What lamp is best for painting (UK)?

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sillyface

Member
Hi,

I'm having difficulty trying to find a reasonably priced lamp that would be ideal for painting .
I was going to get a day-light bulb for a standard lamp, but these are expensive and blow easily.

I'm now thinking of an LED lamp solution.

Any ideas before I paint my soldiers pink rather than red?
 
nels0nmac

nels0nmac

Member
Not sure about necessarily the best, but the one that I use is a magnifier lamp from Maplins.. currently on offer at £19.99.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=47980&C=Froogle&U=47980&T=Module

Spare bulbs for this are £6.99 and worth getting one at the same time if you can. Not because the bulbs blow quickly....mine lasted a whole year before it went... but because they don't tend to keep many in stock in the store.

The light it casts is great and white, so no orange on blue tints that you get with some bulbs. It's easy to move around and you can position it directly above what you are working on. I don't personally use the magnifier. Mainly because I don't need to but also because it gives me a headache due to the fact that as you are holding a mini it moves around a little bit which means your eyes have to work hard to keep the mini in focus. The effect is not noticable straight away but after 15mins or so it becomes quite apparent. The other reason for not using the magnifier is that when the piece of work is in focus it is so close to the lamp that the paint brush keeps knocking against the side of the lamp...which is very annoying.
Despite the magnifier issues I find it great lamp to use... and when it's on offer it's a reasonable price too.
 
Wyrmypops

Wyrmypops

New member
+1 on the Freakinacage suggestion. I've a pair of them. The lights that is, not caged freaks. Superb lights, one positioned either side gives good illumination in a daylight flavour.
 
StillLifeMiniatures

StillLifeMiniatures

New member
I use an Ottlite which is similar to the lamps already linked above. It's not the cheapest, but I have had mine over six years now. I have dropped it numerous times while moving and it has yet to break. I'm even on the same light bulb.
 
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sillyface

Member
Thanks everyone :) I decided to go with nels0nmac's suggestion. I liked having the choice to use the magnifier and the orbital light eliminates shadows.
It's pretty cool and packs away nicely.

Now I can paint my way through this dark, snowy Christmas as if it was summer. Merry Christmas Coolminiornot!!!
 
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StanleyBailey

New member
sillyface said:
Hi,

I'm having difficulty trying to find a reasonably priced lamp that would be ideal for painting .
I was going to get a day-light bulb for a standard lamp, but these are expensive and blow easily.

I'm now thinking of an led lighting solution.

Any ideas before I paint my soldiers pink rather than red?
Click to expand...
hello friends which lamp are you using for painting.. I am completely unaware about use of lamps in painting but working on one such project.. I hope you can help me out a lot..Please reply ASAP... Thanks:)
 
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Bloodhowl

Bloodhowl

Active member
StanleyBailey said:
hello friends which lamp are you using for painting.. I am completely unaware about use of lamps in painting but working on one such project.. I hope you can help me out a lot..Please reply ASAP... Thanks:)
Click to expand...


Did you read the thread? Several members posted links to the lights they are using. Also helps to know where in the world you are. What might be available in the UK or US may not be available on the island of Naboombu.
 
A

antony

New member
StanleyBailey said:
hello friends which lamp are you using for painting.. I am completely unaware about use of lamps in painting but working on one such project.. I hope you can help me out a lot..Please reply ASAP... Thanks:)
Click to expand...

I recommend going with LED. Don't use CFLs - they're known for leaking harmful UV rays, so you're exposed to risks of skin cancer especially when you're using the lamp at close distance for drawing. Also LED generally lasts much longer than fluorescent and incandescent - they can go for years.

As for the color temperature, I agree with @Beelzebrush, 5500K sounds ideal. Or better yet, find a lamp that is dimmable and have multiple color temperatures so you can easily adjust and find your lighting option.

Try one of the following:
- Brightech Lightview Pro. Find the desk lamp version with adjustable brightness and temperature, with rounds of LEDs surrounding a magnifier. If you draw with lots of small details the magnifier can be handy.
- BenQ eReading Lamp. It's designed with more light on the edges than in the middle, so that you can look at electronic screens without seeing a glare. I haven't tried it for painting but I guess it works in the same way to reduce glare, especially on larger paintings. You can either put it with a base on your desk, or fix it on the table/shelf with a clamp, or put it on a floor stand. Very versatile.

You can find more information about the two lamps here
 
S

snowcrash

New member
I recently switched to an IKEA RANARP floor lamp (so it doesn't take up table space and I can move it around), and using an OSRAM 1400 lumen LED bulb (6500K). I was afraid the bulb could be too cool/bluish, but it turned out OK.
 
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