# Daylight Lamp or Bulb for Art & Crafts



## Reynard (3 Nov 2019)

The problem at this time of year is that there's very little good daylight - which is a right pain when it comes to artwork. Drawing (pencil or pen & ink) is fine, but anything to do with colour is almost impossible outside of a very narrow window in the middle of the day. Which is a pain if you're busy.

So I'm seriously thinking about a daylight lamp - or a daylight bulb that's compatible with a basic desk light.

Am wondering if any of you bods on here who do modelling, sewing or who also paint use a daylight lamp, and if so, what would you recommend.


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## fossyant (3 Nov 2019)

My wife will pop on the Maplin daylight lamp in winter for her sewing. She does mainly use the conservatory where possible , for maximum light.

At least with a stand alone 'light box' you can use it else where - I used it whilst stuck in with my spinal injury - our lounge is quite dark.


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## sleuthey (3 Nov 2019)

I would just go to Screwfix or Toolstation and buy a bulb that fits your existing lamp. That way if it's not suitable you have not wasted much money.


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## slowmotion (3 Nov 2019)

Lookee here......

https://www.easy-lightbulbs.com/lighting-guides/colour-temperature/


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## Reynard (3 Nov 2019)

Thanks for the useful info, folks 

I think I'll start as @sleuthey suggests and just buy a bulb as I already have a spare desk light that I can use.

Another thing I should have asked is what wattage to get...


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## slowmotion (3 Nov 2019)

Reynard said:


> Thanks for the useful info, folks
> 
> I think I'll start as @sleuthey suggests and just buy a bulb as I already have a spare desk light that I can use.
> 
> Another thing I should have asked is what wattage to get...


I would get the largest wattage bulb that your light fitting is rated for. Don't go over that limit. You don't want to overheat it.


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## Reynard (3 Nov 2019)

slowmotion said:


> I would get the largest wattage bulb that your light fitting is rated for. Don't go over that limit. You don't want to overheat it.



That makes sense. It's just that I don't know what it's rated for. 

The lamp is one of those bendy stalk lights - bought from Woolies, so shows you how long I've had it...


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## Reynard (3 Nov 2019)

Update - it's 40 watts.

There's a sticker on the inside of the shade with that info. Silly Reynard.


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## lazybloke (3 Nov 2019)

Mrs L does a lot of work with fabrics, dyes & paints, and is *very* keen on a brand of daylight lamps called Ottlite. They have a colour temp of 5000 K.

Not sure if they're any better than getting a generic 5000K bulb from Amazon and sticking it in any old desk lamp.


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## slowmotion (3 Nov 2019)

Reynard said:


> Update - it's 40 watts.
> 
> There's a sticker on the inside of the shade with that info. Silly Reynard.


I'm not young but even when I was, I used an Anglepoise for close up work. I fitted it with a 100 watt incandescent bulb that put out about 1600 lumens. I suggest you try and attain the same number of lumens. With LEDs etc you can get that with a bulb of a lot less wattage. The problem tends to be finding one.

Edit: I think it was only rated for 60 watts, but I ignored that.


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## Reynard (3 Nov 2019)

slowmotion said:


> With LEDs etc you can get that with a bulb of a lot less wattage. The problem tends to be finding one.



Tell me about it


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## annedonnelly (4 Nov 2019)

I bought a proper craft light when they were on offer at Hobbycraft - can't remember the brand but I can check.

Shortly after one of my normal room light bulbs failed & I went to Wilko to replace it. I discovered that the ones available were excellent with nice white light. Technology had moved on since I last bought energy efficient bulbs. So I've rarely used my craft lamp. I'd say try out some of the normal off-the-shelf bulbs available before buying expensive ones.


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## GM (4 Nov 2019)

My son uses one of these fixed above his easel, he got the 4ft one which works really good.....


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## Reynard (4 Nov 2019)

GM said:


> My son uses one of these fixed above his easel, he got the 4ft one which works really good.....
> 
> View attachment 491736



Looks good, but don't have the space for that...


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## Salar (4 Nov 2019)

Cheapo Crompton daylight bulbs for me £2.50 each. But they are 60watts.


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## stephec (4 Nov 2019)

I was just lucky enough to be in Hobbycraft when they had a stack of daylight lamps at half price.

