Choosing A Light Bulb For Your Art Studio - Stan Prokopenko's Blog

31/5/2019 Choosing a Light Bulb for Your Art Studio | Stan Prokopenko's Blog
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The Short Version
If you’re not concerned with the technical jibber-jabber and just want to know what kind of
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light bulbs to get for your studio, here are the basics:
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Color Temperature – Measured in Kelvins or K. 5000K will give you a nice white light.
Categories
Classes (4)
Brightness – For a medium sized room, a total of 7000-8000 lumens is plenty. With a
Color (2)
compact fluorescent bulb (not incandescent), that is usually about 110-125 Watts.
Contests (1)
CRI Rating – The higher the better. Anything over 80 CRI is good.
Fundamentals (6)
Getting Started (6) Type - Go with compact fluorescent (CFL)
Growth (5)
topbulb.com and 1000Bulbs.com are great suppliers of bulbs. You can get the bulbs
Marketing (1)
specified above from them. They have a large selection of CFL’s and the pricing is very
News (1)
competitive. When choosing a bulb, make sure that you keep in mind the things I listed
Painting of (16)
above.
Photography (7)
Plein Air (4) And now for the technical stuff…
Portrait (23)
Reviews (4) Color Temperature
Tutorials (25)
Who Cares (3) The color temperature of the light bulb is extremely important. The color of the light that
illuminates the painting and the palette changes the visible hue, value and chroma of the
Recent Posts paint. Painting with a standard incandescent light bulb is like looking through a yellow filter.
www.stanprokopenko.com/blog/2009/06/choosing-light-bulb-art-studio/ 1/23
Draw Jack Skellington – It shifts all the paint colors towards yellow. Scientifically, color temperature is commonly
Halloween Special
measured using the Kelvin scale.
VIDEO – How to Draw Ears –
Anatomy and Structure
Kelvin Scale
VIDEO – How to Draw Lips –
Step by Step The color temperature of light is measured by comparing it to the color emitted by a black-
VIDEO – How to Draw Lips – body radiator heated to a specific temperature. A black-body radiator is a perfect emitter
Anatomy and Structure
and absorber of radiation that emits a different color when heated to different
VIDEO – How to Draw a Nose
– Step by Step temperatures. For example when carbon is heated to 10,000 degrees Kelvin it emits a blue
VIDEO – How to Draw a Nose color. When it is heated to 1800 degrees Kelvin, it emits a red color. This red color is
– Anatomy and Structure
equivalent to the color of candlelight. Thus, candlelight is assigned a color temperature of
VIDEO – How to Draw an Eye
– Step by Step
1800K.
6500K is commonly accepted as the

purest white light. It is equivalent to
sunlight passing through a cloud
which scatters the wavelengths to
make white light. Some consider
6500K to have a slightly bluish hue.
I prefer to paint under a 5000K
bulbbecause it’s still white, but a bit
closer to the yellow bulbs usually
used in galleries.A north lit studio is
popular among many artists, but I
think with today’s technology
supplementing the north light with
some artificial light is better. North
light is cooler, about 10,000K, and
odds are your gallery won’t be
lighting your artwork with such a
cool bulb. Transferring a painting
from a room lit by north light to a
room light by incandescent light changes its colors dramatically.
If you’re painting in a room with south facing windows, i recommend closing those windows
and adding artificial light (even though the color temperature of sun + sky is a nice white)
because you don’t want any direct sunlight. I explain more of this in How to Setup a
Painting Studio.
Brightness
The amount of light emitted is measured in lumens. For example a candle emits 12 lumens
and a 32 Watt Compact Fluorescent bulb emits 2000 lumens. CFL bulbs are much more
efficient in light output than incandescent bulbs. A 42 Watt CFL is equivalent to a 200 Watt
Incandescent bulb.
For a medium sized room, a total of 7000-8000 lumens is plenty. With a CFL, that is
usually about 110-125 Watts. It might be a good idea to get 2 or 3 bulbs totalling 7000
lumens and spread them around.
CRI
The Color Rendering Index measures how much of an effect the light has on the perceived
color of an object. The scale ranges from 1 to 100. A higher rating makes colors look
natural and vibrant while a low rating can completely change the hue of objects. A high CRI
alone does not mean colors will be accurate if the color temperature is extreme.
Incandescent bulbs for example have a perfect CRI of 100, but the extreme yellow light will
shift the colors.
When buying compact fluorescent bulbs look for a bulb with an 80 CRI value or higher.
Type
Incandescent Bulbs – Incandescent bulbs are too yellow and use up a lot of
energy.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) – Compact fluorescent bulbs have many

