lamp for years - they last about 3 times longer than a normal tungsten bulb. I bought a magnifier lamp at Telford last year, now use both! (and two pairs of glasses!)
Steve(y)
 
I use the magnifier lamp sometimes especially for doing eyes on the small figures. Sometimes using the optivisor as well to supplement it. By having the magnifier I have the option to use or not as I see fit. The lamp will work as a normal lamp also.
Cheers
John
 
Standard bulb for me, then finished in the kitchen under a strip light as replicates most viewing at shows.
If being really fussy I do tidy up sometimes in daylight but only to feather edges, I don't change any shadows or highlights.
If it looks good in natural light it usually will under artificial but daylight can force you to under paint, in my opinion.
Best wishes
 
Thanks everyone! ..I was quite surprised to find that these things are not as popular as I had imagined. ... so maybe a head-magnifier, and some daylight bulbs! will be all that is needed.

Mark
 
I got used to using a daylight bulb as we were provided (and expected to use) them in industry. H&S deemed them to be more restful as we were working under them for 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week. Even the general striplights in the studio had daylight filters. I suppose its what you get used to!
Steve(y)
 
'Are they worth the actual money'. ?
The bulbs are/can be but the lamps as a rule are not*.

If you do a side-by-side comparison you can really see a difference in colour rendition, esp. if the daylight bulb is particularly good (they vary in quality as well as in price) and the conventional light is not good (e.g. CFLs, which generally provide the worst quality of light that we'd commonly pick from). But what actually matters is whether you need that difference - bearing in mind all the work that was done, and is still done, under regular bulbs/tubes for example.

Linked to this is how are the models commonly displayed? It makes no difference if you're using Daylight Bulb XB227 that 100% matches daylight in Northern Europe at 1pm on a summer's day if the model doesn't look just as good under your room lights, or the lights of a competition hall :cautious:

...hate the 'Yellow-glow', of a standard lamp. ...
What kind of bulb are you using exactly Mark?

*Nine times out of ten it's the bulb by itself that's responsible for the better light, so if a tied-in lamp supplied by the same people costs £££ you're basically paying for their marketing and larger profit margin.

Einion

P.S. In terms of magnification, head-mounted magnification works better for more people than a magnifying lamp which often seem to get in the way. I recommend giving cheap reading glasses a shot (the type sold by Lidl or Aldi for example) before investing in a proper magnifier, see if you can get used to the magnification.

I have both types and actually prefer the reading glasses to the headband magnifier, since they're less hassle and more comfortable to wear.
 
I always find the best way to see if your light is working is to compare your figures against others work.
Although actual technique has some relevance it does help to see how your work compares.
If you are getting shadows, highlights and overall presentation the same as other figures you like and they hold up then you are doing something right.
I have never been one to put too much weight on true colour under light, the same as each painter has his own Pallette of colours. Unless using exactly the same colours under same conditions colours will vary anyway.
 
Thanks Einion, the bulbs are pretty much non-descript, so you have given me some ideas and avenues, and products, to run with! very much appreciated. and probably a saving of the wallet as well.(y)'

In ref to the reading glasses I do have a number of different strengths, but they do strain my already weakened eye's, the 250's are probably the best, and I don't feel like Marty Feldman, after 20 mins!:LOL:

Regards,

Mark
 
I start painting under a aculite lamp and then change to a normal strip lamp and I've used daylight for fine detail work but i'm never happy.I'm basically as changeable as the weather.
The bulbs are/can be but the lamps as a rule are not*.

If you do a side-by-side comparison you can really see a difference in colour rendition, esp. if the daylight bulb is particularly good (they vary in quality as well as in price) and the conventional light is not good (e.g. CFLs, which generally provide the worst quality of light that we'd commonly pick from). But what actually matters is whether you need that difference - bearing in mind all the work that was done, and is still done, under regular bulbs/tubes for example.

Linked to this is how are the models commonly displayed? It makes no difference if you're using Daylight Bulb XB227 that 100% matches daylight in Northern Europe at 1pm on a summer's day if the model doesn't look just as good under your room lights, or the lights of a competition hall :cautious:


What kind of bulb are you using exactly Mark?

*Nine times out of ten it's the bulb by itself that's responsible for the better light, so if a tied-in lamp supplied by the same people costs £££ you're basically paying for their marketing and larger profit margin.

Einion

P.S. In terms of magnification, head-mounted magnification works better for more people than a magnifying lamp which often seem to get in the way. I recommend giving cheap reading glasses a shot (the type sold by Lidl or Aldi for example) before investing in a proper magnifier, see if you can get used to the magnification.

I have both types and actually prefer the reading glasses to the headband magnifier, since they're less hassle and more comfortable to wear.
Einion your wasting a lot of money mate.Get them in the pound shop!!!
 
Nearly in a state of austerity is not good enough Einion,get yourself into the pound shop and help out the economy:)
 
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