What Kind of Light...

[moore]

I was wondering what kind of light everyone uses to paint by.
I am/was having problems with my flesh tone and faces.
Could be in part my eyes are getting worse.
But I use right now a regular florescent light. but that is no longer good.
I pulled out a small Ott-Light and that seems to be much better and
I can really see what I have painted.

I am going on line now to find a larger Ott that can hook to my desk
and is movable.

But just wondering what you guys and gals are using.
Before I go out and get something else.

Thanks
Dee

 

[Gellso]

Day light bulb works for me.
But I prefer to do my fleshtones with that and also a well light sunny room tbh.

 

[renarts]

I have an Ott light and am a little disappointed in it. It doesn't seem to throw enough light for my likes. I have to get right up on it and it seems in the way. A daylight bulb in one of those clamp lights you can get in Home Depot over my bench seems to work the best and is less expensive than an Ott. If you really wanted to light up the bench, get two of them and put them at angles to each other. A strip outlet with a switch controls both lights at the same time and allows you to mount it on the bench where its easily accessible. The two daylight bulbs at an angle also make for a nice set of photo lights when doing in progress shots of your work from the bench without a special set up.

 

[gordy]

Mike are you using the CFL bulbs or tubes?

Bulbs:
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/lighti...mart/14-watt-60w-daylight-4-pack-e-39261.html

 

[megroot]

I use two of these in two desklights.
http://www.lloytronuk.co.uk/llyzc/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3387

 

[housecarl]

If I run out of oil, I generally use my fail safe candle.
I will have to pay my electricity bill,
Carl.

 

[John Bowery]

Dee,
I have a flourescent lamp over the desk and use "Daylight" bulbs in it. The desk is close to a window alsol I also have an Ott light also that I sometimes use.
Cheers
John

 

[moore]

Grant.. thanks... for the input.

Mike... I am torn about the Ott Lite.. and they are expensive.
Daylight bulbs, never thought of that.. or really knew they had
Daylight bulbs..
I will check that out. I have 2 what I call student lamps.. for drying
my oils.. but those get really, really hot. I have 50 watts in them.
Thought about changing out the bulbs in those.

John... thanks for the input.

I have 2 large flourescents in my workroom. Thought maybe that was washing out my colors. Maybe too bright.

OK.. I am going to check out those Daylight ones and see if that helps.

Thanks guys.

Dee

 

[Einion]

Ideally what you want is a high CRI or colour-rendering index at the right temperature (as well as good brightness).

There are multiple types of daylight tubes, CFLs and bulbs available and they vary a great deal in colour temperature and CRI. Some I'm sure you'll find are too blue (some daylight bulbs simulate north light, not mixed daylight) and others just look okay but their light actually isn't that great. The classic blue-tinted Daylight Bulbs over this side of the pond, in addition to running really hot, put out a light that's far far too blue for my taste and I just had to stop using them.

Ott Lites have a decent CRI, not the best you can get but not bad, but as said they do tend to be pricey and to be a bit dimmer than users would like. I know a lot of people who use them who have resorted to using more than one, sometimes as many as three (two task lamps, plus one of the larger floor lights).

There's lots more info available on this online now thankfully to help us do research before we buy, when before it used to be a very hit-or-miss kind of thing, including some direct comparisons between Otts and some competitors.

I have 2 large flourescents in my workroom. Thought maybe that was washing out my colors. Maybe too bright.

I doubt it's that they're too bright. Too bright is better than too dim anyway, especially once your eyes start to get older (same boat here!) but the main problem with standard fluorescents is the light they put out is poor - lots of gaps in it - which makes them terrible for colour matching. Good overview on the Wikipedia page here.

Many CFLs share this characteristic unfortunately.

Einion

 

[ausf]

Has anyone had issues with CFL and headaches?

I tried a CFL Daylight years ago and would get 'em, which I didn't (or don't) with a normal incandescent. It may have been a bad pack, it certainly wasn't cheap. I didn't notice any perceptible flickering, but soon after working under it my melon would start to ache.

I'd like to use them, not only for color but to cut down on the heat during the summer months.

 

[Einion]

Has anyone had issues with CFL and headaches?

I tried a CFL Daylight years ago and would get 'em, which I didn't (or don't) with a normal incandescent.

Do you get similar problems under standard fluorescent lighting that you've noticed?

It's probably to do with the flicker, imperceptible or not.

Einion

 

[ausf]

Do you get similar problems under standard fluorescent lighting that you've noticed?

It's probably to do with the flicker, imperceptible or not.

Einion

I heard of this but never experienced any problems that I'm aware of. I'm not prone to headaches, that's why it was easily traceable to the bulb. Again it was years ago and they were pretty expensive, so maybe that technology/quality has improved and I should give them another shot.

 

[renarts]

Gordy,
I currently use bulbs but I'm considering switching over to the CFL lights. Mainly because they're cooler (temperature).
Jeff, I've used the cfl lights in other fixtures (for mixing inks at the shop) and don't seem to have a problem with them. Though Sherry does complain that if she works under them for a while she gets headaches.

 

[gordy]

Gordy,
I currently use bulbs but I'm considering switching over to the CFL lights. Mainly because they're cooler (temperature).

The cooler temps are nice especially for the summer months!