Light Wall
Paintings
Their are many ways to light your wall paintings and many lights to do it with. The most important factors are the size of the paintings and the amount of illumination in the room. If the painting is framed with glass or has a high gloss varnish, that could impact your lighting decision as well.
Instructions
Lighting the paintings
1. Determine the location of the painting, if it is not hung already. Look at it from various angles to check for light levels and glare from the painting. Don't hang the painting too high or you can have glare problems later from light reflected from ceiling fixtures. Ensure levels are even throughout painting (more of an issue for larger works). Move existing lighting around to increase lighting or reduce glare if that is an option (this is easier with floor lamps). Increase the wattage of available lighting if this is an option and acceptable aesthetically. If results are unacceptable, go to next step.
2. Determine the size of the painting. Purchase clip on electric lamps for medium to smaller paintings (up to three feet) and mount on top of frame or stretcher pointing at the painting. Mount track lighting or indoor floods for larger paintings. Install the lights at a 45 degree angle above the painting and point to distribute the light evenly across the surface. Avoid mounting lights over the center of the painting if there are glare issues, as the reflection will be most visible to those standing in front of the painting.
3. Use the same wattage bulbs in each of the lamps to keep the lighting even. Don't mount the lights too close to the wall where the painting is hung, as this will cause stronger shadows and make it more difficult to keep the lighting even. Use clamp lamps for an informal, studio-type, environment or for a low cost solution; be careful not to exceed the recommended wattage. Use recessed lighting in more formal areas. Stay away from higher wattage and halogen lamps when possible as they degrade the pigments more quickly. Direct sunlight will do the same.
4. Consider replacing the glass or plexiglass with a glare-free plexiglass if you are still getting glare on the painting. If this is not an option you can use spun glass or other kinds of polarizing gels (available at photography stores) to soften the light and reduce reflected light.
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