Is there a lamp that can duplicate the look of natural daylight (not sunlight)? I'm an artist and work a job

Question

during the day, so I can only paint at night. But I love to paint under natural daylight--there is something about its cool transparency and the way it reveals the true color of objects. I tried tungsten bulbs, but they give an opaque, florescent-like look.

Answer 1

I would try light bulbs by Reveal. They are the truest to natural light that I can find, and work beautifully.

I realized how good they work when I found that one of the kids had turned on a kitchen lamp during a bright day and you could not tell the difference between the two. I also use the Reveal bulbs to fill the shadows in portraits taken in the house during the day - I don't like the harshness of the flash.

Well, sometimes I do.

Answer 2

Sure, but if you are not a photo-realist what difference does it make? And even if you are, the colors you use inside are likely to be the same colors you use outside...and neither will reproduce exactly what nature provides. Just isn't possible. Ask yourself, if I paint under "sun" lamps and the viewer observes the painting under tungsten or fluoresent, what happens to the perceived colors in the painting? Do you think Matisse or Van Gogh worried about such things? Van Gogh painted under candle light, and many others under oil lamps. I understand your appreciation for natural light and wanting exactness, but be careful about fretting too much about conditions and concentrate on more basic challenges of painting. Choose colors from the gut and brain...be inventive...Color is very subjective anyway.

Answer 3

Hi:

Also try Ott Lights available from many online artstores like Jerry's Artarama and Dick Blicks and craft stores like Joann's. These are specifically engineered to have neutral light for artists and craftspersons. You might also try halogen lights - they're supposed to have 'sunlight' looking light, but in my experience, they can be a little hot.

Answer 4

Every day (and time of day) has a different light.

I personally use multiple types of light/lamps to create the light I want. Mostly fluorescent lamps of different colors. I can get pretty close to most 'day lights'.