advantages. They come in a large range of color temperatures, they use less
energy, they are brighter, and last longer. These bulbs are eco-friendly and you
end up saving money in energy costs. Their only disadvantage is they take a
few minutes to fully light up, but the benefits are worth it.
To me, the choice is obvious. Compact Fluorescnt is cheaper, longer lasting, brighter, and
has better color control. If you haven’t made the switch yet, I’ve done some research and
topbulb.com and 1000Bulbs.com are great suppliers of all kinds of bulbs including CFLs.
Compatibility
Some sockets don’t support bulbs over a certain wattage. Double check to make sure the
bulb you choose is compatible with the socket. The great thing about Compact Fluorescent
Bulbs (CFL) is that they have very low wattage but are very bright. They are extremely
energy efficient. A 42W CFL is as bright as a 200W Incandescent bulb.
Light bulbs also come in a variety of screw in and plug in bases. Make sure to get the right
kind for your socket.
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Jason Soares
Posted August 13, 2009 at 9:09 am
Just bought 6 of item #FC40-S50OD for my studio. I double checked my

wattages and found out that they are a little bit low.
JS
Stan Prokopenko
Jason, are you sure they’re too low? You must have a really big studio. With 6
of those bulbs, you’ll have a total of 240 Watts (equivalent to 900 Watts
Incandescent) and 16,200 Lumens!
Jason Soares
Posted August 13, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Of course that would be the case. Lol! well I don’t intend to use them all at the
same time and in the same location. I have a lamp with 5 bulbs, with options
for turning on one, three, or five. There are cases which might call for all 5
operating simultaneously, since this one lamp is lighting my whole garage.
Don’t worry man!!
(Also, I would have bought 5, but 6 was cheaper due to their price break at 6
bulbs.)
charles santopadre
Posted September 8, 2009 at 1:13 pm
I’m a artist and I need the best bulb I can buy for over my model stand
Stan Prokopenko
Charles – I’m not sure what you mean by ‘best’. It depends on what you want.
Do you want a bright bulb or more muted? Warm or cool? Let me know what
your looking for and I can recommend a specific bulb for you.
Evelyn
Posted February 4, 2010 at 9:32 am
Wow, thank you so much for this article. Feel I have become very clear on the
lighting details and options for my new studio space.
Called 1000Bulbs.com after becoming familiar with their site and they were
helpful!
Thanks again,
Evelyn
Evelyn
Hello Stanislav,
(One of my favorite people Stanislav Grof)
New Studio space is aprox. 7′x8′ corner of building 2nd floor – divided
between 4 artists. Mine being the south-east corner of the room. Ceilings are
at least 20′ high and the eastern windows and south facing wall make up my
corner. There are windows all along the North – Eastern corner of the room. I
will have the Northern light diffused from the other end of the room 10′
distance from my painting space.
My thought is to purchase a Verilux Heritage Deluxe Floor Lamps

27watts — What are you recommendations for this space? Over head track
lighting is also a possibility I have considered as well. May have someone who
is knowledgeable to install them, do you think a track of three would be
efficient for my space? Will be painting mostly during daytime hours, however
would like to keep light consistent, ellimianting glare and reflection.
Also, on a different note, was thinking to purchase a 4 panel divider to for my

shyness. However I was thinking that If I purchase a white one 6′ high
(moveable, Marupa 3-panel screen w/adjustable shutter blinds) ?This may
help contain my source of light from the floor lamp ~ although it could block
some of my Northern light too?? It may cut the direct light out as I would be
getting plenty from above with the extemely high ceilings??
What are you thoughts and thank you

