Heather asked: “Could you comment on lighting please? I am particularly interested in lighting as you paint. I have a tendency to want more and better lighting when I paint but frankly, paintings can rarely be hung – (should not be hung?) – in such good lighting conditions. Perhaps one should paint, at least sometimes, in less than great lighting conditions. Any observations on this would be welcome.”
Thanks for the great question Heather. There can, of course be massive variation in lighting, both in brightness and colour spectrum. It’s pretty well known that artificial light does not have the same chromatic make-up as daylight – with blues and greens washing out in warm artificial light, for example.
In my studio, I only paint in natural, indirect light. I’m happy to soldier on as the light changes and dims somewhat – however I will always stop as the light fades. I do sometimes paint in full spectrum artificial light outside my own studio – at the Ottawa School of Art for example and I have not had any real issues. However, I am very uncomfortable working in partial spectrum domestic light and find it unsettling to try to gauge colour. I guess you could paint for a specific place and light source, painting and hanging in the same environment – much as for a fresco if you like. That would work, although ultimately pretty inflexible!
I always look at my paintings in various lights!! The poorer the light, the better. Assessing art in various lights can be very illuminating….no pun intended…. however I refrain from making adjustments to compensate for poor lighting per se. I never paint in direct sunlight and likewise would not hang in direct sunlight either, for both aesthetic and conservation reasons.
By-the-by, whenever I show my work, the strong exhibition lights can surprise too. Generally speaking, my art seems to stand up well, however I do think a little subtlety is lost in that glare!
Break-a-Brush!
David
P.S.: Here’s some useful information on studio lighting: https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-techniques/how-to-choose-studio-lighting/