springsnow Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Hello all, After reading a WIP from Stern Kestrelmann (and his brend new magnifying and circular fluresent bulb lamp) i realized that i'll have to find a good lamp myself. My paiting sessions are going to be at night after my daily work and i'm wondering what you, experienced painters ( and the others ), would use to get a proper light at night.... I might try this flueresent lamp but would like to have your opinion concerning this :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pae Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 I use three desk lamps for my lighting. The bulbs I use are daylight fluorescents which fit into an ordinary light socket. I prefer these over regular incandescent bulbs because they are cooler, and have a much bluer light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jubilee Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 I recently got a small ott-lite when they were on sale, and I'm mostly happy with it. I used to paint under a drafting-table style lamp and it would be quite hot under it - miserable during the summer for me and drying my paint out all year. The ott light does flicker a bit, but from what I've read, that's standard and I'm told _most_ people don't notice it.. :P Someday I hope to get a slightly larger one, as this one doesn't have the range of motion and light angles I enjoyed with the old lamp /ali Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springsnow Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 Ah yes, i'm also looking for a bulb producing a light as close to real sun light as possible... Fluorescent bulb would do that? Different white fluorescent bulbs have different white colors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redhandstudios Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 There are many bulbs available that will simulate a more natural "daylight". I have some terrarium bulbs from a local pet store that pop into normal light sockets in my goosneck desk lamp. I have also used the flourescent bulbs...but the flickering in a confined area tended to trigger migraine headaches, so I don't personally use them anymore if at all possible. I do not reccomend candelight. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusoe the Painter Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Buy some cheap tracklighting and low voltage lamp modules from Home Depot. Plug in 3 MR16 35 W bulbs. There ya go! At least, that's my plan when I get some more cash/time! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springsnow Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 Thanks a lot for sharing all :) I've googled a bit more and have found this for those who are interested : www.solux.net I've found many sites talking about those Solux bulbs, supposed to be good for photos and PAO.... There's maybe a cheaper way for similar results but that's getting closer to what i'm looking for at least... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyHorde Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Welcome to the boards! I'm in the same boat, schedule-wise; confined to late nights for painting, when the light is bad and my eyes are already tired. I am not an experienced painter, so keep that in mind and decide what works for your space, budget and preferences. My current lighting setup includes a pair of swing-arm lamps with 'daylight' fluorescent bulbs. My opinion of lighbulbs: Incandescent -- common house lights -- are too 'warm' or red/yellow in tone and will through off your results in daylight and photos. Standard fluourescents -- office lighting -- are too 'cool' or green/blue and will throw off your results when seen in daylight or photos. 'Daylight' or 'natural light' incandescents, like GE Reveal bulbs, give good light, but they still run hot, possibly making the painter uncomfortable and the paint dry too quickly. That was my experience with them, anyway. In the swing-arm lamps, I use Sylvania 'daylight' fluorescents. They're cool in color and temperature, energy-efficient (23W each, rather than 60+ for incandescent) and easy on the eyes with the same light output as 60W bulbs. I've never directly noticed any flickering, but maybe having two or more mitigates that effect somewhat...? Your mileage may vary. For magnifying, I have an OptiVisor, which allows for mobility, adjustable magnification by switching lenses, etc. I used to have a light/lens combo -- granted, it was an old, cheap-o craft store version with an incandescent bulb -- but I ditched it. It might have worked better with a daylight fluorescent, or one of the new ones with the 'ring-bulb', but I think I still prefer the flexibility of separate lights and magnifier. Now, when I'm just prepping or basecoating. I might move to the living room. For those times or when traveling, I use an Ott light with magnifier. Some folks use this as their primary station, but at 2x, the magnification isn't high enough for me. It saves a lot of space and works really well, though, so I think it's worth the money (use a 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby). I hope that helps. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vutpakdi Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 "Daylight" flourescent bulbs are pretty common and easy to find these days at Home Depot and Lowe's. You can get ones which go into flourescent only lamps and ones that have normal incandescent bases. Yes, different "white" flourescent bulbs have differing shades of "white". My local Home Depot stocks ones that are marked as "warm white" (think a yellow tint), "bright white", and "daylight" (whitest, I suppose). Ott-Lite bulbs are available for their special lamps as well as regular lamps. You'll probably have to special order the bulbs for regular lamps, but I have seen them at my local Fry's. The Ott-Lites are a very good approximation of sunlight. I'm happy with my Ott-Lite that I use when I'm painting on the road. Ott-Lites are more expensive than other lamps, but they're not too bad if you get a 40-50% off coupon for Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axegrrl Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 Look for the color temperature on the package. A good daylight bulb should be 5500K-6500K. You can find decent 6500K bulbs at Walmart and other places. The self-ballasted (read: large base) compact fluorescents should be fine for most people. If you really want to go with the more expensive ott-lite bulbs, JoAnn Fabrics has them on sale at times, too... check their web site for their online and in-store specials, though you'll need to sign up for their flyer (email or snail mail) to get the best coupons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pae Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 If you're going for an Ott-lite, check eBay. I've gotten both of mine there for about $30 each. They were the kind with a magnifier, and I've seen them in retail stores for about $100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaintByNumbers Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 Search the archives, there was a good discussion on this a few months ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springsnow Posted December 29, 2006 Author Share Posted December 29, 2006 Too bad i'm living in France so the Wal-Mart and such are not really an option, though i'm going to check ebay and online vendors.... As usual i really appreciate your feedback :) Digging so more into the archives now. Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrgunn Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 Dear All: I use two swing arm desk lamps with Sunalite CF-30 Sunwave® Full Spectrum Compact Fluorescent light bulbs I have had good luck ordering on-line with the following companies: http://www.1stoplighting.com/ http://www.sunalite.com/ Not sure about your situation in France. Regards, mRgUnN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redhandstudios Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 Huh...no Wal-Mart in France? I thought that Wally world had spread like a disease to all corners of the globe by now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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