Evelyn
Stan Prokopenko
Posted February 4, 2010 at 7:55 pm
Evelyn,
First, I don’t think the 27 Watts lamp will be nearly enough. If you paint
during the day, the lamp probably won’t even make a difference. I would go
with the track lighting. 3 compact flourescnet bulbs of 40 watts (150W Equal)
is enough in case you paint into the early evening.
Which way will your easel be facing? If you face it towards the north wall, you
will need a divider to prevent glare from the north windows (unless the
windows are above eye-level. are they?). maybe this will do the job:
http://tinyurl.com/yhywoak .
Evelyn
Thank you
russ
Posted April 22, 2010 at 1:04 pm
hi
i have low ceilings and have a ridiculous glare problem (i’m working in a
garage) i’ve tried all sorts of arrangements as far as shuffling the lights
around, and I have 5000k bulbs
any suggestions?
Stan Prokopenko
russ, are you using an easel or a tabletop?
russ
i installed some gallery style walls – so I’m using those
Stan Prokopenko
Posted May 4, 2010 at 8:24 am
russ – not sure what you mean.. I was wondering if you used an easel or
tabletop to hold the painting.
what do you use the gallery walls for?
if you’re using a table then you shouldn’t have any lights above you. If you’re
using an easel, then the lights should be above your painting. Maybe try
directing the lights towards the walls to create more bounce light and less
direct light.
Let us know what you end up doing!
Dennis Sweatt
Posted September 20, 2010 at 11:53 am
I have three lamps on my art desk. Two florescent and one natural light
incandescent. But I still can’t get the hard shadows from around my clear
triangle ruler.
http://sweattshop-graphic-artist.blogspot.com
Hernie Vann
Posted November 13, 2010 at 2:32 pm
I have a studion about 12×12 with 5 track lights that use R30 bulbs. I notice
that on some paintings when I take them outside the painting seems washed
out or lacking in color, in the studion it looks fine. what do you recommend?.
There is a Chromalux Full Spectrum bulbs that I can purchase from
Jerrysartarama.com, I have never used them. At present I am using GE
Reveal 65 indoor floodlight. It is suppose to be a daylight spectrum light.
Thanks….Hernie Vann
Peter Barker
Posted January 31, 2011 at 7:41 am
Hi Stanislav,
I thought I was on my own – I have two 55w fluorescent tubes in my studio

and tried the ’6500k ‘daylight’ and found them WAY too blue. I settled on
5400k and found them near perfect.
I also bought a Professional Easel Lamp which comes with a 6500k 18w CFL
tube as standard – again I found it too blue and substituted with a 5400k 18w
tube. Contacted the manufacturer and I’m the only one who has commented
on that.
Would be interested to hear anyone else’s thoughts.
Regards,
Peter
Graham
Posted May 27, 2011 at 6:13 pm
very informative
Christine Ballo
Posted July 25, 2011 at 8:02 pm
It is a very good site. I am struggling with space, because I am forced to paint

in my cramped bedroom. I have a studio at the side of the house, but because
I live in the tropics, I am forced to relocate when the strong rains and winds
arrive. Your info on north light and artificial lighting will help me in the long
run . Thanks!
Sharona Brown
Hey Stan!
I will be building a new studio soon and came across your lighting info. JUST
what I was looking for! Is this still the latest greatest info for studio lighting? I
will be able to have northern light and coming from above-ish. I am so ready,
as you are exactly right about the glare from any other light affecting the
painting.
Thanks and hope all is good!,
Sharona
carolyn
I am about to try to set up a studo in a room 8×10 with a window in the

middle of the east facing wall but now much light comes thru the window
because of bushes ousidel.. Ceilingi only about 8,- 81/2 high. i work on large
eael but also o the floor Franenthaer style. What lighting would yu sugget.
would like to use track lights but where should they be place in relation to the
easel and the area of the floor i will use // thank you.
carolyn
I am about to try to set up a studo in a room 8×10 with a window in the

middle of the east facing wall but not much light comes thru the window
because of bushes ousidel.. Ceilingis only about 8,- 81/2 high. i work on large
easel but also on the floor Frankenthaler style. What lighting would yu
suggest. would like to use track lights but where should they be place in
relation to the easel and the area of the floor i will use // thank you.
kerry
I need some help picking out lighting for my easel. I like the info on the bulbs
but what is a good lighting fixture that would be portable? I just finished
setting up my studio and can’t believe everything is in one place. Thaaaanks
for the help, K
arni
Posted July 10, 2012 at 8:58 am
Hello, Thanks so much for your very helpful site.
I use a stand-alone lamp that I bought at Daniel Smith’s with a Chromulux

150W, 120V, but I often find that the light is a bit glaring from this. I end up
switching between overhead and this lamp off and on and moving my
paintings around the room (basement w/ southern exposure) and upstairs to
see them in different lighting. … I have turned my canvas away from the
windows as you’ve suggested here, but don’t believe I have yet found
optimum lighting for working. I haven’t yet tried the CFL’s in the overhead
recessed lighting. Wondering if the CFL’s will work in recessed can overhead
lighting fixtures. I believe their maximum wattage is 60. Do you recommend
the 40W CFLs for these?
Stan Prokopenko
Arni, “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.” That means a total of 110-125 watts, weather you do that with 1 bulb
or split it between 5 smaller ones. Depends on what your fixtures can
handle/fit.
CFL bulbs go beyond 60w. Check out this post:

