WARM LIGHT VS OCOOL LIGHT

Ott light # 1

Ott #2

Ott #3

My rag tag collection of Ott lamps:

New ceiling light


     My studio/ spare bedroom had no over head lighting so I stuck four Ott lamps wherever I could to get the most natural light to paint under. Oh, the one window faces south which is not the ideal north light touted by artists. You work with what you have.

     Recently I did a little research on lighting and found out that 5,500 K is the best artificial light to use in an art studio. Lower than 5,500 K yields a warm light which causes the painting to turn out cool and above that K is cool therefore the artist compensates on the warm side.
                                       Honestly I didn't think it was a big deal.

           "The correlated color temperature (CCT), measured in Kelvin, refers to how warm or cool a light appears. Too warm       a bulb may tint work reddish yellow, whereas too cool a light can turn things blue. For a good balance of warmth and coolness, look for bulbs with a CCT of 5500 K, the equivalent of midday sun. If you prefer cooler light, akin to north light, look for bulbs rated 7500 K. "  (by Koo Scheduler)

 Another article I read on line said to close the blind on windows facing south and use 5000-5500K for the lighting. I was wondering about that southern exposure.

A trip to Home Depot showed me the lighting possibilities and their price tags. Cheap and easy is what works for me these days so I ended up with an LED ceiling light in the 2500 K warm range.

My logic is turn off the ceiling light that I just had installed and just use the Ott lights but it gets hot in here so I sure could use the ceiling fan. Husband says; "don't touch the pull cords because something or other switch is going bad". Well, oh crap, I am back where I started and now I have learned I must close the blinds on my south facing window. Maybe I could use the ceiling light plus the Ott lamps with the window blind closed.

I think I will take a moment to think this plan over again.

Here are some results I found on this unfinished painting of my son: Do you see a difference?

Warm light off

Warm light on