Best artist lights for the studio

Trying to understand the
important considerations when choosing your studio lighting can easily lead
you to a lighting meltdown.  Basically,
a studio needs at least one space that has the natural light and the best
artificial lighting.  The artists’
lamps play an important role in determining the quality of the work you
produce for your customers.  To shorten
the story, there are a large number of variables you need to know when
choosing lamps for your studio.  They
include color temperature, CRI rating, brightness and type.  Here is a highlight of these important
features.

Color
temperature

It is measured in
Kelvins and is described as K. the best color temperature for the artists’
light is 5000K, which gives your studio a beautiful white light.  The color temperature of the light bulbs is
as important as the color of the paint. 
The color of the light that illuminates the palette and the painting
will change the visible hue, chrome and value of your color.  Painting with the light bulb is not
recommended as the light shifts all colors towards yellow.  The color temperature of a candle can be
determined using the Kelvin scale.  A
color temperature of 6500K gives you the best light that corresponds to
natural light.

Brightness

The amount of light emitted by a
light bulb is measured in the lumen.  A
typical 32W fluorescent lamp can emit light up to 2000 lumens.  Compact fluorescent lamps are the most
efficient when it comes to emitting light compared to light bulbs.  A 42W fluorescent lamp can emit light as
much as a 200W light bulb can emit.  If
your studio is medium-sized, a lumen range between 7000 and 8000 lumens is
the most efficient.  At least two to
three fluorescent lamps with 110W to 125W can give you at least 7000 lumens
of light.

Color Rendering Index
(CRI)

This is a measure of how
much effect a light has on the perceived color of a surface or object.  The CRI scale ranges from 1 to 100. A
higher CRI rating makes the colors appear more natural and vibrant while a
low rating can completely ruin the color of objects.  However, a high CRI rating does not
guarantee a perfect color if the color temperature is much higher.  For example, light bulbs have a CRI rating
of 100, but their extreme yellow color changes the appearance of colors on
other objects.  A fluorescent lamp is
therefore best.  You should look for
one with a CRI value of 80 or
higher.

Type of light
bulb

Lamp type also dictates the type
of light emitted.  A light bulb uses a
lot of energy and produces extremely yellow light that is not suitable for
artists.  On the other hand, compact
fluorescents have a wide range of benefits for artistic activities.  They have many color temperature ranges,
are brighter, more energy efficient and last
longer.