Issue 45 Feb 25 web - Flipbook - Page 114
Picture perfect art lighting
by Iain McIntosh
When lighting artwork there are many factors to consider to gain the perfect viewing experience and
light the entire canvas well. There are various light sources available to do this, however using an
adaptable and maintainable lensed LED system is by far the best option. Historically, halogen lamps
and tungsten filaments have been used but with the development of LEDs over the last 10 years this
is the way to go now.
High CRI lensed LEDS will remove damaging heat and
UV whilst extending the life by up to 50X longer, giving
a greater coverage, bringing out the richer colours and
increasing the texture & definition in your art.
Colour rendering index (CRI)
When lighting art you want to use the highest CRI that
you can. 98 CRI is currently the highest LED level in the
marketplace and will allow the rich reds and blues to show
their true colours as well as adding depth and definition
to your paintings.
Not all LED Art Lights are the same and I will go through
the key points that need to be considered when selecting
them.
LED lensing & spacing
This will be determined by the canvas dimensions with a
spacing of up to 10” each with pre-selected lensing as required from say 15 through to 60 degrees to give a uniform
coverage across the canvas. This will remove the points
of glare, hotspots and low light levels experienced with
Colour temperature
This is very important when lighting art. Most pieces
should be lit with a 2700K warm white light to bring
out the rich colours within the piece. Cooler colour
temperatures can be used, but these are rare.
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
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