Choosing Lightbulbs for Art Studios & Galleries - After You Paint (23 of 27)

Based on what we've learned so far, we've determined that when it comes to studio or gallery lighting, we should aim for a high level of lumens or brightness without overdoing the lux or brightness on the surface. We should look for a neutral or slightly warm light color temperature 3,00 to 3700 or if you prefer 5,000 with a high CRI of over 90 and even over 95 if possible. We learned that LED light is now a safe option for artwork and is lower on energy usage as well as heat emission. Now let's learn a little about each of the four primary types of light bulbs. Incodescent, halogen, fluorescent, and LED. Incodescent is one of the earliest light bulbs and the most common bulb until the 21st century. Electricity runs through a tungsten filament, creating a glow that we see as light. Incodes have an amazingly high CRI 100%. But they use a lot of energy to create the lumens resulting in a lot of heat. They do emit some UV radiation and tend to produce a color temperature on the warmer side of the spectrum. Halogen is a form of incandescent light that uses H hallogen gas to increase the light output and extend the light's life. But it tends to produce even more heat and unless it's filtered, it does emit some UV radiation. Fluorescents are tubebased bulbs in which electricity reacts with mercury gas causing it to release ultraviolet or UV light which then interacts with phosphor powder on the interior surface causing a glow which we see as light. Unless the UV rays are filtered, this makes fluorescent light a very poor choice for lighting artwork. Also, because of the use of mercury, a highly toxic mineral, disposal of fluorescent bulbs is an environmental concern. These first three bulb types are the ones being slowly phased out in the United States and in several other countries. New bulbs are generally some form of LED. They look a lot like the traditional tungsten bulbs now and are even being made to replace other types of bulbs such as H hallogen tracks and fluorescent tubing. LED stands for light emmitting diode. It's a bulb that uses a semiconductor to produce the glow that we see as light. These lights vary greatly in quality. A quality LED bulb emits little to no UV radiation and lasts an incredibly long time. It's said they can last for 10 years. But be aware that some experts feel the quality of the light decreases with age. The color can change slightly and the lights can sometimes dull or flicker, but not always. And this may improve as technology advances. Artists should avoid the low-end LED bulbs as they can actually damage art over time due to the poor light quality. Plus, they most likely won't give you the light you're looking for. Get the best LED you can afford. On a positive note, LED lights contain no toxic materials, and if you look carefully, you can even find bulbs that are color balanced with a high CRI. There are many different shapes and sizes of light bulbs. What type of bulb you need depends on what type of fixture you're working with. To keep things simple, let's talk specifically about the light bulbs most commonly used for displaying art and often in art studios as well. First, it's helpful to realize that bulb shape and bases are identified by a letter and number combination, such as A19, also known as E26 if you're only referring to the base. The identifying letter refers to the shape of the bulb, and the number refers to the size. The A19 is the bulb that we all instantly think of when we think of a light bulb. The A stands for arbitrary or the standard shape. And the 19 is the diameter of the base at the widest point. It's the quintessential incandescent bulb. But it's, as I said, now being replaced by a similarly shaped LED bulb. And this is a good thing. Chosen correctly, the light emitted looks very similar, maybe even better. We can certainly paint and display our work under basic lamps using this kind of bulb, but the more popular choice for studios and galleries are those used in track or recessed lighting, specifically the MR16 used in track lights and the PAR 30 used in recessed lights. There are varants on these PAR 16 and PAR 20, for example, as well as other designs and sizes. But these two seem to be the most common when it comes to art. The bulbs used to be H hallogen or incandescent, but as I said, now they're sold almost exclusively as LED. The numbers in par 30 and MR16 refer to the diameter of the bulb. So a par 30 would be twice the size of an MR16. And a par 30 would provide a wider beam than a par 20, a par 16 or MR16. The larger the number, the wider the bulb and the wider the beam normally. Now there are different kinds of bulb bases. Like the bulb itself, these are identified by a letter which refers to the shape and then a number which refers to the size. Again, the two we are most concerned about as artists are the standard bulb, which is an E26 or an E27, and the bipin base, which is a G4 or a GU form. Which you use depends on the fixture. PAR usually uses a standard base, and MR tends to have a buy pin. Keep in mind that these base types also depend on what country you live in. You may also see a recessed light with the letters BR. This is similar to a PARB, but the bulbs tend to have a larger diameter, softer light edges, and a wider spread. Possibly a good option for full wall coverage, also called a wall wash, something we discuss pretty soon. With all this in mind, what lighting specifically is recommended for studios and art display? Well, some experts suggest using lighting that closely matches daylight in your studio around 5,000K. This is a crisp light color that leans somewhat blue. Some even suggest a Kelvin of up to 6,500, but I think that's too much. It's too blue. The recommendation for displaying artwork is normally around 3,00 to 3700K. But that means the work as you paint it will look different when it's displayed. Do you see an issue here? So, here are my thoughts. Artwork is normally displayed either in a gallery setting or in a home. Most homes have a decent amount of natural light in combination with artificial lighting, typically in the 2700 to 3000K range, and only artificial light in the evenings. Galleries tend to use only artificial light in the 3000K range. So, wouldn't it be best to match your studio lighting to your potential display lighting so that your intended colors will remain relatively the same to the viewer? Basically, I'm suggesting that our studios combine natural light using UV precautions if you can with artificial light. Then you'll have to make the personal decision of whether you want to go with artificial light in the 3 to 3700K range, the home and gallery setting, or closer to pure daylight at the 4 to 5,000 range. Once you've made your decision whether for your studio or display area, the next consideration is how to work the lighting design. This will then lead into deciding what fixtures to use to accomplish that goal. So, let's move on to lighting designs.