The difference it makes when assembling and painting small models is amazing, especially if you need reading glasses.


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## Reynard (4 Nov 2019)

stephec said:


> The difference it makes when assembling and painting small models is amazing, especially if you need reading glasses.



Useful input, thanks. 

My main subject matter is racing cars, so lots of fine detail work, both drawing and in painting.


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## Pale Rider (5 Nov 2019)

Send one of your artworks to McLaren and tell them it would be so much better if you had the same lighting they have in the factory.


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## DCBassman (5 Nov 2019)

1600 lumen LEDs available at IKEA. They are stunningly bright...💡


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## stephec (5 Nov 2019)

Reynard said:


> Useful input, thanks.
> 
> My main subject matter is racing cars, so lots of fine detail work, both drawing and in painting.


It especially helps me with the painting by improving contrasting areas of wet paint, makes it easier to spot where I've over or under sprayed a piece of plastic in comparison to another, far superior to a south facing window as there's no shadows to hide imperfections.

I tend to switch it on all the time now, even in the middle of summer.


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## Reynard (5 Nov 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> Send one of your artworks to McLaren and tell them it would be so much better if you had the same lighting they have in the factory.





McLaren sponsored my PhD back in the day. 

To put it in layman's terms, it was research in "how to break pieces of racing car"


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## Reynard (5 Nov 2019)

stephec said:


> It especially helps me with the painting by improving contrasting areas of wet paint, makes it easier to spot where I've over or under sprayed a piece of plastic in comparison to another, far superior to a south facing window as there's no shadows to hide imperfections.
> 
> I tend to switch it on all the time now, even in the middle of summer.



My window faces south west - it gives me, if you pardon the pun, a window of good light from about midday to around half three at this time of year, and till around half six in summer.

It's frustrating at the moment, because by the time I've got everything squared away for the day, the light's pretty well much gone, and if I'm stuck indoors because it's raining, it's hard to do anything on any artwork because it's too overcast, and ordinary (LED) lighting makes it so hard to judge colour and tone. OK, with acrylics I can overpaint, but I can't do that with watercolour.

Am going past Wilkinsons on Thursday, so will pop in to get a daylight bulb for my desk light and take it from there. By what you're saying, it makes one heck of a difference.


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## Bazzer (6 Nov 2019)

I used to use a Maplins version one of these when wood carving. I found the circular bulb helped with shadow from my hands and the magnifying glass was excellent for fine detail. Past tense as I dropped it and couldn't get a replacement bulb. 
More recent ones on the market seem to have LEDs. I would check if the lighting is user replaceable. - I only bring this up as I had to go light shopping with Mrs B a month or so ago and I found it disturbing that a sizeable proportion of household lights have LEDs which are not user replaceable.


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## Reynard (7 Nov 2019)

Well, I picked up a 40w daylight bulb for £2 in Wilkinsons this morning - It was the highest wattage I could get for the E14 / SES fitting.

By the time I sat down to work on my current project (a watercolour that requires masking off of lots of fine detail) it was already dark outside, so this was as good a test as any. Only managed half an hour's painting (too tired to do any more), but initial results are pretty encouraging.

Although the light definitely comes across as rather harsh compared to the 40w warm white LED that's usually fitted to my desk light, it's so much easier to a) see what I'm doing, and b) mix, apply and lift out paint.

Can't as yet comment on how this performs on longer sessions and when there is actual daylight outside, but seems like £2 well spent.

Thanks for all the advice folks, it's muchly appreciated.


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## Tenkaykev (7 Nov 2019)

These are excellent.

They cost less than a tenner. Combine it with a anglepoise type light or, as I have done, an inexpensive IKEA uplighter, the type with a flexible arm halfway up the stem, mount the led in there and you've got the equivalent to the really expensive ones you see advertised in various magazines.

Philips Master Expert Colour 5.5W GU10 LED Dimmable High CRI97

Edit to say that daylight has a CRI ( Colour Rendering Index) of 100, The Philips has a CRI of 97, about as good as you can get


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## Reynard (7 Nov 2019)

Sounds like the one to go for if someone needs really accurate colour rendition @Tenkaykev 

Still early days with the one I bought this morning, but one to bear in mind for an upgrade if needed.


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