http://www.stanprokopenko.com/blog/2009/07/105-watt-cfl/
carolyn
thank you. Great site!
Sally Lyon
Very helpful article… I’m in the process of getting a new studio finished, it has
a large north light opening (sliding glass door) a regular sized east window
and small south and west windows, I was planning on blocking the south
window and maybe the west… so this was helpful, what do you think? I’ve
been using an Ott light in my present studio along with 2 full spectrum tubular
florescent lights… I really like the CFL Ott lights and was planning on using
more in the new studio, what do you think?… My big question is how do you
suggest lighting my paintings there (for openings etc.) ? So far the galleries
I’ve checked with use Halogen (the higher wattage ones) or what they called
“regular ones”
PS my studio is approximately 14′ x 24′ and from back to front (the 14′
measurement) the ceiling starts at 7′ and ends up at about 10′ high… the
higher ceiling is on the north side.
ron mitchell
Posted October 13, 2012 at 7:22 am
Thanks for a very interesting and useful article. I’ve just completed my studio
and the lighting has been a nightmare. I’m extremely busy and often work
beyond daylight hours. Although, I have windows facing north, I shutter the
windows and use artificial light so that I can have consistency from start to
finish. After reading this article I’ve gained a lot more insight into lighting and
I’m currently using 6 5000k cfl’s which seem not only comfortable on the eye
but also and most importantly, when I take my work out of the studio, the
colours look OK in every room situation.
The problem which I have yet to solve is the perceived false reading of opacity
in artificial light. For example, when I paint larger areas (in oils) the coverage
appears OK in the studio, however when I look at those areas in different light
types, especially natural, it is often the case that the paint has not covered as
well as I thought and that a second coat is required. Any help on this problem
would be welcomed.
Craig
Posted October 15, 2012 at 10:52 pm
Hey……. your chart is pretty far off on the Kelvin colors…….I have a Degree in
Lighting and photography and our company has some very great” hands on
experience” in Lighting many art Galleries in La Jolla and San Diego……. for art
Galleries or anywhere you want Neutral White light you are going to want a
4200 K Light……. 5000 K actually apprears Blue to 99.9 percent of
people…..6500 K is very blue 3800 and below starts getting soft white then
down to residential yellowish soft……… its very noticeable in an all white
gallery the company i work for carries a wide selection of LED perfect Neutral
Lights specifically for Galleries including par 20 par 30 par 38 Mr16 and even
Gu10 gu24;s all in WW or Neutral white and soft white…. there really is no
reason anymore for anyone to want the God aweful CFL or blueish white lights
now that nex gen LED is available in Neutral white let me know if i can help
and good luck
Lorraine Sherry
Thank you, the info I was looking for. With a day job, I find, I can only really
work on my art at weekends because of lighting.
Anders Hoveland
Many of us artists have seen the green glow of the hardware store CFL, and
wince. What we should be asking is, “What is this doing to my artwork?”
My wife’s an artist and illustrator. One night several years ago, she was up late
working on a contest submission. To help her work at night, I gave her a “full-
spectrum” Ott-Lite. “Just paint with this. It’ll be like sunlight!” After working
through the night, Lorna woke up the next morning to find that the painting
that had looked good under that light looked quite pink in the light of day. Like
many CFL-based sources, this “full-spectrum” light had accentuated the greens
in her paint, and she’d managed to compensate by mixing her paint in the
opposite direction, a sort of orange/pink color.
For many color-sensitive jobs, CFLs, LEDs, and other new light sources are
proving difficult to work with. And for others they just don’t look right. For the
past few years, we wondered how do we do this right? How do we pick the
right color temperature? How do we find full-spectrum lights that are actually
good enough? And why do even 90CRI lights look a little strange sometimes?
While you might think that a 2700K incandescent light causes color
distortions, it does so in a consistent way, which your eye can compensate for.
Why do “whites” look about the same at different times of day, even though
the actual colors vary quite a lot? The “von Kries hypothesis” explains this,
suggesting that the three receptors in the eye can change their “gain” in
different environments in order to compensate for different lighting conditions.
CFL’s and other sources distort colors in a way that your eye doesn’t easily fix,
for instance by creating “spikes” of extra green that distort particular colors.
Apart from natural sunlight, the best light source available for painting or
viewing art today are from SoLux, which is just a halogen incandescent with a
unique coating formulation. These bulbs have a 98 CRI at 5000K CCT.
There do exist some fluorescent tubes that actually are full spectrum, such as
“truelite full spectrum” spectrum brand. But you have to be cautious: most of
the fluorescent tubes that claim to be “full spectrum” are really not, and are
likely to mess up your artwork if subtle color differences are important.
alan rawlinson
Posted November 2, 2012 at 10:59 am
First class – direct, informative etc Just what I needed!
Eileen
Thanks, Stan. This information is extremely helpful. I can’t wait to set up my

