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:
Measured in Kelvins or K. 5000K will give you a nice white light.
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.
The higher the better. Anything over 80 CRI is good.
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…
I prefer to work under warmer looking light for a homier feel so my LED track lights are 2700k. I have tracks that have fixtures that each turn on or off independently so I have maximum control and can move the fixtures around if I need to. Because of this choice, I have to be aware that my paintings will tend to appear different in cooler light. Most artists will tell you to work under lights that are around 4000k to 5000k.
Lumens
Luminosity or brightness is also important to consider. The formulas for measuring brightness are complicated. Suffice to say that you want as many fixtures as needed to give yourself ample illumination. This may sound obvious, yet I’ve been in many under-illuminated studios that just needed another fixture or two to remedy the problem.
Color Rendering Index (CRI)
CRI is basically a quality rating of how well a light source is able to faithfully reveal colors. Natural daylight has a CRI rating of 100. As artists, our aim is to replicate natural light in our studios. When you are buying your lights, you should look for a CRI rating over 80 (the higher the better).
Many hardware stores sell fluorescent bulbs with good CRI and CCT numbers (read the packaging carefully). I’ve seen 80 CRI/5500 CCT compact fluorescents for as little as $3 a bulb. Online stores sell bulbs as well, but shop around, as prices vary tremendously. Make sure the bulb you buy is compatible with your existing fixtures. Rows of fluorescent tube ceiling lights provide good luminosity but are costly. A more affordable option is to install strips of track lighting that can be plugged into existing outlets and outfitted with screw-in, compact fluorescents. I recommend you employ an experienced electrician for any electrical work.
In conclusion
Studio lighting does not need to be that complex. At the end of the day, all that is important is that you have:
• The right angle of the light
• Enough good light (reasonably high lumens and 80+ CRI)
• A color temperature that you like working under and is balanced
The easiest solution is to just grab a few compact fluorescent lamp bulbs around 5,500K and secure them at a 45 degree angle to your painting. Pastelists don’t have to worry about glare too much, so the angle of light isn’t as important. I will also say there is no perfect lighting solution. You will probably need to be creative and find out what works for you. Finding the balance between all your considerations is challenging. I recommend prioritizing all your own considerations before you shop for lights. You might have to make some compromises where needed, but there are lots of options out there that will help you to create a light, bright workspace for any working method or project.
As Always, happy painting!
-Marla