Lighitng conditions while I paint late at night.
- Thread starter Drift3r
- Start date
QuietiManes
New member
Well, you\'d want to paint in the same light that you will display the miniature. So that will vary quite a bit. If you\'re going to be photographing the miniature with proper lighting and displaying the high detailed pictures online, then you\'d want to paint under a broad spectrum/multi spectrum light, as close as possible to sunlight, which shows colours as \"true\" as possible.
You may want to invest in something like an OTT Light, which is a fair investment, or perhaps just some daylight bulbs or growth lights (for growing plants indoors) which are usually fairly cheap.
You may want to invest in something like an OTT Light, which is a fair investment, or perhaps just some daylight bulbs or growth lights (for growing plants indoors) which are usually fairly cheap.
QuietiManes
New member
Yeah, you pretty much nailed the problem in your initial post. Different light sources have different amounts of different colours which distorts anything you view in that light, obviously. Everything will be distorted to some extent, even if we can\'t notice it.
You can get most types of various coloured light bulbs and tubes from a home improvement, do it yourself, type store. Even a Walmart, Sears etc will have a fairly good selection, if you\'re in North America. Many better bulbs and flourescent tubes even show you what colours of the spectrum they emit on the side of the box. If they don\'t or if you\'re unfamiliar, the staff should have a decent idea of the colours emitted by most lights they sell.
You can get most types of various coloured light bulbs and tubes from a home improvement, do it yourself, type store. Even a Walmart, Sears etc will have a fairly good selection, if you\'re in North America. Many better bulbs and flourescent tubes even show you what colours of the spectrum they emit on the side of the box. If they don\'t or if you\'re unfamiliar, the staff should have a decent idea of the colours emitted by most lights they sell.
Einion
New member
Personally I subscribe to the idea that you should paint under brighter light than a mini would ever be displayed in. So I have a main room light on and a desk lamp, painting directly under the desk lamp. I turn it off every now and then to check colours, contrast etc. under the main light.
Definitely worth painting under the whitest light you can find - full-spectrum bulbs/tubes are closer to daylight and that\'s good for colour rendition. But don\'t forget that for years and years people had no choice but to paint under nothing more sophisticated than a standard 60W bulb in a desk lamp, so you can certainly produce work that\'s just fine without any of this new-fangled stuff!
Einion
When I got back into painting I got a daylight desk lamp £75, at the time I thought it was a hell of a lot of money to spend on a lamp but after I put a miniature I painted with and without the lamp side by side it was well worth every penny.
It has a arm that expends up to about 15 inches so to get a more natural look at the miniature its just a matter of extending the arm up as far as it goes.
It has a arm that expends up to about 15 inches so to get a more natural look at the miniature its just a matter of extending the arm up as far as it goes.
generulpoleaxe
New member
i paint under a twin tube daylight lamp with the room light on as well.
and when possible i check the model in normal daylight as well.
i was having problems with contrast when just painting under a daylight lamp as it\'s rare the model will be viewed in those perfect light conditions.
it was donga that mentioned to me about the different light conditions, and it realy does work a treat.
daylight lamp for good colours, normal room lights for what most people will view it under and bright sunlight for the harshest of conditions.
and when possible i check the model in normal daylight as well.
i was having problems with contrast when just painting under a daylight lamp as it\'s rare the model will be viewed in those perfect light conditions.
it was donga that mentioned to me about the different light conditions, and it realy does work a treat.
daylight lamp for good colours, normal room lights for what most people will view it under and bright sunlight for the harshest of conditions.
HighLordUlrik
New member
I just use a 60w in my desk lamp and turn offm y main room light cause I do all my painting at night
My local art store sells those blue daylight bulbs I\'ve got one as a room light and 2 in lamps. Seeing as I got the lamps for free and the bulbs cost around 99p each compard to a OTT lamp I think I made a good saving, also the light kicked out is very clear and nice to paint under. 
veggiemanuk
New member
I use a daylight lamp with normal lights and an LED headlamp aswell (white light) it helps when spotting detail.
I might at some point set up a lighting rig made out of just the LED lamps, 21 LED\'s per lamp running off 3 AAA batteries. They cost around £5 each.
The best thing about the head lamp is that the light is directed to where your looking, With just normal lamps I was having problems making out detail on the minis.
I might at some point set up a lighting rig made out of just the LED lamps, 21 LED\'s per lamp running off 3 AAA batteries. They cost around £5 each.
The best thing about the head lamp is that the light is directed to where your looking, With just normal lamps I was having problems making out detail on the minis.
Queenoftheunifrogs
New member
i use a halogen desk lamp which is so close to daylight my boyfreind thought it was daytime when he woke up in the middle of the night when i was painting.
