Artificial lighting

Marvin Mattelson · 06-09-2004, 08:54 PM

I use the Lowel Light Array (http://www.lowel.com/lightarray/) which I purchased at B&H Photo in NY. It's attached to the wall using a Bogen wall mounted boom arm (http://www.bogenimaging.us/product/t...=229&itemid=50) also purchased at B&H. You can see the pictures below.

I use this primarily to illuminate my canvas since the overall effect is very soft. I usually rig sheets to block the light from hitting the model and put a separate light on the model. I use 18 inch Lumichrome bulbs in a smaller fixture. A smaller fixture gives sharper shadow edges.

The Light Array illuminates my photo reference as well as my painting.

The color changes very little from day to night since the color temperature of the Lumichrome bulbs is closly matched to north daylight. As I mentioned earlier during the warmer months trees outside of my north window block the skylight so I really depend on these lights.

Garth Herrick · 06-10-2004, 12:28 AM

Marvin:

Your Lowel Light Array is awesome, and I am jealous! Someday .......

In the meantime, please allow me to share my poor man's alternative for those portrait artists on a tight budget:

I purchased a set of four 4 foot T-8 lamps from Just Normlicht in Bristol, PA.http://www.just.de/us/shop/shop.asp?...tstoffr%F6hren

They are 98 CRI, 5000 K, 36 watts, and in my humble opinion, quite good at color rendering; at any rate, the best flourescent lamps available. The set is priced at $119.00. T-8 lamps are brighter and more efficient than the fatter T-12 lamps, and have zero flicker and hum.

To run these lamps one needs two dual T-8 lamp fixtures available from Home Depot, each at $27.00 and change.

To mount these, I got a $5.00 1 x 12 x 4 foot board, and some 2 x 4's, also from Home Depot. I also picked up some electrical wire, 2 wall switches and a plug to fit a standard electrical outlet; all very cheap.

For the first time, I have daylight at night.

Garth

Kent Curole · 06-10-2004, 09:32 AM

Thank You Marvin and Garth

This is exactly the information I was looking for. Priceless info! Great photos to show your usage. Now my only concern will be mounting and placement so it's off to the drawing board.

Thanks Again,

Kent

Holly Snyder · 06-10-2004, 10:23 AM

Last week I set up a light fixture basically identical to Garth's. I bought 2 electronic ballasted strip lights (one from Home Depot for $29 and one from Lowe's at $25). The reason for two different ones is that I had bought one, found that there was a still a slight hum, so I tried a different manufacturer. As it turns out, they both have the same Sylvania ballast. I tried unscrewing the ballast and putting a little piece of rubber gasket between the ballast and metal housing, but it didn't seem to make a difference. In any case, the hum is very low, and I certainly can't hear it when playing music.

Anyway, I mounted them on a white melamined 1' x 4' board. Rather than wiring up in the ceiling, I hid the 2 cords in the plastic sheath you can see in the photo extended down from the lights. They plug in to an outlet strip mounted low on the wall beneath the ceiling to floor windows. I also clamped the power cords in a metal "clamp combination connector" mounted in a hole drilled out in the bottom of metal light housing, so when the cords are pulled they don't rub against the sharp metal housing and cut the cord.

At the top of the fixture is a white curtain rod. I bought a clear 2' x 4' acrylic sheet, the kind that goes under any home fluorescent lights. I plan on velcroing the top of the sheet, as well as the curtain rod, so I can hang the sheet in front of the lights. Although I haven't tried it yet, I can use this to diffuse the light if I have a model and it happens that the light is glaring in their eyes. As with Marvin, I also have a setup for installing curtains to completely block the light on the model and light the model separately.

I bought four T8, 32 watt, 4 foot lumichrome lamps, two are 5000K (96 CRI) and two are 6500K (98 CRI). Kent, the Home Depot and Lowe's electronic ballasted fixtures can handle a max of 32 watts. Garth I wish I'd heard about the Just Normlicht lights earlier. However the lumichromes were a little cheaper, they were $66.80 from http://www.truesun.com including shipping.

I'm pretty happy with the set up so far.

Holly

Marvin Mattelson · 06-10-2004, 10:32 AM

Kent- Lumichrome

Holly Snyder · 06-10-2004, 10:44 AM

Marvin,

I couldn't decide on which ones to get, so I got both. The 6500K are bluer and the 5000K are redder. I'm not sure which I like better, but I'm leaning towards the 5000K Originally I thought I'd only need two lights (one fixture), but then with the four lights I decided to use two fixtures. So far I've been painting with both fixtures on, basically mixing the light color. The extra light is wonderful.

I should get around to posting the spectrums of each using the diffraction grating method pretty soon.

Holly

Joan Breckwoldt · 06-26-2004, 10:33 AM

After another solid week of rain here in Houston I must do something about providing light in my 'studio'.

Holly and Garth, it looks like you're both using the same T-8 light fixtures from Home Depot (and one from Loew's for you Holly) but Garth, you mentioned your doesn't hum, but Holly, your light fixtures do.

The light tubes themselves wouldn't cause the humming, would they? As I understand it, it's the ballast in the fixture that may cause humming.

I don't listen to music when I paint, or anything else, so I would prefer to find a quiet set up.

Does anybody have an explanation as to why some light fixtures hum and some don't?

Thanks!

Joan

Marvin Mattelson · 06-10-2004, 09:59 AM

Garth, I've never heard of this brand of light. I checked out the website but didn't see the CRI published anywhere. You'd think that such a high CRI would be a major selling point.

I've tried other brands of 5000 K bulbs in the past and found them to be too yellow compared to the north light that enters my studio. That was always a big problem for me, the discrepancy. The Lumichrome bulbs I use are a much better match for my purposes, weighing in at 6500 K as well as having a 98 CRI.

I like the Light Array on the boom arm because I can swing it around and change position. I can vary the distance and angle because of the boom arm. This is helpful because I can move it to avoid glare on my painting.

The main selling point for me, however, was the fact it has an electric ballast which means that the lights don't flicker, a big plus while doing hours upon hour of scrutinizing my canvas. A "normal" fluorescent shop fixture has a magnetic ballast which can lead to eye fatigue, I've been told.

My T8 Lumichrome bulbs are specifically designed for an electric ballast.