New Studio

Linda Nelson · 01-27-2004, 11:22 AM

Thanks so much everyone for all the great information!!

This is all so helpful for my planning. Chris, I will check out the colors you mentioned. I can see how having a mid value room color would not only harness the ambient light, but also I am imagining that having a midvalue vs. a white wall would be better in that, when painting, the wall behind the easel (what you see peripherally while painting) would be more condusive - But I wasn't sure if in doing that you actually shift the color of the light in the room and risk how you paint because of it. So this really helps.

Thanks, Tim on the billiards example - I didn't know if one should light the whole room or have single controlled directional light.

Leslie, I have the same treat in my space - a pond off the back of the house with tons of fowl - it is a great reprieve for the eyes and soul!

Thanks again all!

Patricia Joyce · 11-01-2004, 04:54 PM

I am fortunate enough to be moving to a new townhouse my fiance is having built and one of the rooms on the second floor will be exclusively for my studio! You can imagine how ecstatic I am over this. While it is not a large room (10 x 12) is is more than I have now (a desk in my bedroom!). There are two northern windows and one window to the west. The room has vaulted ceilings and we are meeting with the builder tomorrow to decide where I may want a skylight.

Could any of you give me some suggestions as to the placement of the skylight? The "sides" of the roof line are direct west and direct east. I am sure it will be on the small side and I doubt it will have the mechanisms to open and close it to light, without a large upgrade cost (I will get that pricing tomorrow). Would it be simpler to opt out and just live with the three windows?

Thank you
Pat

Leslie Ficcaglia · 11-01-2004, 07:53 PM

Pat, we installed a skylight in our 10x20' bedroom when we added on to our house many years ago, and recently we explored ways of shutting out that light. Special shades which would be opaque were about $600, which seemed ridiculous to me, and instead we simply cut a piece of wood to size and affixed it to the bedroom ceiling section of the skylight frame with mirror fasteners. The room is a lot cooler and more pleasant that way in the summer, and I don't miss the extra light in the winter - although we could remove the wood if we chose. Because of this experience I didn't include a skylight in my studio when I built it, although we do have a lot of windows facing southwest, which is the view I see when I stand at my easel. That wall is almost solid windows on the ground floor, and there are two large windows on the same wall at the next level, so that you have a view from the loft as well. They're fine, but I think a skylight would have been too much.

I think a skylight would be too much for a 10x12' room, too. But that's just based on our experience.

Leslie

Kimberly Dow · 11-02-2004, 01:10 AM

Pat - Congrats on that - I can see why you'd be so excited! You'll be suprised at how fast you will fill it up with 'stuff'.

I cant help you on your question. I've had big studios, small studios, and just a coffee table for my studio - but never one where I had any control over the natural lighting - but good luck!

Allan Rahbek · 11-02-2004, 12:15 PM

Patricia,
I am in the process of changing my own studio. I had a giant west facing roof window/ skylight. But it did not function because of the sun shining in at the end of the day. It is impossible to evaluate values in too bright light.

Therefore I have now removed this skylight and instead I will put in a north light window. I am going to place it above the wall to get the light down in the room. The room includes two store's, it may be called high sealing.

I have experienced that it works fine for me if the light is not too strong, but steady.

So my advise would be to enlarging the two north windows, in the hight, as much as possible and leave out any skylight. That way you can blind the lower parts of the windows to get any lighting you want.

Rembrandt did that.

Allan

Linda Brandon · 11-02-2004, 12:17 PM

Pat, is there any way there could be enough space for photo shoots or life setups?

If there isn't, then I think you are mostly concerned with sufficient light to see reference photos, right?

Patricia Joyce · 11-02-2004, 01:02 PM

Kim, Leslie, Allan,
Well, I think my instincts are being confirmed. I am going to opt out of the skylight. I was afraid that if I could not control the light I would be running from the glare of strong light.

Allan, this is a townhouse and I have no control over the size of the north facing windows, unfortunately. However, I am pleased that their floor to top window height is at least 5 feet high. With a seated model this may work.

Linda, unfortunately, I think the only life drawing I can do in this 10 x 12 studio will be portrait, but not full figure. I will probably also be attempting portrait photo shoots, but again, not enough room for full figure. I am figuring that if I place a model next to the north facing window I will have a distance between the model and my easel of about 8 feet. Do you think this is enough??

Marvin Mattelson · 11-02-2004, 01:18 PM

Pat, eight feet is more than adequate distance for seated portraits. Even lees can work for head and shoulders. The question is, how far back can you stand from your easel? The general rule of thumb is that you should be able to step back approximately three times the diagonal measurement of your canvas.

We live in a less than perfect world but I'm offering the above guidelines for your consideration.

Remember, any size studio is better than none at all. The desire tp create art will provide an artist with the insight to adapt their work to best accommodate the space they have to do it in.

Allan Rahbek · 11-02-2004, 03:24 PM

[QUOTE=Patricia Joyce
Allan, this is a townhouse and I have no control over the size of the north facing windows, unfortunately. However, I am pleased that their floor to top window height is at least 5 feet high. With a seated model this may work.

Patricia,
I think the size of the windows are perfect. You even have the possibility of placing your model by one of the windows and your easel at the other. This is perfect.

Allan