Ahhh, apples. Possibly my favorite subject to paint of all time. Yesterday, after mentioning the lights I use on my subjects, someone asked if I also vary the light on my painting. The answer is no. Eventually, when I am able to build my own custom studio, I hope to use natural light for painting. My studio now has a small, south facing window that is totally unusable. So I have a "daylight" florescent work light mounted on the ceiling directly above my easel. It works pretty well. I am considering skylights in my next studio - anyone have experience with them?
5 comments:
Skylights are excellent for shining on your easel, a bit limiting for lighting a still life. I have three skylights, but I block out two. Too much light bouncing around.
I think Vermeer's setup as one can deduce from his paintings is perfect - a window on the left wall, just to the left of his easel, and further away another window on the left wall, to light the subject. And lots of dark draperies to control the light.
That would be my dream studio setup :)
My first Vermont home had skylights (three) in the large room that I used as a studio. I had to cover them. The light changes all day long, minute to minute, and is awful for painting. It's sort of a natural spotlight -- but one over which you have no control! Natural light sources from all directions (including skyward) EXCEPT north will move and vary all day long. Go for a large wall of windows facing north -- and even then give yourself the ability to filter/screen the light. JudyS
Scott Burdick recommends north facing windows that are high on the wall, so that you only see sky. this way you don't have any bounce from ground or surrounding buildings. But he also uses plenty of daylight balanced florescent lights hung high in a studio with high ceilings. I would be happy having a room that doesn't have to be used for anything but my studio. But when I win the lottery...watch out!
Hi Carol, love your work, each painting a little jewel!
For what it is worth, here is my twopen'orth on skylights.I have a studio built by my husband, where I have half the roof of transparent polyurethane, north facing,and no windows at all. The light is constant, unchanging,throughout the day and I only paint in daylight. It is perfect and I would recommend it to any painter.
est wises and happy painting!
Oh, to add to my skylight review - I agree, skylights do have to have north light only. The last thing you want is a yellow beam of direct sunlight coming into your studio. My little detached studio is shadowed from the south by my house, and so I only get north light through the studio skylights. It's constant, white, and doesn't change much (except when the fog rolls in, but that's only a problem here in SF :)
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