studio.
Dana
As i am starting to put together an art studio in my home, I found the lighting

info fascinating, and my husband works in the field of lighting so it was fun for
a discussion. It was quite helpful!
Mayette
Thank you for this information! It’s super helpful.
I don’t have a full-on art studio, but I’d like to set up a nice work space in my
apartment. It’s going to be along one wall of a 12′ x 9′ish living room. I’m
actually hoping to DIY a cage pendant light that I can turn on when I need it
for sketching/painting.
What kind of bulb do you think would be sufficient for a smaller area like this?
Stan Prokopenko
Posted March 1, 2013 at 11:43 am
you need exactly what I described above. Here’s a link. 1 is probably enough,
2 would be better:
http://1000bulbs.com/category/400-watt-equal-compact-fluorescents-5000K/
Mark P
Thanks for the post on lighting as this may be one of the most neglected areas
of concern to the artist. I have a somewhat particular concern as I am a bit
color blind (though not uncommon in males) but also my retinas are a bit
damaged through years of working outside, on roofs mostly with sheet metal
glare reflecting back to my eyes while welding!!! At any rate, due to this I
believe the average fluorescent lighting leaves whites with a pronounced blue
tinge and does same to the yellow spectrum as well. Deep blue mass tones
could be green or deep brown for all I know. I have found that a very high
quality incandescent is what works for me. The Chromalux 3 way frosted
100watt is my choice now. I would say that for those who are trying to find
good lighting options to look online or in specialized lighting catalogs as what
is sold in box stores like Home Depot and Wall Mart won’t do. The “full
spectrum” advertised bulbs, if you look at the stats, don’t reflect a full
spectrum at all and are generally only 80 at most though usually less. Even if
it cost a bit more I would suggest paying a higher premium/shipping fee for a
quality light bulb..concern for eye fatigue alone is reason enough to seek out
good lighting.
That’s my rant/info. Thanks for the blog info and drawing vids Stan.
Jane Roskamp
Posted April 2, 2013 at 11:36 am
I have put my art room in the basement. I am wondering what kind of lighting
to get . The room measures 118″ by 20’9″ ,6’10″ ,high , with one short south
(high) window. I will be glad to hear any of your ideas. Jane
Stan Prokopenko
The same setup with artificial lights that I described in the article will be fine.
You can setup on one end of the room. The other end might need more lights
of you really need the whole room lit..
Stan Prokopenko
Thank you Mark. The Chromalux bulbs got some pretty bad reviews. I haven’t
tried them myself but others say the color is yellow, they get way too hot, and
they’re too dim. Have you experienced the same issues?
Marla
Thanks for sharing your experience. I am researching solutions to upgrade my

lighting and will try the CFL’s only I’m going to try the flood which comes in
5000K. I did find that buying the bulbs via Amazon is the same price but
cheaper shipping. And it appears that if you buy 6 (instead of 1-4) at the
same time the shipping is reduced by half.
I’m trying to light a 9′ x 10′ basement space. I do have south facing windows
which get late afternoon sun in the winter but direct light is masked by
vegetation the rest of the year. How many lights will I need?
Rafael
I’m working on biological illustrations (animals & plants) and I need colours to
be accurate. I’ve been strugling with the bulb issue for ages, as under natural
daylight the work I’ve been doing during the previous night seems to have
colours that are a bit too bright. I work on a table with a desk lamp just
hanging above my work. I use guache and watercolours. What kind of bulb
would you advice? I’m based in the UK. Great webpage! Many thanks in
advance.
Stan Prokopenko
How many depends on the brightness of each. With your size room you can
get exactly what I described in this post
Karen Gonzalez
Hi – Thank you for this article. It is the clearest explanation of lighting I have
found on the internet. I do have a question – I am looking for a lamp to go
over my art desk/table. I don’t need lighting for an entire studio. What do you
recommend?
Stan Prokopenko
I would get a table lamp that allows you to screw in a 35 Watt CFL (with same
specs as I described above)
Anelize
Hi Stan!
First of all, I am very impressed with your knowledge and art work. Thank you
for offering advise on lighting. I do agree that lighting is very important for
artists.
I would like to have an art studio in my home’s garage. There is no other

