Lighting Tips
Read these 12 Lighting Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Framed Art tips and hundreds of other topics.
Flood lights
Flood lights will give you the largest area of coverage. These are good to use if you have a large work of art to light.
What is Natural light?
The basic type of lighting would be natural light - the light that filters into your room from a window. If you have a lot of windows and the painting is not getting 'direct sunlight', this may be all you need. But remember, that in the evening your works of art will only be lit by the room lights.
Distance recessed or track light should be from the artwork
Recessed or track lights should be between 16 and 36 inches away from the wall they are going to light. The exact distance depends on the height of your ceilings and the size of your artwork.
What about picture lights?
Picture lights are the next step up from natural light. They usually attach to the back of the frame and are usually the least expensive way of adding additional light to your artwork.
Planing Ahead
If you are remodeling or building a room/home and you plan on acquiring artwork, make sure you take into account your lighting needs. It is much less expensive to do it before you finish your construction.
Works on paper
Ordinary household bulbs (incandescent or tungsten lights) contain negligible UV and are therefore recommended.
Spot Lights
A spot light does just what it says... lights a specific spot. These are good to use if you have a very small work of art you want to light. They can also be used in conjunction with a flood light... the flood washing the entire work while a spot is used to highlight a specific area.
Are track or recessed lighting good options?
Track, or recessed lighting is the best and allows you to use halogen bulbs, which create a pure white light and will bring out all the beauty of your artwork. But remember, that this is probably the most expensive way to light your artwork.
Can natural light hurt my artwork?
You never want to have the sunlight shine directly on your artwork for prolonged periods of time. It can cause the colors to fade.
Works on paper - Filters for lights
If you are going to use fluorescent or metal halogen lamps, you should buy a special UV filter to help block the damaging rays.
What type of light should I use?
Trial and error will tell you. Some works of art will look good without any additional light and some need a lot of light just to be seen. Each room is different and the same painting will need different amounts of light depending on which room it is placed in.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Lynda Moultry |
