| By :
Stewart Wrighter
Whenever we want an art light to illuminate our beloved photos or paintings, we often misunderstand what each bulb type will do for the colors displayed there. A LED picture light can save a lot of energy too so this may well be a factor when choosing one of these handy gadgets for the home or office. The general idea is that any of the different kinds of bulbs should emit enough illumination to perfectly highlight the piece in question without glaring in the eyes of the beholder. An incandescent bulb will always throw a warm yellow glow so if the painting or photo has a lot of white in it, this may make it look a little dull and uninspiring. However, if a halogen bulb is used, this tends to give a white and crystal clear glow to the print which should also compliment any bright colors contained within. Fluorescent bulbs tend to have a harsher kind of glow so this is not always a good idea if the painting is delicately colored or executed and it may well wash out the colors making it look a little faded. Much as fluorescent bulbs wash out the tones in human skin, it does exactly the same for the painting so take some care here. The finish of these gadgets also varies quite a bit. Those that clip directly onto the surround are great as long as there is a place for it to sit. Some of the more ornate surrounds may not take this very well so for these a combine hook and fitting, which comes out over the top of the surround, may be the ideal choice. It also means that wherever the hook is taken, the fitting goes along with it too. Some of these handy gadgets come in a fussy traditional style which would well suit the gilt surrounds that some paintings have. Because the bulb fitment is secured at the end of a 'swan neck' style arm, the bulb can be pointed directly at the subject matter and out of the eyes of those looking on. If this is bought in an antique brass or gold colored style, the whole effect should be warm and rich for sure. Then there is the silvered variety which is a cool color to have in the modern home. If the print has no border or is completely glass covered, this style will surely set it off to perfection. Even the black slim line variety has its place in the modern home too and these virtually disappear when they are in situ leaving only the glow to tell anyone that it is there. Some companies will have set sizes of these gadgets which should fit just about any size of painting etc. They should be at least a half of the width so that the illumination reaches each corner. Some websites have a custom made facility though which means that they can make up the gadget to fit whatever needs to be illuminated. Take a look to see what is available online.
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