lighting but the one provided by two 100 Watt incandescent bulbs on the
ceiling. If the garage door is up, the light comes from the south.
What are your suggestions for adequate lighting?
The walls are 10′ tall.
I would like to use the space for teaching art lessons (drawing, painting,
design) to students.
What kind of light bulbs/track light would give proper lighting? How far away
would you recommend to have the light bulbs installed from the wall? Should
it be more centered or more toward one side of the garage (the other wall is
storage space)?
I’m looking forward to your advice! Thank you.
Anelize
Stan Prokopenko
Anelize, if its just you in the garage then add a lamp with bulbs as I described
in this tutorial. If its a classroom, you’d need more bulbs and have them
spread around the room so all the students get light. How much, is hard to
say. If in doubt, get more bulbs..
Anelize
Stan,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I found your web site last night and didn’t
get to read everything you posted.
I am going to read your tutorial now. If I have any more questions, I hope you
won’t mind me asking.
Thank you,
Anelize
Anelize
Stan, I’m reading your other tutorial, the “How to setup a painting studio”
tutorial. I think I might have more questions.
1) Where did you purchase your tripod lamp? I think having two of those, for
the beginning, would provide very good lighting in my garage art studio.
My home’s garage square footage is 340.345 sqft. It’s length is 21.5 ft and it’s
width is 15.83 ft. The walls are 9.79 in height.
I would like to have a couple of easels and a couple of tables. 2) From where
do you buy your art supplies?
I would also like to have a stand for a computer and for a power point player.
That the power point screen would be mounted on the north facing wall.
3) How many bulbs and of what color temperature, brightness and CRI?
4) Can I replace those 100 watt incandescent bulbs with the CFL bulbs? 5)
Should I leave them where they are to have a variation in light brightness and
spectrum?
6) What do you think about the Philips TL-D 90 Graphica Pro Triphosphor 4′ T8
36 Watt Fluorescent Tube 36W ?
7) Are you suggesting there is no need to use the track lighting?
Many thanks for finding time to respond.
Anelize
Anelize
Stan,
You don’t have to answer question number 1). I found your answer to it.
Thank you.
Anelize
Betty
Thank you very much for the above information. I have been searching all
over to find what lighting to put in my art studio. I teach children and adults to
paint and my lighting isn’t strong enough. I want brighter, “happier” light. I
now know where to start. I thank you very much.
Ira_S
Wattage does not really have much to do with quality of light. CFLs and LEDs
are both low wattage light sources and they are great. (about 50-75
lumens/watt)
Miroslav Antich
Hi Stan,
I just wanted to thank you for this wonderfully helpful article! I am about to
finish building my new studio and looking for proper lighting was beginning to
drive me crazy until I found your piece. Thank you very much!
Best, Miroslav
P.S. Any thoughts on best places to buy the lights and fixtures at?
Stan Prokopenko
I get lighting equipment at these 3 websites:
amazon.com
bhphotovideo.com
1000bulbs.com
Rafael
It’s a lot of useful info in your site. However, I can’t find an objective answer
for my above question. Any suggestions?
Many thanks.
Rafael
Caroline
This is wonderful information about lighting, but I’m confused.
I am seeking a ceiling fixture (replacing one 60W incandescent fixture) for

north facing studio, one window, wall design and flat table design (fabric and
watercolor) in 9′ x 10′ studio.
If a 13W CFL bulb equals the standard 60W incandescent bulb, the CFL equals
2700K (Kelvin) and 800L (Lumen). Even with two or three CFL bulbs, the
Kelvin is good but the Lumens are not high enough to match the suggested
information (7000-8000 Lumens).
I have only looked at CFL flush mount fluorescent fixtures.
Any suggestion as to the type of fixture that would give me the suggested
Kelvin and Lumen?
Thank you for your time.

Best,
Caroline
Stan Prokopenko
A few 13w CFLs will be dim. Perfect for a bedroom but not for a studio. I like
my studio brightly lit to see everything better and prevent straining my eyes. I
suggest getting a few 40W CFLs.
They will probably be too large for your ceiling fixture. You’ll need to get a
floor lamp. I’ve been using one of these from target:
http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-5-head-floor-lamp-includes-cfl-
bulb/-/A-12242007#prodSlot=medium_2_52
I like that the arms can be positioned to point in any direction. So you can
point a few at the painting and a few at the palette.
Ally V
Hey Stan, I appreciate the information. I’ve got a question as I’m a little
confused. My entire room won’t be a studio, its just a little corner designated
for my easel and my paintings. If I were to buy a floor lamp to have beside
the painting, how much wattage would be necessary? I was looking into
buying this one but I don’t if it’ll be enough.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Electric-42-Watt-200W-Daylight-Twist-CFL-
Light-Bulb-ESL40TN-D/203252142#specifications
Stan Prokopenko
You would need a few of those. I like my studio brightly lit to see everything
better and prevent straining my eyes.
I’ve been using one of these floor lamps from target that hold many bulbs:
http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-5-head-floor-lamp-includes-cfl-
bulb/-/A-12242007#prodSlot=medium_2_52
I like that the arms can be positioned to point in any direction. So you can
point a few at the painting and a few at the palette.
Caroline
Stan – Thank you for sending the link to that 5-Head Floor Lamp from Target.
I live in WA and still have close friends in CA. I tracked down the lamp in CA,
as WA and OR are out of stock, item not sold online, and they don’t know if it
will ever return to the WA and OR stores. The item was purchased yesterday.
And, thank you for creating an awesome web site!

Best,
Caroline
Susan Herwald
My Drawing table faces a white wall with a N facing 32″wide &52″long size
window that is at the end of the table on my right side. To my left where I sit
is the beginning of a South window 39″ wide. I have a typical 3 bulb ceiling
fan fixture not directly above me. I work at the table, doing watercolor, oil
pastel and drawings. I have limited space. What do you suggest? I can turn
the table so the window N is behind me and the S window on my right.
However it will be a bit cramped.
Thank you,Susan
Stan Prokopenko
I suggest getting a floor lamp that holds 3-5 cfl bulbs so that you can add light
in addition to the window light. And you can work at night.
Bango
Posted November 7, 2013 at 10:38 am
What software do you use to overlay the lines and circles that are animated in
your videos?
Michaelburhael
A good post and true that halogen bulbs are much better then the
conventional bulbs
Sue Merrill
Stan, I’m impressed by your art lighting expertise and your helpful blog. I just
purchased from Target the light fixture you recommended, the Room
Essentials 5-Head Floor Lamp which requires 5 X 40 watt maximum standard
bulbs OR 5 X 13 watt maximum CFL bulbs. I bought the 5 thirteen watt bulbs
to use with it. Will this be enough light for me to paint at my art desk at night
? Will these bulbs, when used all together, create the optimum 7 to 8000
lumens? If so I’ll keep the lamp.
I see that lighting an art studio is a complex subject. One of your bloggers,
Craig, recommended using the SoLux halogen incandescent bulbs used by
many of the finest art museums and galleries because they are more like
natural daylight. What do you think of them? How do they compare with the
CFL bulbs? Then another blogger recommended Nex gen LED bulbs. What do
you think of them and how do they compare with the two other types of
lighting? I’m stymied and would really appreciate your sage advice. Thanks.
Laurel Boeck
Posted December 17, 2013 at 10:00 am
Hi Stan
What light would you put into a models light to light the model in a class room
setting?
Do you have a best case set up?
Thank you
Laurel
Stan Prokopenko
Laurel, usually incandescent are used to light models in a school since CFL
take a few minutes to warm up to their full brightness. Also, you don’t have to
use 5000k to light the model unless you want a white light. Typically a warmer
bulb will be used to light the model. The light on the model does not have to
match the light on your artwork. If you’re painting, the light on your canvas
should match the light on your palette, but the subject can be lit however it
looks best.
Stan Prokopenko
Sue, 5x 13 watts will probably not be enough… If you read those requirements
from the lamp instructions, keep in mind its not intended for an art studio, but
a living room or bedroom. The brightness the recommend is to get a cozy
feeling. But for an art studio you want way more light… I put 5x 40 watt CFL
bulbs in mine..
I can’t comment on the SoLux or Next gen LED because I haven’t personally
used them. But if museums use them I’m sure they’ll be just fine..
Stan Prokopenko
adobe after effects
Caroline Seibert
Questions: I am having a 16′ x 16′studio attached to the house. I paint and

make quilts, so I work on a wall (paint and design quilts) and a flat surface
(6′X 6.66′).
After reading the lighting information, it seems that two 4′ fluorescent

fixtures, with 2 bulbs (40W – 2200 lumins) each, will give me 8800 lumins
hung side by side over the flat surface. Home Depot sells Sylvania Full
Spectrum fluorescent bulbs online. Is that ample?
As for the wall, a surface no more than 8′tall x 7′ wide, I’m considering track
lighting. Do you or anyone else have any suggestions for the lighting fixture
and its bulbs for the wall and any additional information for the flat surface?
Thank you, much appreciated

Caroline
Stan Prokopenko
Yup that sounds like it would be enough.
Sorry I haven’t worked with track lighting. You should ask some gallery
owners.
Justine
Posted March 24, 2014 at 4:22 pm
Hi. I am highly impressed by your work. I will surely recommend your website
to my friends for their upcoming wedding.
Sid Moore
Very good information. Thanx!
What about florescent ceiling lights (you know, the four-foot tubes)? Looks as
though the 4′ Phillips T8 32-Watt Natural (5000K) bulbs would be a good, all-
around, choice. What do you think?
Stan Prokopenko
Haven’t used it, but it looks like a great bulb
Carolyn Walker Taylor

Thank you VERY much for this resource. I am looking for adequate studio
lighting, and often end up painting in the living-dining room area of our house
instead of in my studio, because the entire outside wall of this area is mostly
floor-to ceiling windows. As you noted above, this is hardly ideal for painting. I
was at the Portrait Society of America’s conference last weekend and heard
Scott Burdick and Susan Lyon talking about “Table top Lighting” where they
buy their portable fixtures. I can’t find that source for some reason, but will
look at the two websites you mention. My studio is fairly small, and
periodically I paint right in client’s homes (mostly portraits), so I need
something portable. Thanks again for your information!
RS
Hey, great site. Loads of informative stuff. Thanks for putting so much work
into it. What kind of softbox kit do you use for your 85w cfl’s? Thanks! RS
Michele S
Loved your article. You cut through all the tons of information and simplified it.
I’m getting married to an artist and plan to surprise him my turning a
bedroom into a studio.
Will you simplify lighting even more? The room is 9 x 12 feet with a northern
window. There is no light in the room except for a lamp.
Should I have an electrician install lighting in the ceiling? If so, what type of
fixture and how many? Should I get some lamps too or get floor lamps instead
of the ceiling? What bulbs should be in each lamp?
I appreciate any help you can provide me. The project will start in two weeks,
and I need to get things ready. I’m hoping to do this as a surprise to my
future husband.
Michele
Stan Prokopenko
Michele, you can have lights installed on the ceiling or use floor lamps. Both
options can work. It depends on the artist’s preference. Since it’s a surprise,
maybe just do floor lamps and then install ceiling lights if he wants it.
For floor lamps, get one that allows 3-4 bulbs in it. Get the bulb specs that I
described in this article
Vanessa barnard
hi wondered if u could help me I have a small room with French doors going
out to west view only no more windows.I also have a bigger room with
windows looking towards East. Which of the two rooms do u think wound
came out better if I buy some bulbs. or is their kind of mirror trick I could do
to diffuse light.
Stan Prokopenko
Posted February 9, 2017 at 3:49 pm
They both sounds very similar. I would probably just choose the bigger room
and setup lamps to make the light perfect.
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Just bought 6 of item #FC40-S50OD for my studio. I double checked my

(One of my favorite people Stanislav Grof)

My thought is to purchase a Verilux Heritage Deluxe Floor Lamps

Also, on a different note, was thinking to purchase a 4 panel divider to for my

What are you thoughts and thank you

russ, are you using an easel or a tabletop?

i installed some gallery style walls – so I’m using those

what do you use the gallery walls for?

Let us know what you end up doing!

I thought I was on my own – I have two 55w fluorescent tubes in my studio

Would be interested to hear anyone else’s thoughts.

It is a very good site. I am struggling with space, because I am forced to paint

I am about to try to set up a studo in a room 8×10 with a window in the

I am about to try to set up a studo in a room 8×10 with a window in the

Hello, Thanks so much for your very helpful site.

I use a stand-alone lamp that I bought at Daniel Smith’s with a Chromulux

CFL bulbs go beyond 60w. Check out this post:

thank you. Great site!

First class – direct, informative etc Just what I needed!

Thanks, Stan. This information is extremely helpful. I can’t wait to set up my

As i am starting to put together an art studio in my home, I found the lighting

Thank you for this information! It’s super helpful.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am researching solutions to upgrade my

I would like to have an art studio in my home’s garage. There is no other

I’m looking forward to your advice! Thank you.

7) Are you suggesting there is no need to use the track lighting?

Many thanks for finding time to respond.

I get lighting equipment at these 3 websites:

This is wonderful information about lighting, but I’m confused.

I am seeking a ceiling fixture (replacing one 60W incandescent fixture) for

I have only looked at CFL flush mount fluorescent fixtures.

Thank you for your time.

Posted October 3, 2013 at 12:00 pm

And, thank you for creating an awesome web site!

Posted October 22, 2013 at 10:02 am

adobe after effects

Questions: I am having a 16′ x 16′studio attached to the house. I paint and

After reading the lighting information, it seems that two 4′ fluorescent

Thank you, much appreciated

Posted March 15, 2014 at 9:52 am

Yup that sounds like it would be enough.

Very good information. Thanx!

Haven’t used it, but it looks like a great bulb

Carolyn Walker Taylor

Copyright © Stan Prokopenko 2019

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